Individuals who stood for an extra two hours daily had about 2% lower blood glucose levels and 11% lower average triglycerides, compared to those who spent more time sitting. More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels, while replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index.




Wellness in Diabetes - Avoid Sitting Too Long To Stay Healthy

Pregnancy brings with it the need to be extra careful about the overall well-being of the mother-to-be. Extreme caution has to be taken in managing health, as antibiotics and a lot of other treatment modalities are best avoided during pregnancy. With diabetes becoming common in the younger ages and women choosing to delay pregnancy, there are multiple women who are diabetic and choose to get pregnant later in life.

With diabetes being a chronic and a lifestyle condition, it definitely has its effects on pregnancy. However, the key is to manage diabetes cautiously in such a way that its effects on pregnancy, both the mother and the developing baby, are minimal. The increased blood sugar levels from the mother pass on to the baby, so keeping a close watch on the blood sugar levels is very important.

The maximum effect of diabetes on the baby is during the first few weeks of pregnancy. It is when the vital organs (brain, heart, lungs and kidneys) are forming, and high blood sugar levels can be harmful. This is slightly tricky as most women realise they could be pregnant only after about 6 weeks. If pregnancy is planned, it is best advisable to keep a check on sugar levels much ahead of the pregnancy.
The baby could be used to high levels of sugar while in the womb, and once delivered, it could have too low sugar levels. This needs to be monitored.
Preeclampsia, which is increased protein in the urine and high blood pressure, can happen during the second trimester. This may require the baby to be delivered prematurely.
Babies born to diabetic mothers are often bigger. The baby s pancreas is used to higher sugar levels and so the extra sugar gets converted to fat, which is the reason for the bigger babies. This may also necessitate C-sections.
Pregnancy can induce the development of diabetic retinopathy, which may prevent vaginal delivery, as the woman may not be able to exert the required pressure.
Abnormal calcium and magnesium levels, which need to be monitored for a while after birth
Most diabetic women reach full term if the sugar levels have been under good control.
Diabetic pregnant women are high at risk. However, with advanced medical care, these risks and complications are managed very well producing healthy babies from normal deliveries with effectively no harm to the mother s health. Once a diabetic woman tests positive, it is advisable to seek medical help to plan diet/meal plan, physical activities, exercise regimen, lifestyle changes, and medication dose adjustments. This is not a one-time activity, but needs to be closely monitored with daily blood sugar levels throughout the pregnancy. 

How Can High Diabetes Affect Your Pregnancy?

Top 5 things all diabetics must do

As you are aware, diabetes is an increasingly common problem not only in adults but with children and young people too. Preventing or delaying diabetes is possible with a few lifestyle changes. And for those who have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, changes in lifestyle can prove beneficial to keep it under control. This is important and should not be taken lightly as diabetes can lead to other serious health complications. There are few simple things which if done regularly can keep you safe and absolutely fine.

5 ways to combat diabetes.

1) exercise - do minimum 45 to 30 minutes of exercise like brisk walking (for people with heart ailments make sure that you have done stress test/tmt). Keep yourself physically active all the time this will help you in losing weight, controlling blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol. It will also improve insulin sensitivity in your body. 
2) high fiber diet - include high fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, cinnamon, green tea in your diet. This will improve your blood sugar level and also reduce your risk of developing diabetes and helps you to lose weight. Do not get into fad diets and tv commercials as they are often misleading.
3) reduce stress - tension and worry releases certain chemicals (stress hormones) which can increase your blood sugar level. Try relaxation therapy like meditation, yoga, music and soundful sleep.
4) restrict intake of alcohol - alcohol increases body weight, triglyceride (cholesterol) level and blood pressure. They may make you unaware of symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar which may be dangerous). They are empty calorie with no nutritional value. Permissible limit is 2 drinks (60ml) a day for men and 1 drink (60ml) for women, it is also not advisable to smoke.
5) regular check-ups - make sure that you regularly check your blood sugar levels and modify treatment from your diabetologist doctor (if required.) your body and your friend/ relative / colleague's body are different, so is your need of medicine for diabetes as well. What works best for them may not be right for you. So it is my sincere request is to avoid any self medication as it can be dangerous. Regularly undergo screening for early detection of diabetes complications like eye, nerve, heart, foot, kidney.

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Top 5 Things All Diabetics Must Do

It is a known fact that the human body requires natural sugar for it to have energy and benefit the body but, when examined, It was found that we consume more of refined sugar. Foods that we buy from markets or shops outside contains large quantities of this refined component but once we know what happens to our body and choose to stop eating sugar completely, those mouth-watering savories will no longer allure us.

