Diabetes is a Major Problem in the Middle East and USA. According to a recent Consumer Reports study in USA, Americans know their Cholesterol and Blood Pressure numbers, but when it comes to Blood Sugar Levels, they’re ignorant.
That’s cause for concern for many doctors who say that high blood sugar is the indicator for diabetes and rivals the other two factors in contributing to Heart Attacks and Strokes. High blood Sugar can also lead to kidney damage, blindness and other serious health complications.
“Most people assume that you have to be really obese to get diabetes, but being overweight is not the only qualifier,” says Timothy Church, M.D., author of “Move Yourself,” and professor of preventative medicine at Pennington Biomedical Research.
Blood Sugar Blunders
Check out our Dr. Church’s Top 5 list of Blood Sugar Blunders to see if your daily habits put you at risk:
#5 BREAKFAST SKIPPER
A Harvard Medical School study found that people who eat breakfast were one-third less likely to be obese or have blood sugar problems, which increase the risk of
developing diabetes, compared to those who skipped the meal.
#4 STRESSED OUT
Stressful situations can release hormones that will raise your blood sugar levels directly. For people with Type 2 diabetes, mental stress often raises blood glucose levels.
#3 NIGHT OWL
Suppression of slow-wave sleep, or “deep sleep,” in healthy young adults significantly decreases their ability to regulate blood-sugar levels and increases the risk of Type
2 diabetes according to researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
#2 BEER BELLY
Weight is distributed differently on everyone. However, contrary to what most people think, it’s not what you weigh, it’s where you weigh that can increase your risk for
diabetes. The amount of fat in the belly area can be a key indicator. A waist measurement larger that 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men constitute a high risk for diabetes.
#1 COUCH POTATO
Research has shown that physical activity can lower your blood sugar level and plays an important part in preventing Type 2 diabetes. A major government study, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), showed that modest weight loss of 5 to 7 percent—for example, 10 to 15 pounds for a 200-pound person—can delay and
possibly prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Church says diabetes “awareness” is only the first step, and that taking strides towards prevention is the key to avoiding this deadly disease.
1. Move Yourself More
Whether you lose weight or not, any type of physical movement, or activity, lowers blood sugar and boosts your sensitivity to insulin — which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range.
Church says if you just schedule 30 minutes of walking into your daily routine you’ll drastically reduce your risk to major diseases including diabetes.
2. Mulberry Before Big Meals
Chruch says blood sugar levels are at the highest and have the potential to cause substantial damages during the first 30 to 45 minutes after big meals.
You can counteract that with a traditional natural remedy: mulberry leaf extract.
Used by many cultures around the world for centuries, mulberry leaf extract is taken to reduce the rise in blood sugar that occurs after meals.
Evidence from multiple clinical studies show mulberry leaf extract can help with blood sugar maintenance.
3. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Weight is distributed differently on everyone. However, according to Dr. Church contrary to what most people think, it’s not what you weigh, it’s where you weigh that can increase your risk for diabetes.
The amount of fat in the belly area can be a key indicator.
A waist measurement larger that 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men constitute a high risk for diabetes.
Taking 10 minutes a day to log what you eat and manage your calorie intake can be critical. As little as a 5 percent weight reduction can make a difference in avoiding diabetes.