Exercise

Avoid all diet plans that claim you can eat anything your heart desires. If you could eat any and everything and still lose the weight, you wouldn’t need to lose weight in the first place. Right? It’s not rocket science. Just exercise a bit of common sense in between exercising your body. Don’t fall for the scams.

Purchasing a pedometer can help you lose weight. A pedometer measures how many steps you have taken during the day, allowing you to calculate the distance traveled. Wearing a pedometer will not only let you keep track of how much you walk, it makes it easy to increase your exercise in small increments and can serve as a reminder to walk more.

Exercise is a requirement of any weight loss effort. Simply reducing calorie intake will not prove effective unless supplemented by physical activity. Taking a quick walk burns calories, gives you energy, and boosts your metabolism. More rigorous activities will burn calories faster and build more muscle and increase your endurance.

Before you start a new exercise program or fitness class, invest in high-quality, comfortable workout clothes. Many people feel somewhat self-conscious about going to the gym and working out in the midst of others. It’s easier to face a grueling workout session when you feel confident in yourself – something that’s hard to do when you’re wearing raggedy, dirty, or ill-fitting workout clothes.

Dieting

When you are eating a meal, avoid certain kinds of toppings that could add a lot of calories. Salt is one of these toppings that is not only bad for your body if consumed in bulk, but can slow your functionality and make you feel haggard during the day. Eliminate excess salt from your arsenal when dieting.

You should not drink liquor with meals while you are dieting. Not only is there a lot of calories in liquor, it can lower your inhibitions enough to overeat, when you might otherwise have resisted. Drinking liquor can also fill you up with empty calories and your body will miss out on the healthy food that it needs.

When you are dieting, it is important to take a long-term view of the process. This includes having mercy on yourself if you fail or “cheat” on the diet. If you feel the need to treat yourself, that is perfectly acceptable every once in a while. Remember that you are striving to create long-lasting habits of taking better care of yourself. A healthy mind and a happy attitude are just as necessary to weight loss as pulverizing exercise.

When you begin a weight loss program, it is a good idea to remove all foods from your home that you do not want to consume while dieting. Get rid of sweets and salty snacks especially. This eliminates temptation, making it much easier for you to stick to your diet and reach your weight loss goals.

Television should be reprimanded for misleading many people into believing that they can lose weight if they buy a certain product. They should regulate the amount of pills that are coming into today’s markets, and you should always read up on who has had success in losing their weight.

Exercise

Taking a few minutes each day to exercise and build muscle will significantly help you while you are trying to lose weight. Building muscle raises your metabolism, meaning that you will burn more calories than you would have otherwise. Engage in activities like push-ups and squats on a daily basis to maximize your results.

If you want to get into shape, make sure you’re keeping a good balanced diet. You want to make sure your body is getting all the right nutrients and enough calories so that it can exercise and build muscle properly. If you’re not getting enough calories, you won’t have the energy you need to exercise.

When first starting out on your weight loss journey, focus on one change at a time. If you try to reduce your caloric intake, increase your exercise and cut out all the junk food all in the same week, you’ll end up overwhelmed. Have a simple, single goal and stick with it and then add on more, as each new goal becomes a habit.

A journal can be a very effective tool in your weight loss plan. Keeping a journal helps to make you accountable. It also lets you know what’s working (and what isn’t) during the journey toward your weight loss goal. Write every bit of food you consume in your journal, and every minute of exercise as well.

Dieting

When you are dieting, try to avoid pizza at all costs. This food is packed with fat and can really set you back if you are trying to lose weight. Also, when you eat pizza, you will be tempted to have side dishes or soda, which is also detrimental to your goal.

A good tip that may help you lose weight is to add spices to your meals. When dieting, a lot of people make the mistake of eating their meals totally bland, without any flavor at all. You should try adding spices to your meals to keep yourself motivated and interested.

When people suffer the tragedy of losing their sight, many find a great companion in a dog, and the same can be true with dieters. If you want to kick your dieting efforts into high gear, get yourself an active, young dog and go on those walking adventures that he or she will love and that will help you lose weight.

