Category: Latest

9 Habits that Help Control the Disease on a Daily Basis

Those who have diabetes should keep an eye: if blood glucose levels rise above the expected level, there is a risk of various damage to the body, such as kidney complications, eye damage, and skin problems. The disease occurs precisely because of increased blood sugar, which occurs because the pancreas can not produce the hormone insulin enough for the body to function properly or because insulin is resistant to proper action.
Inserting some simple habits into everyday life is important to get along with diabetes. Here’s what you can do to help conventional treatments control glucose and stay always healthy.

Control Weight

Those who have diabetes and are overweight should ideally seek out a nutritionist to make a proper diet and eliminate the extra pounds. According to endocrinologist Renato Zilli of the Hospital Sírio Libanês, the benefit is in losing abdominal fat, since it is one of the responsibilities for the onset of diabetes and also requires a lot of insulin release.

“When you lose weight, more insulin is left to other parts of the body, requiring less demand for the hormone,” he explains. This is very beneficial for controlling diabetes.

Do Physical Activities

As a rule, all people should have regular physical activity. However, those who have diabetes should follow this recommendation even more closely. Zilli explains that exercising decreases risk or even manages to control diabetes. “It will decrease insulin resistance in the peripheral muscles. With physical activity, the person uses the blood sugar better,” he explains.
In addition, tinkering with the body will rule out the risk of heart attack or stroke, which is naturally increased among patients with diabetes. It is important to talk to the doctor for guidance on the best physical activities for each case.

Moisturize Skin Well

Uncontrolled glycemia can also lead to dry skin that, if left uncared for and very well hydrated, can develop itching and cracking that increases the chance of infection. Dermatologist Cláudio Wulkan, of Israelita Hospital Albert Einstein, clarifies that dry skin shows up following one to three weeks of uncontrolled glycemia. “You need to hydrate your skin well and control your blood sugar.”Opportunistic microorganisms also attack when the skin is dry: “With the uncontrolled sugar, infections may appear, because the defense cells in our blood have their mobility altered. They work slowly in a high-sugar environment,” explains Wulkan. When these defenses are compromised, the skin is vulnerable to attacks of bacteria and fungi. The hydration of the skin, therefore, makes a lot of difference to avoid irritations and injuries. Skin care includes the use of specific products for people with diabetes. Moisturizing creams specially designed for this audience can be used daily. For a more efficient absorption, the idea is to make use of the moisturizer soon after the bath.

Take Care of Your Feet

The skin of the feet is the one that most suffers from the carelessness of controlling the disease. The dermatologist explains that the region is more susceptible to attacks of fungi or bacteria because the vascularization is compromised and the body’s defense cells do not reach the site. In addition, diabetes causes micro-lesions in vessels and nerves that can, indirectly, change the sensitivity of the feet.
“This altered sensitivity can cause wounds, injuries, and ulcers,” warns Wulkan, who is also a member of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatology.
“You can get hurt more because you do not feel the pain. If you step on a pebble, for example, you will not feel it and it will hurt your skin,” he explains. The recommendation is always to assess the sensitivity of the feet in medical appointments.
In addition, also in this region of the body, the dryness of the skin appears with more intensity. The use of skin moisturizers for those who have diabetes can help control the damage caused by excessive dryness.

It is important to remember that the hydrant cream should not contain alcohol since this component can impair the hydration of the skin.

Eat Fibers

Eating healthy and rich in vegetables is ideal for those who have diabetes because they contain fiber, recommends the endocrinologist. The fibers help to slow the rate of absorption of glucose in the blood.

“Foods rich in fiber also give satiety, making the person eat less,” clarifies the endocrinologist.

Sleep Well

It sounds silly, but a good night’s sleep is allied to those who have diabetes. Renato Zilli explains that sleeping less than seven hours a night worsens sugar control because the body produces more cortisol, a hormone that, in excess, is not welcome since it increases the accumulation of abdominal fat.

“In addition, lack of sleep causes more binge eating, so it is very important that the person sleeps well.” The endocrinologist still points out that our will power is spent during the day, so the chance to eat nonsense increases. “It is important then that we start the day with more disposition and for that, it is essential to sleep well.”

Do not Stress

The body releases cortisol in the face of stress, which is bad for people with diabetes. “In addition, stress can make a person stop making healthy choices and have a worsening sleep quality,” says Zilli.

Avoid Simple Carbohydrates

White flour, sugar, and other simple carbohydrates quickly turn into glucose, so they are not good choices for people with diabetes.

“Today, we have a very large caloric offer, so the idea is to make healthier choices and to schedule meals,” says the endocrinologist at the Sírio Libanês Hospital.

