Mindful Monday | Want success? Start with exercise first
The idea of a “lifestyle” overhaul can be intimidating. Getting healthier includes so many variables such as healthy
eating, exercise, better sleep and reduced stress. A recent study suggests that developing an exercise routine first results in a preference for healthier foods.
A study published by the International Journal of Obesity, concluded that starting an exercise routine often leads to healthier food choices. Instead of taking something away, you can add a physical activity. The researchers recruited 2500 college students who said they did not diet or exercise for more than 30 minutes a week. They were asked not to change their eating habits.
However, many of the exercise participants changed their eating habits without being told to. The 2000 who stuck with the exercise plan, were more likely to eat more nutritious foods and less “junk” food. The more a participant exercised, the more their diet improved.
“Longer exercise duration was associated with a decrease in preference for foods characteristic of the standard western diet, such as red meat, fried foods and snack foods. Meanwhile, high-intensity exercise was associated with an increase in preference for healthy foods. Overall, Bray says, this means “compliance with the exercise program was associated with a move toward eating healthier overall.”
The diet didn’t delve deeper into why exercise fuels healthy eating, but likely biology and psychology are responsible.
However, scientists believe there is something more “I really do think exercise is altering neural processing in your brain. The stimulation of your brain that occurs with high-intensity exercise is what changes lots of things about your body,” Bray says.
To learn more: Exercising Might Help You Make Healthier Food Choices, Study Says – Time
To get started, see our Exercise Resource Page
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Edi Matsumoto – Art as a Healing Tool
We are honored to have the talented and insightful Edi Matsumoto present at our First Annual Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference. Edi will be discussing “Art as a Healing Tool” along with sharing her artwork.
After traveling in Southeast Asia, exploring cultures and volunteering at the Mother Theresa’s Home for the Dying Destitute in Calcutta, India, Edi came to the U.S.
Her experience with Mother Theresa motivated her to go into nursing, she says. She earned her Nurse Practitioner certificate and master’s degree in Nursing from San Jose State University. She also received her master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
Her body of work titled “Lives in Our Hands” depicts narrative portraits of healthcare professionals (HCPs), including day to day struggles they face and joy that they work for. Her work has been shown at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF, the Triton Museum of Arts in Santa Clara, and Pacific Grove Art Center among others.
She is involved in the action collaborative lead by the National Academy of Medicine to raise awareness on the HCP burnout issue to promote their well-being by using art, mindful awareness and wellness coaching.
To meet Ms. Matsumoto and view her artwork, please join our
Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference. To learn more about Edi and view her beautiful art – www.edimatsumoto.com
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]How Inactivity Can Harm Your Brain | Mindful Monday
An unhealthy lifestyle can not only lead to chronic illness like obesity and heart disease, but also cause wear and tear on your brain.
Lack of mobility causes inflammation, which leads to a number of serious chronic illnesses including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers are now finding that inactivity can also lead to a faster decline in thinking and memory.
“We found that people in their middle adulthood who had higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood tended to decline over the next 20 years at a quicker rate, especially on measures of memory,” Walker said.
To protect your brain functions, it is important to maintain a heart healthy diet, exercise and get plenty of sleep.
When someone gets sick, even a small cold, you see symptoms of systemic inflammation. This inflammation can cause lack of motivation, change in appetite and even changes in mood, which are all changes in brain function.
Researchers believe that long-term inflammation could have lasting effects on brain function.
The study conducted measures inflammation as it correlates with brain function over time. Those with the highest rate of inflammation were more likely to lose brain function at the end of two decades (that were measured for the study).
“This could be happening either because chronic inflammation is directly harming neurons, or because it is exacerbating other brain conditions that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, Walker said. “
Although there could be a plethora of causes for inflammation, scientists believe the best way to combat this and protect your brain would be to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes having healthy eating habits, incorporating exercise and sleeping the recommended hours per night.
To learn more: How Inactivity and Junk Food Can Harm Your Brain – Health Day
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Mindful Monday | Self-Compassion Exercises Show Benefits
According to a study conducted by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford, thinking compassionate thoughts about yourself and others has physical benefits. By taking time for
self-compassion, you can decrease your body’s threat response, lower heart rate and even boost your immune system.
In the past, studies have shown a link between self-care and higher levels of overall health and well being, but scientist didn’t understand why.
“Our study is helping us understand the mechanism of how being kind to yourself when things go wrong could be beneficial in psychological treatments. By switching off our threat response, we boost our immune systems and give ourselves the best chance of healing.”
Mindfully decreasing our threat response, increases relaxation, which is a key factor in allowing the body to regenerate and heal. Our threat response, includes ” increased heart rate and sweating, the release of the stress hormone cortisol and over-activity of the amygdala, an integral part of the brain’s emotional network. And a persistent threat response can impair the immune system.”
The study asked participants to listen to either compassionate audio recordings or critical and competitive recordings. Scientists would then record their vitals and ask them a series of questions.
Those encouraged to practice self-compassion had a lower heart rate and a general feeling of “safety.” While those who listen to negative critical audio statements had an increase in heart rate and a higher sweat response.
Although the study was done with people with no record of mental illness, researchers believe that meeting negative thoughts with compassionate can be highly beneficial to not only mental health but physical health as well.