A tip that may help you lose weight is to start practicing meditation. Meditation can help you reduce stress and everyone knows that dieting can be extremely stressful. A short session of meditation every day can help insure your success on your diet, and with life in general.

These tips will help you kickstart your weight loss. See which ones suit you and your lifestyle and never stop looking for ways to keep yourself slim. Once you find the information that works best for you, you’ll find that losing weight doesn’t have to be that hard at all.

Diabetes is a disease that can be prevented.  But diabetes isn’t the only thing you’ll be able to prevent.  The healthier your lifestyle is, the less likely you’ll be to develop health conditions and diseases such as:

• Cancer
• Heart attack
• Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
• Emphysema
• Stroke
• Joint problems (arthritis, for example)
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Kidney disease

And while that’s a long list, it’s by no means complete.  By taking care of your overall health, you’ll be able prevent many other health conditions.  And beyond being disease-free, you’ll also begin to feel better.

You’ll have more energy to play with your kids and grandkids.  You’ll be able to enjoy activities such as dancing, swimming, walking, and riding a bike.  You’ll have more energy to accomplish your goals at work and with your family.

Not only will you prevent diabetes, you’ll open the door to a whole new life filled with energy and optimism.  Take the time to look at your overall health and make some changes if you feel there are areas in which you can improve.

Stress is one of the most difficult problems to manage for people in today’s world.  You have to balance responsibilities at work, with your family, and in many cases just staying afloat in a turbulent economy.  Illness is also a stressor that can make life difficult.

Managing stress can help you to take better care of your body.  It will prevent problems with emotional eating, depression, and can take physical stress off of your muscles and heart.  If you have a very stressful lifestyle, you need to take control of it and find ways to release stress before it turns on you and causes health problems.

Don’t Overschedule

Learn to say no when you don’t have time to complete a task.  Keep your “to do” list to no more than about 10 items.  Becoming overscheduled can lead you to major stress and tension.  This state is not good for your body.

Keep a calendar, but only keep one.  Many people have 4 or 5 different calendars – electronic and paper, family and work.  But you should decide on one method and stick to it.  This will keep all the information in one spot.

Take a Break

Some people like to meditate in a specific way, but even just taking a minute or two each day to stop what you’re doing and breathe deeply can help wash away tension.  You can also try CDs and books that assist with guided meditation.

In addition to meditating, many people find the practice of yoga to be a relaxing way to take a break and focus on releasing tension from the body.  You can take a class or simply get a DVD that takes you through the poses.

Become a Joiner

Every person needs a friend.  If you find that you’ve become socially isolated, try joining a group of people with similar interests.  There are many types of groups you can join where you’ll meet people with whom you have common activities or hobbies.  For example:

• A church group
• Knitting group
• Hiking club
• Outdoor adventure group
• Book club
• Community college class/workshop
• Craft class or club
• Volunteer organization

Research shows that joining a social group that meets regularly can improve your level of happiness and reduce your stress.  Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the group that’s right for you – don’t give up if you have one bad experience.

Seek Support

There are situations where problems with stress can lead to depression.  In those cases, you may need to seek some professional help through a mental health professional.  It can help to talk through what’s going on and have an objective person to help you develop a plan.

Don’t be afraid to seek help if you need it.  Most people find that a few sessions with a counselor can help to get things back on track.  Together you can work to create strategy to help deal with your stress and prevent future problems.

Another important health decision is to stop smoking.  While smoking doesn’t cause diabetes, it certainly can complicate it.  And it definitely causes diseases such as emphysema, cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Smoking is highly addictive and there’s a good reason why it’s so hard to quit.  And although it’s difficult, it’s not impossible to stop smoking.  There are many methods for smoking cessation including:

• Quitting cold turkey
• Tapering off
• Nicotine replacement therapy
• Pharmaceutical help
• Smoking cessation classes/support groups

Talk with your doctor or check with a local hospital to find out about help with quitting smoking.  It may take time to be able to kick the habit, but your health will begin to improve almost immediately after quitting.

The cost of continuing to smoke goes beyond the money you spend on cigarettes (although that’s substantial, too).  It can permanently alter your health, make it difficult to live an active lifestyle, and take away precious time with family and friends.

