Ready To Live A Life Without Limits Through Your Healthy Lifestyle?

While glancing through Oprah’s magazine, “O” today I ran across an article from Dr. Oz’s regarding diabetes. What really stood out to me was the alarming statistics on the diabetes epidemic and how many kids are getting type 2 diabetes.  

Did you know that “one in five girls and one in four boys born in the year 2000 will be diagnosed with diabetes in their lifetimes”?

This is huge and scary, especially if you have kids in this generation, like we do, or if your family has been affected by type 2 diabetes. Sometimes with our busy lifestyle keeping ourselves and our children healthy, slides down the priority totem pole.

Think about it, to live your life without limits, you need a healthy lifestyle. 

The Great News…. Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented in 90% of the cases by diet and exercise!

So, if it can be prevented, let’s take a look at it and what it does to your body – then lets,

look at simple ways to stop type 2 diabetes from affecting your family!

Type 2 diabetes is caused when the body’s fat interferes with your body’s ability to use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that takes glucose (a sugar) into your bloodstream and then into your cells.

Problems occur when the sugar cannot get into your cells and builds up in the bloodstream, leading to diabetes. Ultimately diabetes causes nerve damage, kidney failure and blindness.  

Your health is essential to Live A Life Without Limits, and the great news, you have control over it!

Many of today’s health problems are preventable and reversible with some really easy changes in your daily habits.

Here are some really easy things to create a healthy lifestyle and to help prevent Type 2 Diabetes.

1. Eat fiber: One of the most important parts of a healthy diet is fiber. It is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. One purpose of fiber is to help keep your blood sugar steady.

2. Stop drinking sugary drinks: Oh this is a big one and a difficult one for many to incorporate. However, there is no way around it–sugary drinks are not good for your body, including fruit juice.

3. Eat whole grains instead of processed grains: When picking your pastas, breads, crackers, or any other type of carb–go for the whole grains. Try to avoid the white stuff, including white bread and white rice.

4. Add magnesium to your diet: Magnesium is a mineral that regulates your enzymes. My son and I drink magnesium warm before we go to bed, like tea. Magnesium is also great for relaxing and getting your body ready for sleep.

5. Get your heart rate up for 30 minutes 3-5 days a week: Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body. It doesn’t mean you need to go to the gym everyday for hours. Implementing a 30 minute walk into your routine or playing soccer in the yard with the kids can do wonders. The key is finding something you enjoy.

6. Increase your muscle mass and practice yoga: Bikram says that 90 minutes of yoga will increase your life by 16 days…How amazing is that?! Yoga and increasing your muscle mass will do wonders for your body and your mind–give it a try.

7. Add cinnamon to your coffee: Yes, that’s what I said. Sprinkling a little cinnamon into your coffee is great for your blood sugar–both are shown to lower it, and I promise, it tastes great!

Setting your mind to making small habits over time, will determine your life without limits.

It is easy to get overwhelmed when thinking of some big goal you want to accomplish. However, the truth is, it’s the small steps that compound over time, that will bring you the healthy lifestyle you are looking to create.