Diabetes and exercise: Take control with physical activity

Diabetes and exercise: Take control with physical activity

Exercise is an important part of any diabetes treatment plan. Here's the connection between diabetes and exercise — as well as how to get started and how to stay on track.

Thinking about adding exercise to your diabetes treatment plan? Good for you! Diabetes and exercise go hand in hand. Regular physical activity can help you improve your blood sugar control, as well as boost your overall fitness and reduce your risk of heart disease and nerve damage.

Learn more about how exercise affects your diabetes. Assess possible limitations, and keep your blood sugar on track as you increase your activity level.

Buy into the hype
Besides boosting your mood and energy levels, exercise leads to:

 Improved blood sugar control. When you exercise, your muscles use sugar (glucose) for energy. This reduces your blood sugar. The more strenuous your workout, the longer the effect lasts. And there's more. If you have type 2 diabetes, exercise can increase your insulin sensitivity. That means your body requires less insulin to escort sugar into your cells. Along with a healthy-eating plan, exercise may even reduce — or eliminate — your need for glucose-lowering medication.

 Improved heart health. Diabetes increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Exercise counteracts the risk by improving blood flow, increasing your heart's pumping power and improving your cholesterol levels.

 Improved weight control. Exercise can help you lose weight — and keep it off.
Get the green light Before jumping into a fitness program, get your doctor's OK to exercise — especially if you've been inactive. Discuss with your doctor which activities you're contemplating and any limitations you may have.

For example, if you have diabetic retinopathy — abnormal growth of blood vessels on your retina — strenuous activity could lead to bleeding or retinal detachment. You may need to avoid certain activities, such as weightlifting or jogging. If you have reduced sensation in your feet, your doctor may recommend non-weight-bearing activities, such as swimming or biking.
Also discuss with your doctor the best time to exercise. If you take insulin, you might need to adjust your insulin dose before exercising or wait a few hours to exercise after injecting insulin.

Exercise good judgment
When you're ready to exercise, start slowly. Work your way up to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. While you're working out, remember to take good care of yourself.

 Monitor your blood sugar. Check your blood sugar before, during and after exercise — especially if you take insulin or medications that can cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Carry glucose tablets or hard candy in case your blood sugar drops too low or you feel shaky, nervous or confused.

 Pay attention to your feet. Wear smooth-fitting socks and comfortable athletic shoes. Examine your feet before and after exercise for any signs of potential damage, such as cuts or blisters.

 Drink up. Drink plenty of fluids while you exercise, especially when it's hot. Dehydration can increase your blood sugar. If you exercise for more than an hour, drink carbohydrate-containing beverages rather than plain water.

 Identify yourself. Wear a diabetes identification bracelet or shoe tag while exercising, in case of an emergency.

 Know when to stop. If you experience any warning signs — severe shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness, nausea, chest pain, heart palpitations, or pain in an arm or in your jaw — stop exercising. If you don't feel better within 15 minutes, seek immediate medical help.


Keep your eye on the prize
Try not to get discouraged if exercise causes significant changes in your blood sugar and upsets your normal management routine. Continue to test your blood sugar frequently until you begin to notice a pattern and can adjust your meals and medications accordingly. Your health care team can help, too. Once you understand how your body responds to exercise, you'll be even closer to a healthier you.

Lower Your Electric Bill

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Electric bill got you down? Fight back with this energy – saving ideas

Keep your fridge and freezer full
Food acts as insulation and lessens the amount of time that the fridge has to run to stay cool.

Clear your refrigerator’s coil
When your refrigerator has dirty condenser coils it has to work harder to cool your foods. Perform maintenance once every three months to optimize its efficiency.

Don’t put uncovered foods/drinks in the refrigerator
Condensation makes the fridge work harder and costs you more money.

Allow foods to cool before putting them in the refrigerator
Placing hot foods in your fridge will increase the interior temperature and cause your refrigerator to work harder.

Only wash full loads
Your washing machine and dish washer use a lot of electricity. Minimise the drain by only washing full loads.

Wash laundry in cold water
90% of the energy consumed by your washing machine goes to heating water. Turn the dial to cold and skip the bill.

Clean your dryer lint trap
If you use a drying machine, remove the lint from your dryer trap after each load to maximize its efficiency. Then scrub it down with soapy water and a brush once every couple months to remove any additional lint trapped in the screen.