Get the Big Picture

It’s possible to become so focused on diabetes that you forget to pay attention to the other areas of your health.  It’s important to make sure you get screened for other types of health conditions that can leave you feeling bad.

You need to make sure you get a wellness checkup at least once each year.  If you’re a woman, you also need to go to the gynecologist every year to make sure your female organs are in good health.  Sometimes a family practice doctor will take care of female exams as well.

There are several health screenings that you need to make sure get done yearly.  These will give you a picture of your overall health.  Diabetes isn’t the only disease that can affect your health – and it’s also related to problems with heart disease and stroke.

Make sure to talk to your doctor about the following health screenings each year in addition to diabetes screening:

• Cholesterol testing
• Thyroid testing
• Blood pressure
• Heart rate
• Eye exam
• CBC (complete blood count)
• Men over age XX  need PSA screening for prostate cancer (younger if you have risk factors)
• Women need a breast exam yearly and over age 40 a mammogram yearly (or younger if you have risk factors)
• Women need a Pap smear yearly (more if risk factors for cervical cancer)
• Urinalysis
• Weight and BMI check
• Stay current on vaccinations such as the flu and pneumonia shot

Taking care of your overall health will help you to know if something is changing and help prevent problems before they arise.  Diabetes goes hand in hand with other problems, so these screenings can help you to discover it earlier as well.

Good nutrition is an important part of any healthy lifestyle.  If you already know you’re at risk for developing diabetes, you’ll want to pay particular attention to what you put into your body.  You don’t need to go on a “diet”.

Instead, focus on a healthy lifestyle.  Eat a balanced diet – and remember moderation in all things.  Some general guidelines to follow are:

• Eat plenty of whole grains such as whole wheat, whole grain rice, and oats
• Limit and avoid highly processed foods  including those made with white flour, white sugar, corn syrup
• Eat at least five fruits and vegetables each day (combined).  Try to make your plate colorful.
• Stick to lean protein- and make sure you get enough of it.  Lean protein includes white meat chicken, fish, and lean cuts of beef and pork.
• Drink plenty of water – at least 8 cups each day.  People who are active need more water and people who are overweight should aim for 10 cups daily.
• Don’t let yourself become famished. Paying attention to your hunger levels can help you avoid binging.  Eat small meals throughout the day instead of one or two big ones.
• Eat breakfast.  This gets your metabolism started for the day and helps you to have energy.
• Enjoy treats in moderation.  There’s no need to give up all the things you love.  Just try to eat a smaller amount.  For example, eat half a piece of pie instead of a whole piece.  Or eat one cookie instead of 3.

These general guidelines will help you to get all the nutrition you need and maintain a healthy weight.  In addition, there are some lifestyle tips that can help you to stay on track and avoid overeating.  For example:

• Pack your lunch.  You’ll be less likely to overeat if you don’t go to restaurants every day.
• Limit eating out to once a week.  Many people eat out for almost every meal – this can be dangerous for your health.
• Learn to cook.  It sounds simple, but in our busy society many people don’t really know how to cook.  Learn to cook a few simple dishes and eat you’ll be able to eat healthier at home.
• Take the focus off of food.  When you get together with friends for social occasions, try not to focus every get together on the menu.

If a sedentary lifestyle puts you at risk for diabetes, then an active lifestyle will lower your risk.  You need to get moving!  For many people, this is one of the most challenging hurdles to conquer.

But getting active doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of time and money on a fancy gym.  There are plenty of simple steps you can take to get more active and help to ward off type 2 diabetes before it can get started.

Take a Walk

It doesn’t have to be miles.  Just work your way up.  If you have a hard time walking around the block, try just walking down the street and back. Gradually add distance and time.  It will get easier as your body becomes more conditioned.

Take the Stairs

This one can be hard, but it really helps add physical activity to your day.  But again, you can work your way up.  If you normally take the elevator to the 5^th floor, try taking it to the 4^th and walking up to the 5^th.  Eventually try adding more floors.

Park Away from the Entrance

How many times have you wasted minutes driving around and looking for the closest spot?  Instead, use those minutes to get active.  Take the first spot you find in the back of the parking lot and walk the rest of the way.

