Showing posts with label Blood sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blood sugar. Show all posts

Friday, October 21, 2011

Top Natural Ways to Increase Energy



Forget about energy drinks and coffee. It is possible to increase energy naturally, and have a healthy steady supply to get you through each day. By adjusting your personal eating, sleeping and exercise patterns, you can fight tiredness and boost your energy level fast and naturally. Read on and find out how.

1. Getting adequate sleep at night is key to staying energized throughout the day. Try to sleep at the same time everyday and aim to get at least 7 hours of quality sleep. Eliminate as much light and other distractions from your bedroom as possible in order to get the best quality sleep possible. Avoid napping during the day especially in the late afternoon.

2. Try to add at least 20 minutes of cardio exercise into your daily routine. Do it regularly but do not push yourself to the point of exhaustion. Exercise is an excellent metabolism booster. Not only will exercising regularly boost your energy during the day, it will also help you sleep better at night, provided you don't exercise up to 3 hours before bedtime.

3. Your body needs fuel to keep your energy levels up. The following are things to watch out for food in your diet.

• Drink more water.
Dehydration causes fatigue, so keep your body hydrated throughout the day.

• Cut down on caffeine.
Caffeine may give you that initial kick but overuse of it will lower blood sugar and consequently energy levels.

• Eat more protein.
Insufficient protein is a common reason for fatigue. Pack some almonds and nuts for a quick and convenient protein snack or have a hard-boiled egg for breakfast.

• Watch out for excess sugar.
Excess sugar causes fluctuating blood sugar levels, which can result in plummeting energy levels. Try to decrease all forms of refined sugars, including the "hidden sugars" in low-fat foods.

• Eat small and frequent meals.
Maintain a steady supply of nutrients to your body and increase your long-term energy levels. Incorporate proteins, wholegrains, high-fibre vegetables and nuts into your diet to keep blood sugar levels balanced.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Yoga to Help Diabetics



Yoga is no substitute for the more vigorous exercise which many people with diabetes need in order to lose weight, but a new study suggests that it may offer some of its own benefits. The findings showed that yoga classes (when added to standard diabetes care) helped study participants pare a few pounds and also improved their blood sugar control. A total of 123 middle-aged and older individuals participated in the study, and about half of them took yoga classes several times a week for three months.

Compared to the study's control group, the participants who took the yoga classes lost a small amount of weight, but more impressively their blood sugar levels remained under control (indicators of poor sugar control rose among those in the non-yoga group). What's more, researchers found that signs of oxidative stress declined in the yoga group. In fact, levels of body chemicals reflective of this stress decreased by 20 percent. The study was published online August 11 by the journal Diabetes Care.

 
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