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
CFL light bulbs use four times less energy than incandescent bulbs. Switch out the most widely used bulbs in your home. Then replace the rest as they burn out.

Shield your home from the sun
Cut down on your air conditioning use by closing curtains and blinds on the sunny side of your home. For even more savings, consider installing tinted window film.

Schedule yearly AC maintenance
Increase the efficiency of your AC system by having it inspected and cleaned once a year. Added bonus: cleaner air in your home.

Install ceiling fan
Keeping the air circulating in your home reduces the amount of work your air conditioner has to do.

Landscape for shade
Plant trees to shade your home and your air conditioning won’t have to work as hard.


Eliminate phantom loads
A surprising 75% of the energy used by home electronics is consumed when they are turned off. These “phantom” users include: TVs, VCRs, Stereos, computers and many kitchen appliances. Look for anything with a digital clock. A simple solution? Plug all of these items in to power strips and then get in the habit of turning off the strips between uses.

Lower the temperature on your hot water heater
13% of your home electricity goes to heating water. You can lower this percentage by setting your hot water heater to 130 ~ 140 degrees. For even more savings, install an insulation jacket, and insulate the first six feet of piping that comes off of your heater.

Install low flow shower head
Less water flowing through your shower head means less water to heat.

Cook with the lids on
Foods cook faster with lids on because the heat can’t escape.

Source: Home Builder

DID I REALLY JUST WIN AN EMAIL LOTTERY OR SWEEPSTAKES?

I received an email from a [name removed, just in case] of London England stating I had won US$ in a sweepstake organized by Microsoft and AOL. In the email numerous words were misspelled. I was told to contact [name removed], Claims processing agent, [number removed], Courier Firm: [name removed]. This email mentioned a [name removed], Microsoft Promotion Team, Vice President. The one stipulation is the winner remits part of the winning fund to a charity organization. Is this email for real or just another fraud email?

Did I really just win an email lottery or sweepstakes?

Man, if every "you've won!" sweepstakes message I've received in the last year were true I'd be a very rich man. Heck, if even one of them were true, I'd be doing pretty well.
Short answer: it's fraud. Run away. Delete it. Ignore it. Don't ever be tempted.
That clears enough?

Let's examine just why that is and what some of the clues are.
I just checked my Junk Mail folder, and in the last week I've received at least a dozen or more "winning notifications" of various flavors. "Staatloterij" (Dutch for state lottery), "End of the year lottery promotion", "YOU HAVE WON!!!", and so on.

Every one of them is totally bogus.

And worse, they're actually scams to take your money, not give you any.
Let's look at some of the clues the show you just how bogus these emails are.
And for the record, these clues apply to 99% of the all spam you get as these are excellent indicators of scams and other bogus emails.

"It's fraud. Run away. Delete it. Ignore it. Don't ever be tempted."
It's email. Let's face it, if you really won a lottery, someone would more likely knock on your door (with lots of proper identification) or at least send you a certified/registered letter. Email is an unreliable notification mechanism at best and should never be used for something this important.

The email's not even addressed to you! This just gets me every time I see it. None of the messages that say I've won actually have my name in the "To:" line. None. In fact, none of them even mention me by name. You'd think that if I had in fact won some kind of lottery that my name would be known to the organization, and that they would actually use my name when they tried to tell me that I'd won. It doesn't get much more bogus than this.

English is clearly not their native tongue. You said it yourself, "numerous words were misspelled". Once again, a legitimate organization would simply not do that. Even if they were based in another country they would take the time to make sure that spelling and grammar were up to business correspondence standards.

They ask for money. This is the big tip-off in my book. In your case: "one stipulation is the winner remits part of the winning fund to a charity". Here's how it works: in most cases you'll have to actually send money before you "receive your winnings". It'll either be in the form of fees that they say must be paid up-front, or in your case I'm guessing that you'll need to make your charitable donation before you get your winnings. And those winnings? IF you get anything at all, there are several scams right now that actually send you a check that's so real-looking that it even fools your bank. Until it bounces a week later and your "winnings" are removed from your account, that is. All that after you've paid the up-front fees with your own real money.

They ask for your details. Lottery scams are another great venue for identity theft. "Winning the lottery" seems like a perfectly legitimate reason to be asked for lots of personal information like Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and the like. It's not. Do not divulge your personal information to anyone you don't absolutely positively trust. Ever.

