There are about 3.4 million people suffering from diabetes in Canada. Among them, 880,000 are from Quebec and 250,000 don’t even know they are sick! When you exercise daily, what does it mean to have diabetes? Is it a fatality or can you reconcile your sickness with sports? Let’s find out together!
What is diabetes exactly?
To put it simply, diabetes is when the glucose levels gradually increase in your blood.
There are many types of diabetes but in all the cases, the sugar levels increase in the blood and it can lead to disastrous consequences such as damages on you organs and your blood vessels, risks of high blood pressure, heart disease and more!
Diabetes can be controlled by medication, food, exercise or stress management but it cannot be cured.
Are sports and diabetes compatible?
Suffering from diabetes doesn’t mean you have to stop working out, on the contrary! It is recommended to follow a workout program because it can help manage your weight, improve your blood circulation and help reduce risks of heart disease.
Before you start making a program, make sure you have your doctor’s approval to exercise properly without any risks.
What kind of sport can you do?
A daily workout can help decrease the sugar levels in your blood and adding strength training to your planning can be very beneficial for you. You can try lifting weights or working out with resistance bands and you can consider doing it at least 2 times a week to benefit your blood sugar control.
You can also include jogging, tennis or swimming to your workout program! 3 times a week would be ideal in order to keep a good shape. Sport has an almost immediate effect and when you move, your muscles burn fat and calories so that’s why exercising tends to help decrease the sugar levels in your blood! When you exercise daily, it also helps insulin (the hormone that decreases sugar levels in the blood) work better in your body. As you can see, exercising is important for people with diabetes and it might really improve your health!
What about your diet?
To control your sugar levels, diet is key! Of course, as you know, it’s important to keep a balanced diet but it’s always nice to know which type of foods you should favor!
Fibers are full of benefits because they can help delay the absorption of carbs and help reduce bad cholesterol. Almonds, cashew nuts, chia seeds… all these superfoods are great for you so you should consider adding more nuts and seeds to your diet! Vegetables and cereals are also highly recommended for their fibers.
Salmon, sardines or trout should also be considered since they are filled with Omega-3 fatty acids which may help lower your risks of heart disease! It’s also good to know that fish and other protein foods don’t contain carbs so they won’t increase blood sugar levels. These fish are packed with DHA and EPA which protect the cells that line your blood vessels, it can help reduce markers of inflammation and help improve the way your arteries function after eating.
Reference:https://www.diabete.qc.ca/en/living-with-diabetes/diet/food-and-nutrients/les-acides-gras-omega3
https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/diet/omega-fatty-acid-foods-help-prevent-diabetes/
https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/ten-diabetes-super-foods#fish-with-omega--3s
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-best-foods-for-diabetics#section1
https://www.diabete.qc.ca/en/understand-diabetes/all-about-diabetes/myths-and-stats