We had a quiet Tennessee Christmas in 2008 on Keith’s parent’s 165 acre farm. Keith and I spent most of the day with his parents and we had a big dinner with them. Relaxation with people you love is a great way to increase your overall health and lower your blood pressure. Studies have found that people with a strong community around them live longer and happier lives.
I found a great way to get my cardio workout and work off some of those calories from our feasting. We took Jewel on a lovely romp through the hills and hollers which she greatly enjoyed, as did I. It is always a pleasure to have it be warm enough to be outside yet cool enough to not need to worry about ticks and their blood borne diseases.
On Christmas Day, we went up to see Keith’s Uncle Pat for a brief visit. He is hanging out at the local “Assisted Living Center” while his son and daughter-in-law are visiting their children for the holidays. It is really nice that there is a service like that so Uncle Pat’s medicines and meals are taken care of while they are gone and we have been very impressed with both the facility and their staff. Uncle Pat is a diabetic and he recently went through surgery on his own digestive system.
Anyway, we showed up right at supper time so we visited with him while he ate. It occurred to me that the meal they served him was not necessarily the best for a diabetic with some digestive issues. It was a white bread sandwich with mayo, bacon, and processed cheese with a side of macaroni and cheese. Not a single vegetable or fruit and I would guess only a gram or two of fiber.
I have been going through an education on diabetes, both prevention and treatment, because of Keith’s partnership with Mr. Diabetes, Andy Mandell. You can go to his website at www.defeatdiabetes.org and learn all kinds of interesting things. One of his issues is that so many of the nationally known diabetes organizations are not about finding a cure, they are about treating diabetes through drugs and “managing” the disease rather than finding a cure and truly preventing this terrible disease.
Did you know that over 54 million Americans are currently pre-diabetic? That means if they don’t change their lifestyle (and 95% of those cases can be prevented) they WILL develop diabetes in the next ten years. Diabetes isn’t just about watching out how much sugar you consume. It is a disease that has been shown to take ten years off the average person’s life and to greatly decrease quality of life. There are so many related issues that would all be prevented if the person didn’t develop diabetes in the first place.
So here are a couple things you can do to not become a statistic:
1) Exercise regularly
2) Eat a high quality diet, avoiding processed foods (including “sugar free” drinks and snacks ~ I’ll discuss those another time)
3) Minimize carbohydrates and when you do consume them, eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice
4) Make sure you are getting 25-30 grams of fiber in your diet per day with 2 oz of water per gram of fiber (50-60 oz per day)
5) When you do eat carbohydrates, pair them with a quality protein like soy which aids your body in processing the carbohydrates and prevents your pancreas from overworking
What is really remarkable is that the five tips listed above also help with general health and well-being. What a bonus. Many cancers, heart disease, strokes, even colds and flu, can be greatly reduced by those simple steps.
Healthy living is a choice we make each day, each moment, each time we open the fridge or place our order at the restaurant. You may not always make the best choice each day (I had french fries two days ago) but you want to make conscious choices that you are willing to live with. I happen to really love sugar but knowing that sugar causes such problems with diabetes AND cancer (not to mention dental health and weight issues) I have decided to greatly reduce my intake of sugar, especially processed sugar. In just a few weeks I have noticed a difference in my craving levels and how much sugar it takes to feel “satisfied” when I do decide to indulge.
Maybe choose one of the five areas to focus on this week and see what a difference you can make in your own health, both for preventing diabetes and health in general. Here’s to your health!
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who is not paid or compensated in anyway by www.DefeatDiabetes.org. She is paid by Shaklee for purchases made through her or her website at: www.DonnaCopeland.MyShaklee.com
I fall into that group of middle ground that says “everything with moderation” although there are some things that I go out of my way to avoid. Just to clarify, sugar is not one of them.