28th March 2024

Diabetes and Health: Effective Practices to Up Your Wellness Game Today

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Maintaining good health is critical, especially if you’re living with diabetes. Treating diabetes can be challenging, as no two people with diabetes are the same. But while there isn’t a one-size-fits-all diabetes solution, there are still some excellent holistic health strategies that you can implement to help manage your long-term health. Want to learn more? Keep reading as Feel Great Wellbeing shares essential head-to-toe-health ideas to take control of your wellbeing today.

Prioritise Kidney Health

Kidney health is a significant health factor for those with diabetes. Over time, high blood sugar from diabetes can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys. Thus, keep your kidneys functioning optimally by managing your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. You can do this by eating foods that aren’t high in sodium and following a plant-rich diet.

Eat the Right Foods

Mayo Clinic reports that the key to a diabetes-friendly diet is incorporating many healthy plant foods. This is because plants have the vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates essential to care for your body. Carbs, in particular, are full of fibre, which lowers the risk of diabetes and promotes weight loss. Aim to eat foods like tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, legumes, and whole grains. When you prioritise foods high in fibre, the absorption of sugar will slow down and manage other risk factors that affect heart health, like inflammation and blood pressure. And don’t forget about smoothies!

Get Physically Fit

According to the CDC, there are many benefits to regular physical activity for those with diabetes. Exercise can help lower your blood sugar and boost your sensitivity to insulin, which is essential for normalising your blood sugar range. For most adults, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day will be critical – for example, brisk walks, swims, bike rides, or quick runs. Incorporating resistance training to increase your endurance and balance will also be necessary. Aim for about 2-3 resistance-based workouts, such as weightlifting, pilates or yoga. Suppose you’re stretched for time because of a hectic work schedule. In that case, you can still get in physical activity by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking during your lunch break.

Promote Daily Mindfulness

Stress and diabetes are connected, as stress can trigger distress, weight, blood pressure, and glycaemic control. Committing to mindfulness practices is the best way to reduce stress in managing health. Every head-to-toe approach needs to utilise the power of both the body and mind, and mindfulness can help with this. In addition, people with diabetes often have higher rates of depression and anxiety, so ways to cope with this will be essential. You could do this by journaling, writing gratitude lists, or taking long, calming walks. Creative pursuits like singing or knitting can also help, as can breathwork exercises and positive self-talk. Be sure to also meditate regularly to calm the mind and body.

Pay Attention to Your Body

Oral and foot health are highly critical when living with diabetes. This is because diabetes may leave you prone to gum infections. To avoid this, be sure to floss once a day and brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. In addition, high blood pressure that accompanies diabetes can cut off blood flow to your feet and damage the nerves there. This can lead to cuts, blisters, and severe infections. Thus, be sure to wash your feet daily, moisturise and check your feet for calluses, blisters, sores, or redness.

Managing diabetes doesn’t have to be complicated or tedious. Instead, visualising your health as a mind-body-soul solution will be the way to manage your wellness effectively! To bring about better health, be sure to live a healthier lifestyle by making smarter choices whenever possible.

Feel Great Wellbeing is here to help you feel your best. Feel free to check out our book!

Guest post from Sharon Wagner, a former bank manager, created http://SeniorFriendly.info to provide helpful tips and advice to seniors on staying healthy and making the most out of life.

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