Let Your Wise Woman’s Lifestyle
Reduce Diabetes Risk

by Jack Brooks on behalf of http://www.womenshealthpro.com/womens_health_and_menopause.shtml

Today, over 9 million women suffer from diabetes, with well over a million of reproductive age; some of us aren’t even aware of it. This debilitating disease is particularly hard on women, affecting pregnancy and the unborn child, as well as increased yeast infections, greater side effects than men from equivalent diabetes medication, menopausal consequences, greater incidence of heart disease, and a host of others.  Known as the “silent killer,” diabetes has risen among us due to a variety of factors:

• Probably the most significant cause has been the widespread change in our diet as evidenced by the popularity of high-fat “convenience foods,” such as French fries, potato chips, hamburgers/hot dogs, candy, sodas (especially sugar and caffeine-laden energy drinks so popular with teens today), pre-packaged meals, and so on.

Next is the trend for passive activities: TV, computer, “hanging out,” driving everywhere, reading magazines, etc. While these in moderation aren’t necessarily harmful, it’s the lack of moving our bodies that leads to the obesity fuelled by poor dietary choices. Many women these days get the most exercise shopping as they walk from one store to the next in the nearby mall!  Our widening waistlines are a harbinger of our future health problems.

•  The “graying” of America means more women live longer; as we age, our body’s ability to process glucose decreases and our risk of developing diabetes increases. 

 
• Health care has become increasingly expensive and thus out of reach for many women. Diabetes is a disease that requires early detection to detect any pre-diabetic conditions and minimize damage, as well as design an effective treatment regimen, if needed.

It’s clear that it’s up to us to act proactively to prevent diabetes from overtaking us-let’s look at some things we can do and changes we can make to begin our “non-diabetic” lifestyle:

Get Busy Getting Fit

As noted above, a good starting point is one of our favorite pastimes, eating. Yes, Virginia, it’s possible to “eat healthy” and get as much appetite satisfaction as when you downed a handful of fries before you wised up!

It’ll take more thought and care to be “diet conscious,” but it is actually entering a new world of choice; it’s learning what the positive and negatives are for everything that crosses your lips. As you increasingly focus on the elements of the food you eat, you’ll become familiar with calories, sugar content, vitamin content, preservatives and other chemical additives, starches, fillers, processing, FDA ratings, and more.

Food labels will become as much a “must-read” as the latest fashion magazine! As you gain food knowledge, the wisdom you’re exercising in making each meal a well-deserved gift to yourself (and your loved ones!) will lead to the next stage of “exercising” a wise lifestyle choice.

That feminine body you inhabit is a complex organic “machine” that, among other things, was designed to move. If you don’t think so, park your car for thirty years and see if it starts! Yet we do that and more (or less) with our bodies, becoming TV junkies and couch spuds day after day, “working out” with the remote or computer mouse. The biggest hurdle for many of us can be just the concept of exercise; try to think of it as starting a movement program. One popular strategy is using your own power to get places whenever possible; this means stairs instead of elevators, walking rather than car or taxi, fetching rather than asking, and so on. Certainly a regimen of walking, jogging, or a gym is good, however, you’ll be gratified to see the additional “choice driven” movement opportunities available in even your typical busy woman’s day.

More Women’s Diabetes Suggestions

While the two health areas above are core considerations, additional measures can help us in managing diabetes risk:

• If at all possible, get a blood workup yearly-this will reveal any diabetic or pre-diabetic red flags early on, when medical solutions are easiest to implement. 

 
• Make yourself aware of any conducive factors for diabetes, such as genetic disposition, racial group prevalence, or any other particular conditions that could apply to you.

 
• Monitor your own general health, watch your body for changes, and continue your wisdom journey of exploring and embodying health-oriented choices. Educate yourself on diabetes factors relating to your age group-there’s information at your library and in most consumer advocacy publications

Remember, today can very well be the first day of the rest of your life!

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