As the Covid-19 Pandemic continues to shine a light on how devastating an effect Type 2 Diabetes can have on the human immune system, the need for millions of people living with Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes to make lifestyle changes has never been more urgent. At Swee2ooth we understand how challenging changes can be, and with the added stresses of this moment that change is even more difficult. Taking the first step toward Realistic and Lasting Lifestyle changes takes both a plan, and a community of support to keep up the hard work that's necessary! Let's take these steps and build upon them together and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes.
Please reach out to us via email any time for help with your Journey here: hello@swee2ooth.com
1) Drink Water First Thing in the Morning. Water is great for fighting Type 2 diabetes, plain and simple. “60 percent of our body is composed of water, 75 percent in our muscles, 85 percent in our brains, it’s like oil to a machine,” explained Dr. Roberta Lee at Medicine Daily. One recent study showed that people who drank 34 ounces of water a day or more were over 20% less likely to experience hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) than those consuming 16 ounces or less. The key to adequate daily water consumption is to get off to a good start. So, after you get out of bed in the morning, drink at least 24 ounces of water right off the bat, before breakfast or coffee. Ultimately, try and get up to at least 64 ounces of water per day – 24 ounces in the a.m. will have you almost halfway there!
2) Take a 10-Minute Walk. According to Public Health England via it’s “Active 10”
campaign, one brisk 10-minute walk every day is all it takes to start improving your health considerably. Take your walk whenever you have time during the day – first thing in the morning, on your lunch break, after dinner, your call. No special workout clothes or shoes required – all you need is your body, your feet and the open road (or even a mall). The randomized controlled crossover trial showed a short stroll after every meal could reduce the need for insulin injections which can help people with diabetes to better manage their weight. A good starting target for your patients is to increase walking by at least 1.2 miles/day or 30 min or 2,400 steps a day.
3) Increase your protein intake! Swee2ooth was developed because of the mounting evidence showing a higher Protein diet with lower caroled intake provides the best pathway for improved glucose response and reduction in fatty liver. The researchers concluded that in diabetic subjects, regardless of the protein origin, the 6-week high-protein leads to an improvement of glucose metabolism and decrease of liver fat content. No adverse effects on kidney parameters were observed in these high-protein diet and kidney function has also shown to improve in the plant-protein group.
- Improvement in insulin sensitivity was only found in the animal-protein diet group.
- A high-protein diet led to improvement of glucose metabolism and the decrease of liver fat content.
4) Do at Least 15 Minutes of Resistance Exercise 3 Times a Week. You don’t have to be a serious weight-lifter to reap the powerful blood-sugar-lowering benefits of strength training. All it takes is a light pair of dumbbells or set of elastic bands at home, a machine circuit at the gym, or a group exercise class. Focus on working both upper body and lower body in each workout. Three weekly 15-minute workouts will improve your blood sugar levels and overall health dramatically, while also making you feel better and more energized immediately. If you don’t know where to start, Team Swee2ooth is here to help at any time.
5) Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep a Night. There’s an undeniable link between poor sleep habits and high blood sugar levels. Even one bad night’s sleep has been shown to raise blood glucose and triglyceride (fat) levels. For most people, somewhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night is sufficient, so shoot for at least the low end of that consistently. To ensure slumbering success, get on a set sleep schedule – i.e., in bed every night by 10:00 and waking up at 6:00am-7:00am. To help you get to sleep on time, and stay asleep all night, don’t drink alcohol or caffeine in the evening; avoid all electronics for at least 30 minutes before bedtime; make sure the temperature in your bedroom is comfortable (and maybe slightly cool) to promote good sleep; and consider investing in a quality bed and
pillow.
