EXERCISE, DIET AND A STAND-UP DESK CAN HELP REDUCE DIABETES
Our lifestyles are growing more and more sedentary and with that comes increased risks to our health. Sure, there's an emphasis on exercise over the last few decades, but that doesn't change the fact that our society is getting less healthy overall. In fact, 1 in 3 people in the United States either already has diabetes or a pre-diabetes condition referred to as "impaired glucose tolerance".
There are many ways to avoid getting diabetes and one of them is to change your eating habits. Doing things like eating more vegetables and fruit, especially orange veggies, beans and peas, and good carbohydrates. This doesn't mean the processed food carbohydrates (bad carbs) like in donuts, cakes, french fries the like; this means whole grains, whether it's in the form of pasta, breakfast cereal, rice, bread, tortillas or what have you.
You should also not drink lots of sugar. We're a soft drink society and this is horrible for our bodies. Even energy drinks aren't good. We can't process all this sugar and that's what leads to diabetes. Instead opt for water, milk, especially oat, nut or unsweetened soy milks. Coffee and tea are ok (the caffiene isn't horrible) but leave out the sweetener and creamers. For more information regarding the same head over to Act1 diabetes.
But the main thing you'll want to do to avoid contracting diabetes is to exercise regularly. Exercise is a very important routine for your body. Getting rid of excess body fat is the key here as body fat hinders the breakdown of glucose. It is recommended to work out/exercise for 30 minutes a day - that's really all you need.
That's also why we're such proponents of the stand-up desk. Many of us have had weight issues and have been able to counteract that mainly by using an adjustable height desk. Standing up while working gets your blood flowing better, you're more apt to move around and you're burning calories.
Now you'll probably want to supplement using a stand-up desk with other exercises, but it's a great start, especially for someone who may not be used to exercising very much. You can also supplement working at an adjustable height desk with things like taking a walk during your lunch break, walking your dog, riding a bike, parking further out in the parking lot and walking in. Basically finding ways throughout your day to get more exercise but not in a strenous way. (Check out our related post on N.E.A.T. Exercise and how all those calories doing little things really add up).
Standing up while working is much more conducive to walking over to a co-worker's desk, pacing around while on the phone, or sort of dancing around a little or shifting from side to side as you work. This can all add up and greatly help reduce your risk of diabetes.