By American Association of Diabetes Educators
JBardsleyBy Joan Bardsley, MBA, BSN, RN, CDE
If you are living with type 2 diabetes, regular physical activity can help you maintain your health and manage your blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Physical activity – particularly regular, sustained exercise – causes your muscles to absorb glucose, helping your body manage its blood sugar levels. Exercise can also help improve your mood, reduce stress, and fight depression.
3 Tips for Picking Your Fitness Activity
There is no one program for people with type
Choosing a program or creating a routine depends more on your current physical ability and health. Here are three tips to help you get started:
1 . See your diabetes educator and discuss the types and levels of physical activity that would be most beneficial. Also, ask your diabetes educator about the types of food you should eat before and after a workout.
Choose an activity that you enjoy, begin moderately, set goals, and chart your progress.
2 . Monitor your blood sugar levels. This is always important, but even more so before and after exercise. As your muscles absorb glucose, there is an increased risk of hypoglycemia, making monitoring more important than ever.
3 . According the National Institutes of Health, you should aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days of the week. Children and teens between 10 to 17 years old who have type 2 diabetes should aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day.
Enjoy Yourself!
Between blood glucose monitoring, insulin injections, taking your medications, and changing your eating habits, you may feel hesitant or too burnt out to add another method of self-care to your routine. But don’t look at physical activity as a chore. Instead, look at it as universally beneficial and an opportunity to socialize with others who are want to be active.
Regular activity is one of the AADE7 core areas of self-management care that make up the basis of diabetes self-management education (DSME). The others are healthy eating, monitoring, taking medication, problem-solving, reducing risks, and healthy coping.
Physical activity can be a fun, fulfilling, and effective way to fight diabetes. For more information about the AADE7 and to find a diabetes educator who can help design the most effective physical activity program for you, visit the AADE website.
Joan Bardsley, MBA, BSN, RN, CDE, is 2014 president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), and assistant vice-president of core scientific services for the MedStar Health Research Institute (MHRI). A registered nurse and certified diabetes educator, Bardsley has done diabetes management research; develops and implements training activities for MHRI’s clinical research coordinators throughout the MedStar Health system; and serves as a representative to MedStar’s Chief Nursing Council and Nursing Research Consortium.
Louisiana Chicken Drumsticks and Tomatoes
Makes: 4 servings Serving Size: 2 drumsticks, 1/2 cup sauce and 1/2 cup noodles
Nonstick cooking spray
8 chicken drumsticks, skinned
1 14-1/2 - ounce can no salt added stewed tomatoes
1 cup frozen cut ⦁ okra
1 teaspoon dried thyme, ground
1 1/2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce, such as Frank's®
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups hot cooked whole grain noodles
1. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat until hot. Brown chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes, turning occasionally. Top with stewed 1. tomatoes, okra, dried thyme, 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce, the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until no longer pink in center.
2. Place the chicken pieces on a serving platter. Stir the remaining hot sauce into skillet and spoon sauce over all. Serve with noodles. Makes 4 servings (2 drumsticks, 1/2 cup sauce and 1/2 cup noodles).
Words of Wisdom :
If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.
One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and be understood .
It is one of the blessing of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them .
We are not human beings having a spiritual experience . We are spiritual beings having a human experience .
There was a time when men thought it was sexy to have a housewife waiting for him to come home from work in her slippers, but in modern society, I think an independent woman is even more sexy.
Thanks Joan
A proud grand-poppa G.
Hi Poppa ,
ReplyDeleteA much needed post , I think everyone should be screened for diabetes , as you know it runs in our family , I was fighting the battle for years now and controlling my diabetes with exercise and eating right . I am also blessed to be in such a loving family that takes time to help you . I follow Aunty motto , I control my diabetes , they don't control me .
Your sweet granddaughter
HB
DeleteThis was a great post. We are lucky to be in a situation where we can disseminate valuable information. I know nothing about diabetes but I learned a little something and I would like to learn more. The chicken looks good and is easy to make...those are the recipes I need.
