Spring into action

 

With the weather getting warmer and the days longer, spring is a great time to get your exercise regime back on track. If you haven’t routinely exercised all winter long, here are a few tips to get you back on track with your physical activity.

 

1. Make a plan

Before you get started, set goals. Decide on the activities that you would like to pursue and nail down when and where you will participate. Whether you choose walking or running outdoors, or gym based training/ classes plan the best time of day and number of days a week. With a well-thought-out plan in place, you are more likely to stick with your chosen activities.

 

2. Start Slowly

Starting a new routine gradually may make it easier to stay with your plan. If you get out of the starting gate with too much, too soon you can risk injury or the frustration that comes from exhaustion. Both are demotivators that decrease the likelihood that you will continue. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

3.    Think little and often

Let’s face it; there are some people out there who are just not five-times-a-week-to-the-gym health freaks. A small commitment to exercise on a regular basis is better than no commitment at all.

Research has proven that people are more likely to stick with their exercise programme if they do it for shorter periods but more often.

Instead of pushing yourself for an hour once or twice a week, it is far better to make time for 30 minutes of cumulative exercise every day - even taken in 10-minute bursts it has been proven to improve overall health.

 

4) Dance….

... and ski, and horse ride, and belly dance, and row and trapeze, and trampoline, and cycle.

 

Exercise doesn’t all have to be about routine gym work, the exercise mat and the treadmill. It doesn’t have to be a chore.

While 65 per cent of members usually fall away from gyms after February, you can be someone who keeps exercising by taking up a hobby you really enjoy.

It will help improve your fitness, keep you interested in staying fit and also lower stress levels.

 

What is diabetes?

 

Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot use glucose/carbohydrates in the body effectively and blood glucose levels rise. Insulin is needed to transport glucose from the blood into the cells
where the body can use it as energy. There are 2 types of diabetes

Type 1: the pancreas does not produce any insulin

Type 2: the pancreas produces some insulin but there is not enough or it is not working effectively. Type 2 diabetes can often be managed through healthy diet alone!

Healthy Eating Diet and Diabetes

This diet is important for those with diabetes as they have too much glucose (sugar) in their blood. A healthy eating diet can play a role in the control of diabetes and blood sugar control (low sugar, high fibre, low fat).

Top practical tips for moderating carbohydrate intake

·         Artificial sweeteners are not processed by the body in the same way as sugar, replacing sugar with an artificial sweetener may help stabilise blood glucose levels in those with diabetes. A healthy eating diet moderating carbohydrate intake is recommended for those with diabetes. Specialist diabetic products are available but are expensive and can tend to be high in fat and calories

·         People with diabetes do not need to eat a sugar-free diet, but can use  the sugar in foods and baking as part of a healthy diet and should limit the portion size of these food

·         Small amounts of fast acting carbohydrates (below) can be eaten as part of a meal and not on its own- this reduces the effect on their blood sugar levels

·         Regular meals should be eaten -breakfast, lunch and an evening meal

·         Starchy or slow acting carbohydrates should be included in each meal- bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, breakfast cereals, porridge, fruit and vegetables. These slow acting carbohydrates should be eaten as they do not cause a huge rise in blood sugars

·         Fibre is beneficial in blood sugar control. Fibre is found in vegetables, fruits, cereals and grains. It is not fully broken down by the body and passes through the gut undigested

Healthier food choices and diabetes

Healthier options Foods to limit
Choose slow-acting carbohydrates
Plain biscuits, brown bread, high fibre cereals (Weetabix, Porridge, All Bran), brown and wholemeal bread, plain or brown scones, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables, artificial sweetener, potatoes with skins on, unsweetened squash, sugar free fizzy drinks

Choose healthier dessert options
Tinned fruit in natural or fruit juice, fresh fruit, stewed fruit without sugar/small amount of sugar, plain biscuits, diet yogurt or fromage-frais, sugar-free milk pudding

Low fat options
Fresh meat, chicken, fish (grilled/baked/steamed/boiled), low fat milk, yoghurt, cheese, low fat spread