Type 2 Diabetes - The Facts

How many of you are aware of the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes associated with an unhealthy lifestyle?.

Type 2 Diabetes is a serious condition, which in many cases is entirely preventable. It's one key reason why we should all be aiming for a healthy lifestyle.

Educating people about Type 2 Diabetes is something I feel very strongly about and therefore I wanted dedicate this post to this particular topic.  If you would like help in improving your health, do get in touch.

Type 2 Diabetes:  The Facts
If you are overweight, inactive, have high blood pressure and/or high cholestrol levels, your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes is greatly increased.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

• If left untreated, diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure.

• By the time they are diagnosed, half of the people with Type 2 diabetes show signs of complications

Cardiovascular Disease

• Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death and disability in people with diabetes, accounting for 52 per cent in people with Type 2

• People with Type 2 diabetes have a two-fold increased risk of stroke within the first five years of diagnosis compared with the general population

• People with diabetes have an increased risk of Cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with those without diabetes. The reason is prolonged, poorly controlled blood glucose levels, which increases the likelihood of furring up of the vessels leading to CVD. The term CVD includes heart disease, stroke and all other diseases of the heart and circulation. Research shows that you can reduce the overall chance of developing CVD by improving dietary habits, managing weight and keeping active. Using medication where required will also help to control risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, triglyceride levels and high blood pressure

Kidney Disease

• Almost one in three people with Type 2 diabetes develops overt kidney disease

• Kidney disease can happen to anyone but it is much more common in people with diabetes and people with high blood pressure. The kidneys are the organs that filter and clean the blood and get rid of any waste products by making urine. They regulate the amount of fluid and various salts in the body, helping to control blood pressure. They also release several hormones. Kidney disease (or nephropathy) is caused by damage to small blood vessels making the kidneys work less efficiently and this can cause the kidneys to start to fail. Keeping blood glucose levels as near normal as possible and blood pressure well controlled can greatly reduce the risk of kidney disease developing as well as other diabetes complications. Diabetes is the single most common cause of end stage renal disease

Problems with Sight

• People with diabetes are 10 to 20 times more likely to go blind than people without. 

• Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people of working age in the UK. It is estimated that there are 4,200 people in England who are blind due to diabetic retinopathy.

• People with diabetes are at risk of developing a complication called retinopathy. Retinopathy affects the blood vessels supplying the retina – the seeing part of the eye. Blood vessels in the retina of the eye can become blocked, leaky or grow haphazardly. This damage gets in the way of the light passing through to the retina and if left untreated can damage vision. Keeping blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat levels under control will help to reduce the risk of developing retinopathy.  Within 20 years of diagnosis almost two thirds of people with Type 2 diabetes (60 per cent) have some degree of retinopathy

• People with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from cataracts or glaucoma than the general population 

Problems with Feet

• Diabetes is the most common cause of lower limb amputations.  100 people a week lose a toe, foot or lower limb due to diabetes. 

• Around one in twenty people with diabetes will develop a foot ulcer in one year.  More than one in ten foot ulcers result in the amputation of a foot or a leg.  The rate of leg amputations in people with diabetes is over 15 times higher than in people without

• Up to 70 per cent of people die within five years of having an amputation as a result of diabetes

• Foot problems can affect anyone who has diabetes. Diabetes, particularly if it is poorly controlled, can damage your nerves, muscles, sweat glands and circulation in the feet and legs leading to amputations. Reviewing the feet of people with diabetes regularly and keeping blood glucose levels, blood fats and blood pressure under control can prevent some of the complications associated with the feet.

 For further information:  http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Documents/Reports/Diabetes_in_the_UK_2010.pdf

Karen Dawkins, Personal Trainer, Winchester

New Year, New You?

For many people, the new year is a time to finally get started with that plan for a healthier/fitter/slimmer you.  And indeed, the hardest part is often getting started!!  If that sounds like you and you'd like some help, why not get in touch for an informal chat?  I have limited space for new clients wishing to start Personal Training next year.

Make 2012 the year you reach your health and fitness goals.

Karen Dawkins, Personal Trainer, Winchester

A beautiful poem - and certainly how I like to lead my life

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning..to the end.
He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears, 1964-1994
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth..
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars..the house..the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you"d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what''s true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we"ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile..
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
With your life''s actions to rehash..
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Karen  Dawkins, Personal Trainer, Winchester

Just Some of the Detrimental Effects of Alcohol

Most people are aware about the general effect of alcohol on your body. We know that alcohol can produce negative effects on your heart, lungs, liver, brain and memory.

Alcohol affects the metabolism of the body as well, and this effect can lead to other complications later in life.  Metabolism is the collective term for all the chemical reactions occurring in a living thing.  When you drink alcohol, it will interfere with some of these metabolisms, producing harmful effects on your health.

Alcohol mainly affects the fat metabolism of the body.  Alcohol has an inhibitive effect on the amount of fat that your body can use up for energy production. American journal of clinical research has conducted a study and found that alcoholic consumption of merely 24 gm will reduce your body’s ability to burn fat by almost 73%. It has been found that acetate, which is formed in the liver when the alcohol passes through it, is the culprit in reducing the fat metabolism. Instead of fat, the body will start using the acetate as fuel for the body functions.

Alcohol also interferes with vitamin and mineral absorption. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for the proper functioning of the metabolism. When you consume alcohol, your liver will be busy converting the alcohol to acetate, and the absorption of vitamins and minerals are taken over by the de-toxification of the alcohol.

Another affect of alcohol is that it causes excess excretion of magnesium and calcium through urine, which are much needed for the proper functioning of the body.  As the absorption of vitamins and minerals becomes less effective, your body’s immune system weakens, diseases may attack you, and the aging process becomes more rapid.

