Eating For Health

Every winter people get sick with colds, flu and now COVID is added to the mix.   Yet, we all know some people who seem super healthy.   While everyone in the office, the school or our friends have come down with something, there are those people who seem to have the latest illness bypass them.     Why aren’t they getting sick like everyone else?   Instead of being jealous at how healthy these people are, why not copy some habits that will build your immune system and lead to a healthier you?   My sister sent me a great article about 10 habits of healthy people .   What are some of those habits can you adopt for a healthier you? Drink water – lots of water .   What does drinking water have to do with a healthy immune system?   The University of California, Irvine notes :   Hydration is a key element to maintaining a healthy immune system .   Why?   To have a healthy immune system your body needs nutrients.   We need ...

Everyone with diabetes or prediabetes knows that control of blood sugar levels is important.   But did you know that just walking for 2 minutes after meals is helpful in lowering blood sugar?   Yes, just 2 minutes.   After you eat a meal, your body digests the meal and turns the carbs you eat like starches, fruit, and desserts into sugar.   This sugar enters your blood raising blood sugar levels.   Exercising after one eats a meal or snack helps your body get that sugar into cells to be used for energy.    Walking is good exercise as everyone knows.   But for those with high blood sugar, when is it best to walk?   Is it better to go for a 45 minute walk every morning, to walk before you eat a meal or walk soon after you eat a meal?   What does the research show? Going for a 15-minute or a 20-minue walk after meals – A study in 2009 found that going for a 20-minute walk about 15 minutes after a meal lowered one’s blood sugar leve...

My daughter has a friend who was diagnosed with prediabetes.   And this is becoming increasingly more common.   What is prediabetes?   How many people have it?   If you have prediabetes, what lifestyle changes should you make?   Focusing on exercise and diet are two important areas to focus on.   What is prediabetes? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says prediabetes is a “serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes”.   To determine if you have diabetes your health care provider will take a blood test: o    A1C Test – this test measures how much sugar is in your blood over the past 2-3 months.   o    Fasting blood sugar – This test measures how much sugar is in your blood after you have fasted overnight.   Your health care provider may also do a Glucose Tolerance Test or a random blood sugar test.   Know your n...