A Few Lifestyle Tips That Can Help Prevent or Ease the Effects of Diabetes

A Few Lifestyle Tips That Can Help Prevent or Ease the Effects of Diabetes

Symptoms don’t always accompany diabetes. According to the U.S. Centers for disease control and prevention, roughly 27.8% of the U.S population had diabetes that went undiagnosed in 2012 alone. There are many factors that cause diabetes and as such considerable consideration should be given to one’s lifestyle choices and genetic background. Behaviors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity have been linked to diabetes.

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Regular monitoring of cholesterol is advisable as well as identifying instances of diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease in one’s family history. And let’s not forget a simple blood test can determine if you have diabetes.

You might already know that soda, a cold fizzy delight, is high in sugar and has been linked to Type 2 Diabetes but did you know that consuming one soda a day can increase your risk of diabetes significantly? I bet now you are thinking….okay fine, I will drink a diet soda instead. Wait! Diet sodas aren’t the way to go either. Sugar substitutes, known to duplicate the taste of sugar, are commonly found in diet sodas and can actually increase your glucose intolerance by affecting bacteria in your gut.

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Grab a carbonated water like Perrier or you could buy a soda machine and turn any glass of water into carbonated happiness. To see which cities in America drink the most soda, click here.

With the increase in health complications brought on by diabetes, impotence (a.k.a. Erectile Dysfunction) is often overlooked. The cardiovascular nature of diabetes affects circulation and blood flow which can lead to damaged blood vessels and nerves involved in maintaining an erection. Other behavioral factors that contribute to impotence are smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol (which inflates the prostate).

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Abdominal muscles are imperative to maintaining an erection. For a happy and healthy member, incorporate exercises that build abdominal muscles into your workout routine.

With the increase in health complications, it's no surprise that persons suffering from diabetes may also experience depression. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, one in every 10 Americans deals with depression each year. Let’s face it, the added stress of managing diabetes can easily take a toll on one's quality of life. Monitoring blood glucose regularly, increasing activity levels, and modifying eating habits can be overwhelming which can compromise a healthy body and mind.

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Document your experience with diabetes. There are many benefits to writing about your experience with diabetes. First, you can look back on challenges you faced and reflect on your progress. For example, maybe there are foods you gave up or new foods you incorporated into your life. Keeping a written record of these moments can help you better understand the disease as well as help others through difficult periods.

It should be noted that prevention and treatment of diabetes can greatly reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular diseases that lead to stroke and heart attacks. Unfortunately, 600,000 people die from heart disease in the U.S every year and 130,000 people die from stroke. In consideration of over 800,000 cardiovascular related deaths occurring each year, developing and maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors is an absolute must!

**It is advisable to consult a health-care professional such as a doctor or podiatrist before taking action based on any information found on our website. Our goal is to provide information and educate others on a number of issues relating to diabetes, not give medical instruction.

About author:

Derek Roach is a foot health specialist and has worked in the foot health industry for over 10 years. He is knowledge in various foot conditions and shoe features to help with those conditions. Also, he has been quoted on CNN, The Penny Hoarder, HuffPost, Dapper Confidential and other popular publications for foot and shoe-related topics.


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