Read on to know what happens to your body when you ignore sugar completely-

Glow with the healthy glossy skin: Those pastry donuts and sweets will tempt you for sure, but once you cut them of blatantly, you are bound to notice a vibrant glow on your skin. This is because sugar tends to disrupt the elastin content and intervenes with collagen buildup.
High on energy: Excess sugar consumption tends to make you feel fatigued and sluggish. So ignoring it can give you the power you deserve. Also, it does reduce your chances of having diabetes to almost half.
Vibrant Mood: It might seem paradoxical, but it is true. Having chocolates or sweets can make us feel happy, but the feeling is temporary. On the longer and more permanent page, once you overcome the craving phase you will notice a change in your mood. Excess sugar intake can cause a short circuit in the brain giving rise to anxiety disorders and even schizophrenia. Sugar inhibits the secretion of dopamine transporter as well.
More Active: Sugar has a relation with joint pain. It tends to increase inflammation and joint pain making the autoimmune disorder even worse. The more sugar content there is in your body, the more will be insulin levels. This increased insulin is the key cause of pain and inflammation. Stopping sugar completely will get you rid of this completely. You feel much more active and healthy.
Quality Sleep: If you cut down sugar intake you can have a better sleep. This is because cutting of sugar has link-ups to getting relief from insomnia.
Balanced weight: When you cut down sugar intake, you consume a lot less calorie thus making your system free of harmful substances and toxins. Sugary foods contain carbohydrates and fat contents that make your body obese and tired. Removing sugar will help you gain a balanced weight and make you fat-free which in its course is a relief as you shun of majority risks of having ailments related to weight issues.
Quitting sugar completely can be a real-time pain as it is almost a primeval addiction more like smoking but once it is shunned of you can experience and feel the bliss that you will be going through. Make your life healthy!

Ignoring Sugar Completely - This Is What Will Happen To Your Body!

Blood sugar control is the core of the diabetes treatment plan as by losing control over your blood sugar, you risk serious complications related to health. Frequent or ongoing irregular blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels, nerves and organs. Irregular Blood Sugar Level is a major concern and can affect diabetic as well as general people.

The most common causes of uncontrolled blood sugar level are:
1. Skipping Insulin or oral glucose medicines.
2. Eating too many carbohydrates in general.
3. Have an infection
4. Exercising less or not at all.

Symptoms of increased sugar level in body
1. Increased Thirst: If you feel unusually thirsty and feel the urge to drink more than usual, you should check your sugar levels.
2. Frequent Urination: Excessive urination occurs when glucose builds up in your blood, and your kidney begins to work harder to get rid of the extra glucose. The excess sugar is thrown away from the body through urine.
3. Fatigue: Extreme tiredness or fatigue is common symptoms of uncontrolled blood sugar. If you do not have sufficient amount of insulin in your body, or if the insulin is not processed properly, then it stays in our blood. Hence, it does not get used up for energy.
4. Blurry Vision: High blood sugar levels can lead to swollen lenses in your eyes due to fluid leaking in, according to Joslin Diabetes Center. This changes the shape of the lens and makes it unable to focus properly, resulting in blurry vision.

How you can control the level of sugar in your body

Diet: Eat right. Consult a diabetes educator or dietician to help you figure out a healthy diet that works for you. Do share all your sugar levels, your preference with them. This would enable them to make a proper and more suitable diet plan for you, which will help you in keeping your blood sugar under control.
Exercise: To keep your blood sugar control, do exercise regularly. Exercise will increase your insulin activity, after which you don t need to as much insulin to help your body in processing carbohydrates.
Medication: Insulin is a hormone that is normally produced in the body. But for people with abnormal blood sugar level, it is either not working as it should or the body has stopped producing it. People with abnormal Blood sugar level may need to take insulin in order to keep their blood glucose levels in a healthy range. Insulin helps your body to use glucose properly.
Blood Glucose Monitoring: Monitor your blood glucose levels regularly in order to know how much insulin you require, especially before you take a meal. Keeping a check on your blood glucose levels will help you in adjusting your insulin medication as well as your meals, so that your blood sugar remains stable.

High Blood Sugar Level in Body - How Can You Control It?

Sugar is the generic name that represents sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. 

What Happens When Concentrated Sugar Enters the Body?
Sugar is a poison when concentrated because it causes swelling of joints, liver, and brain. Sugar will hamper the healing of your body if you have an injury or chronic illness. Sugar acts as a source of energy for cancer cells and all infectious diseases. Sugar blocks the absorption of the nutrients you are eating, especially all of your minerals.

Harmful Effects of Sugar on the Body

It is a true silent killer: A study in 2008 linked excess fructose consumption to an increase in leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that tells you when you have had enough food. For some people, leptin simply does not work, leaving the person with no signal whatsoever that the body had enough food leading to over-consumption of food and consequently, obesity. As all this happens without symptoms or warning bells and you can t quite figure out why you ve gained weight in the past year  sugar  is labeled as SILENT KILLER.
It can damage your heart: In 2013, the Journal of the American Heart Association displayed strong evidence that sugar can actually affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and could increase the risk for heart failure. A molecule from a sugar called glucose metabolite glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) is responsible for the changes in the muscle protein of the heart leading to heart failure.
It promotes belly fat: Excess fructose intake (but not glucose intake) actually causes visceral fat cells to mature leading to a big belly and higher risk for heart disease and diabetes.
It has toxic liver effects on the body: Fructose and glucose in excess can have a toxic effect on the liver as the metabolism of ethanol, the alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages, has similarities to the metabolic pathways like fructose.
It saps brain power: Study shows that excess sugar consumption was linked to deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive health.
Quick Facts!

Your brain lights up with sugar just like it does with heroin or cocaine. Sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine.
Sugar has empty calories meaning you can consume a lot of it and feel full, but receive no nutritional value.
It is certainly one of the leading causes of early death and chronic illnesses, including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
Food companies try to hide sugars in their food by using other forms of sugar. This leads to addiction of their products (e.g. high-fructose corn syrup).
Sugar in itself offers absolutely no nutritional value what so ever to the body. It is often coined with the term empty calories.

Sugar: A Silent Killer!

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