Thank you for staying with us
Love and hugs
Butterfly
Dear Nee,
DeleteYour Aunty's motto is awesome and so right. I admire both of you for living by it. I am trying to live that way too. Often I don't handle it well, but it's important not to give up. Sometimes I feel that would be the easy thing to do.
Best of health to you my friend. And keep the letters coming. We are getting better at this advice stuff.
Regards
Genie
Hi Aunty and Genie,
ReplyDeleteThere will be more next week if you are ready for them , Jean says she is keeping her people on hold . I asked her to give me two and the last two is hers .
How are you Jeannie ? Hope you are continuing to improve .
Dear Maxy ,
An old fliration recently resurfaced in my life , and we're enjoying getting reacquainted . There's even a possibility of a long-term relationship . We are both in our 60s , so a late-in-life romance is fun and comforting .
The problem is , I accidentally discovered his interest in videos of pubescent girls , around 11 or 12 years old . He told me to check a travel video on his computer and I was shocked to see his viewing history --- it also included adult fetish-type imagery . The kid vedios had creepy comments from viewers about the young girls' feet . When I told him that anyone could stumble upon his viewing history , he was embarrassed but then said , "I don't see anything wrong with it ." Maxy , I'm not too concerned about the adult fetish content , but kids ?
We were at the beacch once and when a little girl in her wet bathing suit walked into our beachside cafe , he was transfixed , staring at her . I asked him a carefully worded question , saying , "Does any part of your brain tell you that is a child ?' He thought for a second and then said , "No." He also ogles teenage girls , especially it they are wearin "sexy" shoes .
This is troubling me . Also , our sex life is peculiar . We make out furiously , but have never been able to consumate our relationship due to his erectile dysfunction . I have to wonder if he is capable of relating to an age-appropriate woman . He is divorced with two grown children and an 8-year-old granddaughter .
Sad and Worried
Dear Maxy ,
I am a 17-year-old female . I have been battling with depression since I was young . I have had traumatic events in my life . Both of my parents died before I was 13 . My mother was abusive and my father had to be both mother and father to me . I also have a younger brother . I currently live in a foster care .
I have recently wanted to learn more about my past . I've been told I should move on and not drell on what I can't change . But I have a lot of questions and some guilt about how I handled things when I was younger . Am I doing the right thing by pursuing this or am I just hurting myself ?
Battling with Wanting to Know More
Aunty and Genie ,
ReplyDeleteThese are the 2 from Jean in HR
Dear Maxy ,
I needed a ride to the airport and did not want to pay $60 cab fee . So I went on social media and asked those in my area if anyone was willing to drive me for less . I got an anonymous response and I asked the sender for his Facebook account to see if I was being scammed . This person looked reliable , and I ended getting a safe and enjoyable ride to the airport for $5 . Upon hearing about this , my friends were amazed that I could be so "stupid" and "irresponible" and get a ride from a stranger . I feel like I did my research and was prepared to walk away if I got to the arranged meeting spot and my driver wasn't who he promised to be .
I was thinging adventurously is the key to life , and my friends should be more open to different experiences . When asked to explain myself , I said I did not want to pay the high cab rate and wanted to see if the Internet would help me out . I think my friends are being boring and sheltered , and definitely plan on doing this again . Should I not tell them before I go ? I told them before I went previously , just in case , but I want to avoid their judgement .
Bargain on the Road
Dear Maxy ,
I was at a party when I looked over and saw a celebrity rubbing shoulders with me ! This was my first time being near a celebrity in a casual setting and I had no idea what to do . I totally froze and embarrassed myself . I recently relocated to this area and never thought I'd be in the same room as Hollywood stars . I couldn't even introduce myself , even though this person wwas basically right next to me . I totally made a fumble . How do I present myself properly to celebrities or high-profile people without freezing and making a fool of my self ? I've never even gotten my photo taken , let alone been globally known !
Stargazing