The fact is that the old adage is very, very true: If it's too good to be true, then it's not.
Unfortunately the sad reality is that these schemes exist because enough people fall for them every day. Out of ignorance, greed, or desperation, people think that they've actually won and fall for the trap. The net result is that they don't win at all, they lose. They lose their money, their belongings, their identity, and more.

It's fraud. Run away. Delete it. Ignore it. Don't ever be tempted.
That clear enough?

Meaning of A to Z

Why Americans were not back to moon after 1969...!!!!

4 Weeks to Getting Slim, Strong and Sexy

1. Trunk Rotation
Targets: shoulders, abs, obliques

Lie back holding one 8- to 10-pound dumbbell horizontally in both hands about 6 inches above chest. Bend knees 90 degrees, thighs perpendicular to floor. Tilt knees 45 degrees to the left while bringing shoulders and dumbbell 45 degrees to the right. Do 12 to 15 reps per side. Crunch straight up, reaching dumbbell toward toes, for another 12 to 15 reps.
Too easy? Try this: Perform one rotational crunch to each side, then reach weight straight up toward toes; continue alternating movements for 2 minutes (about 30 reps each) without taking a break.

2. Alternating Shoulder Raise
Targets: shoulders, thighs, calves

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a 5- to 8-pound weight in each hand. Rise up onto the balls of both feet. Keeping your heels lifted, raise left arm out to the side to shoulder height and right arm to the front to shoulder height. Hold for 2 counts, return to starting position, and switch arms. Do 15 reps per side.
Too easy? Try this: Do this exercise on a stair or at the end of a step bench to challenge your balance. Each time you switch arm positions, do 1 calf raise.

3. Warrior Lunge
Targets: shoulders, abs, butt, thighs, calves

Stand on left leg and hinge forward from the waist, bringing chest parallel to floor. Extend right leg behind you while spreading arms out to sides like wings. Hold for 30 seconds; come back to starting position (not shown). Bring hands to hips and step back with right foot into a reverse lunge. Hold for 2 counts, then bring right foot next to left. Do 10 reverse lunges with right leg, bringing toes to floor behind you; return to starting position. Switch sides and repeat combo.
Too easy? Try this: To challenge your upper body, keep arms extended overhead, palms facing each other.

4. Traveling Power Squat
Targets: back, arms, butt, legs

Stand holding a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell horizontally in front of your rib cage with both hands. Squat and hold for 2 seconds.
Jump up explosively, as if you're reaching over a volleyball net. At the same time, lift dumbbell overhead, arms extended. As you land, bring the weight back toward your rib cage. Do 12 to 15 reps. To modify, stand up explosively without allowing your feet to leave the floor.
Too easy? Try this: Travel a few inches forward each time you land -- this will force you to jump higher in order to propel yourself forward.

5. Alternating Push-Up
Targets: shoulders, chest, arms, abs, legs

Begin in a full push-up position, hands on floor under shoulders, legs extended and abs tight. Do 1 push-up. As soon as you finish, drop your knees to the floor and do 1 bent-knee push-up. Do 20 to 25 reps total.
Too easy? Try this: Either do all the push-ups on your toes or come to your knees on every third push-up.

6. Plié with Hammer/Biceps Curls
Targets: biceps, butt, thighs

Stand holding a 10- to 12-pound dumbbell in each hand, arms at sides with palms facing each other and toes pointed out. Bend knees 90 degrees, keeping knees aligned over toes, while curling weights toward shoulders with thumbs up; keep elbows tucked into sides.
After 1 rep, straighten legs (keep feet wide) and do a regular biceps curl, turning arms out 45 degrees. Lower and repeat plié squat and hammer curl; do 12 to 15 reps, alternating moves.
Too easy? Try this: Do the entire exercise balancing on your toes.

7. Clam Dig with Rotation
Targets: shoulders, butt, thighs

Lie on your left side with left hand supporting head, elbow bent. Bend knees 45 degrees in front of body. Hold a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell in right hand with elbow pressing into right side. Lift both right leg and arm toward ceiling; hold for 2 seconds and lower. Keep hips stacked and right upper arm on side throughout the exercise. Do 15 reps; switch sides.
Too easy? Try this: Use 2-pound ankle weights (pictured).

