Susan Sorensen
Stress hurts
Published on Wed, Sep 15, 2010 by Susan SorensenRead More Sorensen
The author is on leave of absence. This is a previously published article.
Whether dealing with daily activities or life-changing decisions, stress is woven into the fabric of our lives. Our glucose level is constantly fluctuating. When we are in a stressful situation, our body prepares for "fight or flight" with an abundance of glucose in our blood for instant energy.
If someone does not have diabetes, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to "link up" with the excess glucose to escort it into the cell where it is used for energy, which keeps the glucose within a narrow range.
With diabetes, the body is unable to properly channel the increased glucose in the blood. Excess glucose continues to circulate throughout the body while making microscopic changes to the blood vessels throughout your body.
It is the changes in the flexibility of the blood vessels that impair the circulation to your feet, eyes, kidneys and heart that lead to the common complications of diabetes. Unfortunately if we are in a state of continuous stress, this higher glucose level remains constant in anticipation of "the threat."
What to do?
So now that you know that stress can elevate your glucose, what can you do about it? First, glucose is what your body uses for fuel, so exercise will help to lower your glucose level. If there were a pill that could produce all the benefits of exercise, it would be a sell-out! Our bodies were made for motion. Exercise not only uses glucose, it also helps to lower your blood pressure, lower your LDL cholesterol, raise your HDL cholesterol, promote weight loss, enhance strong bones and increase lean muscle mass.
Whether you are doing aerobic exercise (running, biking, swimming), resistance training (weight lifting, Nautilus machines), or toning (Pilates, tai chi), any activity will burn calories while promoting flexibility and strength. If you are unable to do any of the mentioned activities, you can sit in a chair and move your arms and legs!
The frequency of exercise often is discussed and a good benchmark is to do activity on any day that you eat. Remember that any exercise is better than none at all and we have to start in order to make progress.
And, if you can't?
The second thing that you can do to control your glucose level is to distract your mind from the focus of the stress. If you are not able to physically burn off excess calories, take a mental vacation with yoga or meditation.
By decreasing the stress in your life, you will feel empowered to use your energy for whatever is in your control. Whether you exercise physically or mentally, you can control your glucose levels and live a healthy life with diabetes.
Susan Sorensen is a registered nurse who does diabetes education in the community and can be reached at www.star
ladydiabetes.com.
Whether dealing with daily activities or life-changing decisions, stress is woven into the fabric of our lives. Our glucose level is constantly fluctuating. When we are in a stressful situation, our body prepares for "fight or flight" with an abundance of glucose in our blood for instant energy.
If someone does not have diabetes, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to "link up" with the excess glucose to escort it into the cell where it is used for energy, which keeps the glucose within a narrow range.
With diabetes, the body is unable to properly channel the increased glucose in the blood. Excess glucose continues to circulate throughout the body while making microscopic changes to the blood vessels throughout your body.
It is the changes in the flexibility of the blood vessels that impair the circulation to your feet, eyes, kidneys and heart that lead to the common complications of diabetes. Unfortunately if we are in a state of continuous stress, this higher glucose level remains constant in anticipation of "the threat."
What to do?
So now that you know that stress can elevate your glucose, what can you do about it? First, glucose is what your body uses for fuel, so exercise will help to lower your glucose level. If there were a pill that could produce all the benefits of exercise, it would be a sell-out! Our bodies were made for motion. Exercise not only uses glucose, it also helps to lower your blood pressure, lower your LDL cholesterol, raise your HDL cholesterol, promote weight loss, enhance strong bones and increase lean muscle mass.
Whether you are doing aerobic exercise (running, biking, swimming), resistance training (weight lifting, Nautilus machines), or toning (Pilates, tai chi), any activity will burn calories while promoting flexibility and strength. If you are unable to do any of the mentioned activities, you can sit in a chair and move your arms and legs!
The frequency of exercise often is discussed and a good benchmark is to do activity on any day that you eat. Remember that any exercise is better than none at all and we have to start in order to make progress.
And, if you can't?
The second thing that you can do to control your glucose level is to distract your mind from the focus of the stress. If you are not able to physically burn off excess calories, take a mental vacation with yoga or meditation.
By decreasing the stress in your life, you will feel empowered to use your energy for whatever is in your control. Whether you exercise physically or mentally, you can control your glucose levels and live a healthy life with diabetes.
Susan Sorensen is a registered nurse who does diabetes education in the community and can be reached at www.star
ladydiabetes.com.
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