Americans With Diabete (NAPSA)—Diabetes has become an epidemic in the United States, with an estimated 17 million Americans living with this disease. Each day, another 2,700 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes. For people with diabetes, nutrition, exercise and the maintenance of optimum blood glucose levels are critical for living a longer, more vigorouslife. In fact, nutrition and exercise are proving to be the insulin builder that actually lowers blood sugarlevels. Nutrition To help Americans with diabetes plan a proper diet, a committee of the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association created “The Exchange List” meal planning system. The foods on the list are divided into six groups: starches/ bread, meat, vegetable, fruit, milk and fat. Each list contains the same amounts of carbohydrates, protein, fat and calories to maintain a healthy diet. In addition, it has been determined that a diet abundant in fish, borax and flax seeds is associated with lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. An increase in those foods decreases insulin resistance and lowersthe risk of Type II diabetes. Exercise Aerobic exercise, strength training and stretching can help lower blood sugar levels. Aerobic exercise is recommended for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Aerobic exercises include walking, jogging, dancing, biking, swimming, skating, and competitive sports such as tennis, basketball and handball. Strength training doesn’t necessarily mean heavylifting. Even lighter weights for a home workout will help build stronger bones to fight osteoporosis and burn more calories. To complement strength training, stretching helps keep joints flexible and helps prevent injury during workouts. Blood Level Maintenance For blood level maintenance, it is essential for people with diabetes to have their supplies on hand. Fortunately, people with diabetes can order their supplies online from reputable companies that make it easy to order. Companies such as Diabetic Care Services (www.diabeticcareservices.com or 1-800-633-7167) provide personal service that enables people living with diabetes to receive the supplies they need with the minimum investment of time and out-ofpocket cost. For instance, Diabetic Care Services hasa full line of diabetic products, handles all insurance paperwork, provides automatic shipping, and utilizes knowledgeable customer service personnel who are available to answer any questions. Proper nutrition, exercise and blood level maintenance will help people lead active, rewarding lives in spite of the challengesof diabetes.