Stay away from Alcohol

According to Zilli, those who have diabetes should be very careful about alcoholic beverages. “They can lead to blood glucose both down [hypoglycemia] and up [hyperglycemia]. The best alcoholic drink for people with diabetes is dry red wine, but you can not drink it at will,” he says, asking for caution.

“Only the doctor will be able to tell how much the person can consume,” explains the specialist.

What to do to Lower High Blood Pressure Without Medication

Uncontrolled blood pressure control is possible, with habits such as practicing physical activities 5 times a week, losing weight and reducing salt intake.
These attitudes are essential to prevent prehypertension from becoming high blood pressure, and may also be doctor-directed as an attempt to control pressure before starting treatment with medication for 3 to 6 months if the pressure is below of 160x100mmHg.
If medication has already been started, they can not be stopped, however, these changes in lifestyle are also very important so that the treatment can control the pressure correctly, even allowing the reduction of doses of medicines.

The main attitudes that have proven to help control the pressure naturally are:

1. Losing Weight

Weight loss and weight control are very important because there is a direct relationship between weight and pressure, which usually increases in people overweight.
In addition to decreasing total body fat, it is also very important to reduce the size of the circumference of the abdomen, since abdominal fat represents a great risk for cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack.
To ensure a controlled weight, it is necessary to have a weight that corresponds to the body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9mg / kg2, which means that the person has the ideal amount of weight for his height. Understand better what this calculation is and know if you are overweight in what it is and how to calculate BMI.

The abdominal circumference, measured with a tape measure in the region of the navel height, should be below 88 cm in a woman and 102 cm in man, to indicate an abdominal fat in the safe amount for health.

2. Adopt a DASH-Style Diet

The DASH-style diet proposes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products, such as natural yogurt and white cheeses, and low in fat, sugars, and red meat, which contributes to weight loss and blood pressure control.
It is also important to avoid the consumption of canned, canned or frozen ready-to-eat foods as they contain excess sodium and preservatives that lead to increased pressure and should be avoided.

In addition, it is important to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day to keep the body hydrated, balanced and allow proper functioning of the organs.

3. Consume less than 6 g of salt per day

It is very important to control the consumption of salt so that less than 6 g of salt per day is consumed, corresponding to 1 tsp shallow, and is equivalent to 2 g of sodium.
For this, it is necessary to observe and calculate in the food package the amount of salt present, besides avoiding to use the salt to temper the food, being preferred the use of spices such as cumin, garlic, onion, parsley, pepper, oregano, basil or bay leaves, for example. Learn how to grow and prepare to the season to replace salt.

Changing eating habits can reduce blood pressure by up to 10 mmHg, being a great ally to avoid or avoid higher doses of the drugs. Check out other nutritionist’s dietary guidelines and diet menu to control hypertension.

4. Practice exercises 5 times a week

Practicing physical activity, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour a day, 5 times a week, is essential to help control the pressure, reducing from 7 to 10 mmHg, which may help prevent the use of drugs in the future. or to decrease the dose of the medicines.
This is because exercise improves blood circulation through the vessels and helps the heart function, as well as help control levels of pressure-increasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Some great options are walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or dancing. Ideally, an anaerobic exercise, with some weight, should also be associated 2 times a week, preferably after medical release and with the guidance of a physical educator.

5. Leave the cigarette

Smoking causes injury and impairment of blood vessel function, as well as contracting its walls, which causes increased pressure, as well as being an important risk factor for various cardiovascular, inflammatory and cancer diseases.
Cigarette smoking is not only related to an increase in blood pressure but in many cases, it may even negate the effect of the medication in those who already have treatment.

In addition, it is important that the habit of drinking alcoholic beverages be controlled, as it is also a cause of increased blood pressure. Thus, its consumption should be moderate, not exceeding the amount of 30 grams of alcohol per day, which equals 2 cans of beer, 2 glasses of wine or 1 dose of whiskey.

6. Eat more food with potassium and magnesium

Replacement of these minerals, preferably through feeding, although not proven, seems to be associated with better control of pressure, since they are important for the metabolism, mainly of the nervous system, blood vessels, and heart muscles.

The recommendation of daily magnesium is up to 400mg in man and 300mg in women and the recommendation of potassium is about 4.7 grams per day, which is usually obtained through the diet rich in vegetables and seeds. Check out what foods are high in magnesium and potassium.

7. Decrease your stress

Anxiety and stress increase levels of male hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which accelerate the heart rate and contract vessels, raising blood pressure.
The persistence of this situation can further increase the pressure, which makes treatment difficult and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.

To combat stress, it is recommended to practice physical exercises, activities such as meditation and yoga, in addition to stimulating trips and social gatherings, for example, that help regulate feelings and control hormone levels in the body. In severe cases, it is also recommended to seek professional help through psychotherapy and consultation with a psychiatrist.