8. Weighted Back Extension
Targets: shoulders, arms, back, butt, thighs

Wrap 2-pound weights around each ankle (or do without weights) and get on all fours. Extend left arm up to head height and right leg back to hip height. Slowly touch left elbow to right knee; hold for 2 counts, then extend arm and leg out again. Do 10 to 15 reps; switch sides.
Too easy? Try this: Place 5-pound dumbbells in front of each hand, then lift the weight as you extend and curl.


Cardio Component
This fat-blasting routine intersperses shadowboxing and jump-rope intervals to burn up to 300 calories in 30 minutes. If jumping rope is hard on your joints, jog or march in place or do a mix of calisthenics like knee lifts and side steps.

How to Whiten Your Teeth

How to Whiten Your Teeth on Your Own

Over-the-counter products are best for those who don't want to spend megabucks and don't need the instant gratification of a professional treatment. Follow these steps to get the best results.

1. Start with super-clean teeth. Toss your manual brush for a motorized version (try the Oral-B Vitality, $19.99, drugstores). "You can't possibly move as fast as a battery-charged motor," explains Richard Rosen, DDS, a cosmetic dentist at Madison Dental Partners in New York City.

2. Pick your method. Toothpastes and mouthwashes will contain the least amount of peroxide (approximately 0.5 to 1 percent) but can help brighten your smile by as much as one shade with consistent daily use. At-home trays and strips usually have more whitening power (from 3 to 8 percent peroxide) and are designed to have longer contact with your teeth for even better results (up to three shades lighter).

3. Read the ingredients list -- and follow the directions. Look for bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide and carbomide peroxide, which penetrate the enamel to temporarily oxidize the natural color of your teeth, explains Dr. Rosen. Remember, whitening isn't permanent, so your teeth will eventually either return to their original color or go darker than your desired shade.

How to Whiten Your Teeth at the Dentist's Office

In-office bleaching could set you back $300 to $600, but the 16 to 25 percent peroxide can lighten your teeth six shades or more. Here's how to get the most out of spending the extra money:

1. Get a professional cleaning first. Peroxide should immediately penetrate your teeth to lighten the color, not have to fight through layers of buildup. "Removing tartar before a whitening treatment will allow the active ingredients to work more efficiently," says Marc Liechtung, DMD, a cosmetic dentist at Manhattan Dental Arts in New York City.

2. Try at-home trays. This gives you the option of whitening at home while still getting the benefits of professional peroxide levels (it just takes several weeks to achieve maximum results). "Trays can be especially effective because they're in contact with your teeth on a daily basis," explains Dr. Rosen.

3. Or opt for a light treatment. Here's what pros are talking about right now: Discus Dental's Zoom! Advanced Power system, which combines a new whitening lamp with a 25 percent hydrogen peroxide gel to whiten teeth an average of eight shades after 45 minutes (visit zoomnow.com for more information and locations). Sapphire Professional Whitening system (877-586-4633 for locations and dentists) uses a UV-free light and a desensitizing enhancer to decrease sensitivity.

Whitening: The 4 Most Common Questions

Can bleaching harm my teeth?

There are no studies that have proven that hydrogen or carbomide peroxide can cause permanent damage, because they maintain the enamel coating, according to Dr. Rosen. However, skip a product if it has an acid on the ingredients list (although most brands on the market don't include acids, it's still smart to check the label). "It etches away the superficial layer, leaving a chalky residue," explains Dr. Rosen.

Why do my teeth feel sensitive after whitening treatments?

Sensitivity can be caused by overuse of at-home products containing acids (like citric acid), which strip outer layers of enamel. "You can feel a slight zinging to a more intense pain, especially with hot or cold temperatures," explains Dr. Liechtung. This is normal and should diminish in 24 to 48 hours post-treatment, but if it lasts longer, consult a dentist.

How white is too white?

On the shade guide used by dentists, B1 is the whitest hue. However, due to overbleaching, new shades have been added that are considered whiter than what's naturally possible (OMI, OMII and OMIII). "Teeth in the OM category can stop reflecting light and appear gray," says Dr. Rosen. To reach this super-white level you'd have to have repetitive professional whitening, which would likely not be recommended by a dentist.

Can I change the color of my caps and veneers?

No, only your natural teeth can be lightened by bleaching agents. Because caps and veneers are artificial, peroxide can't change their hue, so dentists recommend that you seek a professional's advice instead of using over-the-counter kits. Dentists can usually bring caps and veneers back to their original shade through cleaning and polishing, helping your teeth to maintain a uniform look.