Make Your Own Trail Mix, Snack and Meals

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The Art of The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Cheryl Richardson Online Course The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Cheryl Richardson Online Course

Lifestyle Changes Can Work Better Than A Drug In Delaying Diabetes

English: Overview of the most significant possible symptoms of diabetes. See Wikipedia:Diabetes#Signs_and_symptoms for references. Model: Mikael Häggström. To discuss image, please see Template talk:Häggström diagrams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the late 1990s, the Diabetes Prevention Program randomly assigned, to one of three groups, roughly 3,200 people who were at risk for diabetes because they were overweight or obese and had fasting blood sugar levels that were elevated (at least 95 mg/dL) but not high enough to warrant a diagnosis of diabetes (126 mg/dL or higher).

Those assigned to the intensive lifestyle group were encouraged to lose at least 7 percent of their body weight and to exercise for at least 2½ hours a week. The drug group was given the oral diabetes drug metformin (850 milligrams twice a day), and the placebo group was given lookalike but inactive pills.

In 2001, the researchers halted the study one year earlier than planned because the results were so clear: The risk of diabetes was 58 percent lower in the intensive lifestyle group than in the placebo group. Metformin cut the risk by 31 percent versus the placebo.

In a follow-up study, the researchers invited the people from all three of the original groups to attend coaching sessions on intensive lifestyle changes every three months. During the next six years, the people from the original intensive lifestyle group maintained their lower risk of diabetes, while the risk of people from the original drug and placebo groups declined.

But since the people in the original lifestyle group had a head start, their 10-year risk of diabetes was 34 percent lower than the risk of those in the original placebo group. The metformin group’s risk was 18 percent lower than the original placebo group’s.

What to do: How much proof do you need? Lose that excess weight and get moving.

Source: Lancet 374: 1677, 2009.

Chickpeas with Arugula-Lemon Pesto

Total time to prepare: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 clove garlic
2 cups arugula
1 cup fresh basil
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1 15 oz. can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained
½ tsp. kosher salt
8 butter lettuce leaves

Directions:
* Make the pesto: Combine the lemon juice, garlic, arugula, basil, oil, and pepper in a food processor. Process until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped.

* In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the pesto and season with up to ½ tsp. of salt.

* Serve on the lettuce leaves.

Serves 4.

Nutrition Information:
Per Serving (¾ cup)-
Calories: 210
Sodium: 270 mg
Total Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Carbohydrates: 20 g
Protein: 7 g
Fiber: 5 g

  

 
 

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Are You Increasing Your Risk of Diabetes?

Strength Training (Photo credit: Rtist MrB)

People who were sedentary for roughly 12 hours a day had higher blood sugar levels than those who were sedentary for around 9 hours. Doing less exercise and being overweight also raised the risk of higher blood sugar, but among people with equal levels of exercise or excess weight, those who sat the longest had a higher risk.

What to do: Get out of that chair whenever possible, even if it's only for a few minutes at a time. Try standing at your desk, during meetings, or during other activities where it's feasible. Walk to the bus or train (or your destination!) to minimize your time behind the wheel. Don't spend all your leisure time sitting in front of a TV, computer, or movie screen. And don't forget aerobic exercise (like brisk walking) and strength training.

Sources: Diabetologia 2013. doi:10.1007/s00125-013-2845-9. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act.2013. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-20.
 

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Are you getting enough sleep?

Main health effects of sleep deprivation (See Wikipedia:Sleep deprivation). Model: Mikael Häggström. To discuss image, please see Template talk:Häggström diagrams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although most people get around five to seven hours of sleep a night, experts caution that number should really be somewhere closer to eight hours of sleep. "The problem with being chronically sleep-deprived (as in, missing one to two hours nightly) is that the body perceives the sleep loss as a "stress," which increases levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol (which interferes with insulin function)," says Shawn Talbott, nutritional biochemist and author of "The Secret Vigor: How to Overcome Burnout, Restore Biochemical Balance, and Reclaim Your Natural Energy."

That means blood sugar regulation is compromised and you'll crave more sweets and junk food. The increased appetite for unhealthy snacks puts you at risk for abdominal weight gain, diabetes and obesity. 

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How Many Servings of Fruit And Vegetables Should You Consume?

Fruits and vegetables (Photo credit: nutrilover)

The average person should consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a minimum. Athletes probably need even more - I recommend 10-15 servings per day for each of my athletes. Expert often spend too much time arguing about organic vs. regular fruits and veggies. I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they have a higher micronutrient count, but any fruits and veggies are better than none! Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they're organic or not.