Plant a Garden

Many people enjoy gardening and it’s a great way to add activity to your lifestyle.  It’s hard work, but you’ll be focused on what you’re growing as opposed to all the physical activity.  If you grow a vegetable garden you’ll have fresh, inexpensive produce as a payoff.

If you grow a flower garden or other type of landscaping, you’ll have the beauty of your hard work to show for it.  Whether you live in a tiny apartment or a large home with a yard, there’s a type of garden for you.

If you’re not sure where to get started with a garden, talk with someone at your local agriculture extension, a gardening store, or check out some gardening books and websites.  There are many resources for gardening newbies.

You may feel overwhelmed by all of the possibilities, but focus on taking one step at a time and you can reap the rewards.  Everything you do to improve your health – even if it’s a small change – will help you to have a better life.

You can’t change the genes that were passed down to you, but you can do something about lifestyle factors that may lead to the progression of diabetes.  In this chapter we’ll highlight some of the things you can do to beat your genetic predisposition.

Get to Know Your Body

In the case of most diseases, a person will discover that something about their body is just “not right” and seek some medical attention.  That works great if you’re in tune with your body, but if you ignore signs and symptoms you’ll delay diagnosis and treatment.

It’s a good idea to pay attention to your body as you walk through your daily life.  When you know what’s normal for you, you’ll know if something has changed.  You can take a quick health inventory on a weekly basis to pay attention to your body.  For example, ask yourself:

• Have I had energy all week?  Were there any times I felt fatigue?
• Am I able to accomplish my everyday tasks as normal?
• Have I had any bouts with dizziness?
• Have I had any changes in vision?
• Have I had any headaches?
• Has my appetite been usual for me?
• Has my thirst been usual for me?
• Have I made more frequent bathroom trips?

Asking yourself these questions on a regular basis can help you to understand your body better and make better decisions about your care.  If you have something change, it doesn’t mean you have a disease – but you do need to pay attention.

When your body changes, it’s trying to tell you something.  Many people are too busy to stop and take time to listen to their bodies.  But you must pay attention if you want to live a long, healthy life.

It helps to know the risk factors for diabetes when you’re trying to sort out how you reached the point that the disease became part of your life.  Sometimes a diagnosis of diabetes can make people feel discouraged and bad about their choices.

While it’s true that lifestyle choices may have led you to this place, beating up on yourself isn’t going to make things better.  It can be helpful to know that there are risk factors for diabetes beyond lifestyle choices.

When you know that you have risk factors for diabetes it can help you to make better health decisions.  Having risk factors does not mean you will definitely get diabetes – and some people develop diabetes without having these particular risk factors.

But knowing that there are some conditions in your life that help to set the stage for type 2 diabetes to perform can help you to make some changes. In next week’s postings, you’ll learn about how you can work to prevent diabetes before it has a chance to get started.

Sedentary Lifestyle

If you’re a couch potato, you might be at risk for diabetes.  Not getting enough physical activity is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes.  That’s because exercise actually helps your body to regulate blood sugar levels.

This is one risk factor that you can do something about.  If you tend to spend most of your time on your backside, try to set a goal of taking a walk every day or join a club that participates in physical activity.

You don’t have to run marathons to prevent diabetes.  But it’s a good idea to be generally active.  Even simple steps like parking far away from store entrances and taking the stairs can help you to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes.

Ethnicity

It’s not known exactly why, but some ethnic groups are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than other groups.  This could be a risk factor if you are:

• Native American
• Asian
• African American
• Pacific Islander
• Hispanic

If you belong to one or more of the above groups, you may be more at risk of developing diabetes.  This is especially true if you’re eating a typical Western diet high in calories and low on nutrition.

Glucose Intolerance
Even if your glucose is currently at normal levels, you could be at risk for diabetes if you’ve had problems regulating glucose in the past.  This could have shown up in a previous blood test or been part of another illness from which you have suffered.

If you’ve had problems with glucose tolerance, you’ll want to make sure your doctor knows about it.  He or she can make sure you are continuously monitored so that you catch the development of type 2 diabetes as early as possible.