We invite you to watch our FREE Mindful Diabetes Encounter Webinar designed diabetes professionals
To learn more: Self-Compassion Exercises Show Physical, Psychological Benefits – Psych Central
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]
Carbs – why are we badmouthing our favorite foods? Mindful Monday
The trend of a low-carb or even no-carb diet has been increasing in popularity over the past decade. But have we been accidentally stereotyping our favorite foods? What if we could enjoy our slices of bread and pasta after all?
Many are enticed by the promise of quick weight loss that seems to come with cutting out carbs. However, this can be tricky to stick to long-term. On average, 50% of calories consumed in the adult American diet are from carbohydrates. And the idea of cutting out carbs completely would include the fundamentals of a healthy diet like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
So why do all carbs seem to get a bad reputation?
Dr. David Ludwig, professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and the co-director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center Boston Children’s Hospital, sought to better understand and explain the varying types of carbs and how they can affect your health.
Bread and pasta are often demonized, however, it is much more complex than that! “When you eat a whole-kernel, minimally processed grain … they take a while to digest. Blood sugar rises relatively more gently. You produce less insulin calorie for calorie,” Ludwig explains.
“Slow” carbs like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, take a while to digest and are often rich in nutrients like fiber, zinc, magnesium and Vitamin E. However, when you eat white bread or another carbohydrate made from refined starch, it can raise your blood sugars sending a signal to your brain to store fat and leave you hungry.
Currently, Americans are likely to lack whole grain consumption and actually exceed the recommended amount of refined grains. Fiber-rich foods, like whole grain bread, leave you feeling full for longer with their fiber, fat, and protein. You don’t have to cut out all carbs, just the highly processed or refined.
To learn more: You Don’t Have To Go No-Carb: Instead, Think Slow Carb – NPR
Higher risk of alcohol and mental health problems in diabetes – Mindful Monday
A new study suggests a concerning correlation between mental health problems and diabetes. The study, conducted by Universities of Helsinki and Tampere and Helsinki University Hospital, investigated the relationship between diabetes the the risk of death due to mental health problems.
People with diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular events, cancer and kidney disease. However, this is not the only concerning health risk that is associated with diabetes.
One study published in the Journal of Medicine and Life in 2016, for instance, discovered that the occurrence of depression in people with diabetes is two to three times higher than in other individuals.
Many people with diabetes have spoken out about their mental health problems associated with the disease. The study suggests that these mental health issues put those with diabetes at a greater risk of death due to suicide, alcohol and accidents. Interestingly, those who required self-injecting insulin were at an even greater risk!
The pressure of monitoring and balancing glucose levels, “combined with the anxiety of developing serious complications like heart or kidney disease may also take their toll on psychological well-being.”
All of these findings speak to the fact that mental health assessment and support should play a greater role in disease management. These problems can be managed, but only if they are communicated first.
See our Psycho-social Resourse Page for mental health screening tools
To learn more: Higher risk of alcohol- and suicide-related death in diabetes – Medical News Today
Happy National Heart Month | Mindful Monday
February is National Heart Month!
This month we want to help our communities lower their risk of heart disease. People with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing heart disease and twice as likely to die from heart attack or stroke. However, a recent survey suggest only about half of those living with diabetes are aware of the elevated risk.
“That’s why the ADA and the AHA, along with industry leaders, have teamed up to form the “Know Diabetes By Heart” initiative. These powerhouse organizations want to raise awareness and understanding of the link between people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and empower people to reduce their risk for heart disease.”
And we want to help by sharing the incredible resources they have put together for health care professionals. Please enjoy the resources below:
- Know Diabetes by Heart poster
- ASCVD Risk Calculator
- Educational Podcasts
- Brochures
- Fact sheets and infographics
All can be found at KnowDiabetesByHeart
Please refer people with Type 2 diabetes to https://knowdiabetesbyheart.org/ for resources including a quiz to test their knowledge of the link between diabetes and heart disease.
Thank you for helping get the word out!
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]
Mindful Monday | Exercise does help prevent depression
An international study has found a strong link between exercise and depression.
Commonly, exercise has been thought to prevent depression, but a study of the genetics of 300,000 people has now confirmed that a lack of exercise can lead to depression.
Past studies have shown a link between lack of exercise and depression, however this is the first study to say that lack of exercise may cause depression. And it is often assumed that depression is a barrier to exercise.
“However, this new work by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital, US, shows a causal link between exercising and avoiding depression, and also shows that the opposite is not true – being depressed does not cause people to exercise less.”
The study used data from self-reported activity and accelerometers (motion detecting devices). The self-reported activities were somewhat inaccurate, however the accelerators collected helpful data to support their hypothesis.
“With accelerometer data, the researchers found that replacing sedentary behavior with just 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity, like running, or an hour of moderate activity, like fast walking, reduces depression risk by 26%.”
Researchers hope to utilize this data in promoting the role physical health can take on mental health. From a biological perspective, physical activity is linked to releasing “feel-good” hormones and can help with a person’s mood and can also help with other illness linked to depression like inflammation. Of course from a psychological perspective being “active” can help combat common depression symptoms like feels of isolation and void of meaning.
Depression affects more than 300 million people around the globe. Mental health is just as important as physical health and exercising is a way to improve both!
Please enjoy our Exercise Resource
To learn more: “Exercise does help prevent depression, research shows” – COSMOS The Science of Everything
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]
![](/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/insta-png-v5.png")
