Living With Diabetes - A Rollercoaster

Living with diabetes presents a challenge to everyone that is diagnosed with this disorder of the pancreas. Understanding the process of this disease can give motivation towards making the necessary lifestyle changes in order to keep your diabetic health under control. The simplest explanation is that insulin is a hormone that our bodies produce to help absorb sugar in the blood. In Juvenile diabetes, the body does not produce any insulin at all. In type 2 diabetes the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin and the body becomes overwhelmed with blood sugar and this begins to cause other complications. It is critical that we take care of our bodies and control the disease.

There are several factors that put a person at greater risk of becoming diabetic. Your race, age, and your family history can all contribute towards developing this disorder. Some factors, like age and family heritage, we can do nothing about. This is part of who we are. However, we do have control over what kinds of foods we eat, and how much time we spend exercising. Living with diabetes means permanent changes to your lifestyle in order to keep the situation manageable.

The complications present something of a downward spiral for the patient that is not dedicated to the necessary lifestyle changes. An inactive lifestyle to begin with makes it difficult to control weight and if that isn’t changed when the complications begin, it is even more difficult to begin being active. It can become a vicious cycle if the patient is not careful.

However, there is hope! All sorts of people are successfully living with diabetes by making lifestyle changes and controlling the disease through exercise and diet, and by working closely with their doctor.

Being active is important for everyone but it is especially important for diabetic patients to exercise because it helps maintain their weight and also gives a boost to the mood. Increasing your activity by exercising at least 3 times a week can make a big difference. Walking and swimming are good ways to exercise that are also low impact. Many people are finding that yoga is also extremely helpful in reaching and maintaining a new fitness and exercise levels.

Yoga is a holistic approach to health that includes the body, mind, and spirit. There are breathing and meditation exercises that will help a patient with stress relief and relaxation. Since high stress levels also contribute to this disorder, it is important to address the worries in your life in an effective way.

Yoga positions stretch joints and muscles, relax the body and mind, and are very low-impact exercises. It is gentle on the body and has a positive affect on bowel activity. While other regimes are good for the body, no other works on all aspects of the body simultaneously. Practicing yoga positions will stretch and strengthen in a way that will defeat some of the stiffening that comes with diabetic complications.
Living with diabetes is never simple, but it is manageable when we actively participate in programs that will help diminish or prevent the disease. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising three times a week will go a long way towards keeping the disease controlled.