To parents — get your kids of the couch at an early age and promote a lifestyle that includes some sort of exercise every day (be it biking, a walk around the block, hitting baseballs, swimming, gardening…). To kids — get active, get outdoors.
Why? Well, besides the long-established benefits — cardiovascular health, lower rates of obesity and diabetes, healthier proportions of muscle mass — a new study shows a connection between exercise and GPA. According to the study, “Twenty minutes of daily vigorous physical activity among college students may lead them to have grade point averages about .4 higher, on a scale of 4.0, compared with students who do not exercise.”
Now think of what 40 minutes of exercise could do! I’m kidding, of course, but the study did indicate that while daily exercise is not necessary — the research did indicate that more exercise is better.
The biggest problem with health-related New Year’s resolutions? Most of us go “too big.” And that usually sets us up for failure. Everything in moderation — that’s the ticket. If you are serious about losing weight, lowering your cholesterol, stopping smoking, exercising more, eating better, preventing diabetes II — then make that effort in this frame of mind: small gradual changes in lifestyle. In this manner, you set realistic, reachable goals for yourself. And once those are reached — you go on to the next set of slightly bigger goals. And all the while you incorporate those changes into how you live. It’s not about dieting, complete denial or starting out with a daily 5-mile run. It’s about increments of change that you can live with so you can live better and healthier.
Here’s an excellent article that serves as a great example.
The dreaded “Freshman 15″ - the reputed number of pounds a college Freshman gains during the first year of college - has become almost an accepted fact-of-life on American campuses. And that’s unfortunate, especially when you consider the dramatic rise in obesity this country has experienced over the last 20 years. This rise in obesity - as well as the decrease in physical activity and excessive intake of calories, sugars and fast food - has led to the dramatic increase in the number of young people with type 2 diabetes. These youth are at increased risk of developing heart disease, nerve damage, stroke and kidney disease.
Overweight youth with poor eating habits prior to college simply cannot afford to gain the Freshman 15. It puts their long-term health at risk. And for those teens with good eating habits, college becomes a ‘testing ground’ wherein the choices they make can affect their health going forward.
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This past week in Central Wisconsin, a young girl died after suffering from the complications of untreated diabetes. She was in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and suffered a cardiac arrest. DKA is a life-threatening complication for those with untreated diabetes mellitus, who have chronic high blood sugar, and insulin-dependent diabetics. Let’s take a closer look at this treatable, but deadly problem.
What is diabetic ketoacidosis? This is a state in which the body does not produce insulin, resulting in very high levels of blood glucose (sugar). Normal body levels of glucose range from 60-110 mg/dl, while a patient with DKA may well exceed levels of 1000 mg/dl.
When DKA occurs, the body undergoes an energy crisis because it is unable to metabolize the glucose for fuel. In response, the liver begins to break down the fats and proteins of muscle and body organs. If untreated, the body’s chemistry will be altered and the pH level of the blood will be lowered to the point that it is incompatible with life.
November is not only the start of the holiday season, it’s National Diabetes Awareness month. Today, over 20 million Americans suffer from diabetes – with an estimated 30 percent of them unaware of their condition. Of these 20 million diabetics, about 90 percent have Type 2 diabetes. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control characterized the rise in Type 2 diabetes an epidemic. The greater incidence in America is believed to be the increase in the number of obese Americans, as well as the inactivity of our youth. Let’s take a closer look at current issues surrounding this fairly common, but significant, medical condition.
What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that disrupts the body’s metabolism. During metabolism, the body breaks down a majority of food into sugar (glucose) – a ready form of energy for the body. Upon detecting increased blood sugar levels after digestion, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows cells to absorb the glucose from the bloodstream. Without insulin, you can be well fed, yet be in a state of starvation because your cells cannot access glucose’s calories.
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