Another drawback of alcohol consumption is that the alcohol will compete with food to get absorbed into the blood stream, thus preventing the absorption and processing of the nutrients for the metabolic activity. If your body does not get enough nutrients, this can lead to a number of disorders. The strength of the muscles will be lost, and muscle building cannot carried out effectively. You start to gain excess weight and body fat, as the body will be burning alcohol and not fat or carbohydrates.

So ... if you're looking to improve your health and/or lose weight, one easy way to do this is cut down on alcohol.

Top Tips for Increasing Your Daily Activity

Keeping yourself fit and healthy doesn't have to mean formal exercise.  An active lifestyle can play an important role.  If you get creative, you will find ways to incorporate movement into almost everything you do. Here's some suggestions to get you started and help you boost your activity level. If you make a conscious effort to integrate more activity into your daily life, it will become second nature. Give some of these suggestions a try: 

·        Walk as much as possible by parking the car a few blocks away from where you're headed or walk to an appointment from your office instead of driving. Whenever you're walking try to focus on long strides and a quicker than normal pace. This gets the heart rate going a bit faster than just meandering along.

·        Take the stairs instead of the lift. Walk up the stairs as quickly as you can. For a little variation, try slowing down and taking two stairs at a time to further strengthen your legs.

·        During breaks at work, walk the stairs, walk around the building or walk down the halls. Find any type of activity that keeps you moving during your break (you can sit at your desk and relax after the break!)

·        Whenever you're walking somewhere, take the "long way around." Use this technique to get anywhere you're going... from shopping to getting a drink at the water cooler.

·        At the supermarket, if you don't have too many bags, carry your own groceries out to the car without the shopping trolley. And remember... park the car in a spot furthest from the store entrance.

·        Whenever possible, stand instead of sitting. Even standing still will burn more calories than sitting down.

·        Lose the remote. When was the last time you actually got up from your seat, engaged all your leg muscles, and walked over to change the channel on the TV?

·        Unless it's urgent, always opt for the loo that's furthest from you. Better yet, use the bathroom upstairs! Do the same for answering the telephone. It’s estimated that we now save walking approximately 70 miles per year with the advent of extension phones!

·        Get into the garden! Gardening will take your body through a whole range of movements and help you to burn those calories..

·        Meet friends for a walk instead of a coffee.  Casual business meetings can also work on the move

·        become Inefficient – take extra steps to put away items

Karen Dawkins, Personal Trainer, Winchester

Don't blow your diet with these phrases! ...

When the afternoon tea and biscuits slip into your mouth, using words such as 'cheat' and 'blew it' just push you further into a bad mood. Instead of those old dieting phrases, reinforce your success by substituting these healthier ones.
1. I cheated on my diet. The truth is you can't cheat with food. The word 'cheat' refers to something illegal or immoral, and food is neither of these. Instead, use the words choose or choice to describe your behaviors. You made a choice to eat that biscuit, even if you wish you hadn't. Tomorrow, choose to not eat one.
2. I blew it. Saying "I blew it" gives you an open invitation to eat all evening and start your diet over tomorrow. If you slip up on your eating plan, call it a pause. This soft, non-judgmental word labels a slip up as a minor event instead of a crisis. After your pause, you simply return to your diet and get back on track.
3. I was good. Since eating is not a moral issue, you can't apply behavioral codes to what you do with food. You aren't good when you eat an apple, then bad because you chase it with a few biscuits. And whether or not you stay on your diet has nothing to do with you being a good person.
4. I was bad. So where did you learn that a carrot was good and a brownie was bad? In most cases, you simply draw from a list of allowed or not allowed foods, then chastise yourself for eating from the wrong side. Never describe yourself based on how or what you eat. Just like with the word cheat, instead of calling yourself good or bad, refer to your food choices. Some days you make better choices, sometimes poorer ones.
5. I can't. "I can't resist a croissant in the morning or stay on a diet over the weekend." Every time you tell yourself you can't do something, you cement it as truth. Instead of saying "I can't" switch to "I'll find a way." By saying, "I'll find a way to stay on my diet," you strengthen your resolve to make it happen.
6. I have to. People tend to rebel when told they have to do something. The truth is you don't actually have to do anything, including going to work or feeding the dog. You do these things because you want the payoff of a steady income or a happy dog. Try substituting "I want to" in place of "I have to". Saying "I want to lose weight" or "I want to exercise" affirms that you value the payoff of a healthier life.
7. I feel deprived. In a committed relationship, you deprive yourself of dating other people. To save money for a new car, you deprive yourself of eating out all the time. In the same way, to lose or maintain your weight, you choose to make some sacrifices. When everyone else is eating ice cream, tell yourself you aren't deprived, you are blessed. Use this positive attitude to affirm your commitment to your goals.

Karen Dawkins, Personal trainer, Winchester

What are the best shoes to wear for fitness/nordic walking?

A shoe suitable for fitness/nordic walking must be light and flexible so that it can mimic the range of movement from the foot

·        Low cut, cushioned heel

Prevents cutting into the Achilles tendon

·        Lightweight

Don’t carry any more weight than you need to

·        Flexible

Allowing a full range of movement

·        Roomy toe box

Give your toes plenty of room to spread and allow room for the push off – at least a 2 finger width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe

·        Cushioning

Protects your foot, especially in the heel and under the ball of the foot

·        Arch support

There should be good arch support and insole

·        Low heel

A note regarding hiking boots:  The very features that make hiking boots ideal for walking great distances over rough terrain – a rigid sole and a firmly supported ankle – will cause problems to your feet when fitness walking.  Only wear them when the ground is very wet/muddy

Karen Dawkins, Personal Trainer, Winchester