Prevent Diabetes By Reducing Stress
Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which the body is not able to produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is required to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for living your daily life. If you worry too much or get angry too easily, you may not be aware of it but your body responds to that kind of stress by inducing the blood to circulate faster. When this happens, glucose supplies stored in your liver and muscles are poured into the bloodstream, ready to supply you with energy as the body prepares for your “fight-or-flight” decision. Both pulse rate and blood pressure increase. When the moment passes and things calm down, the normal body will secrete extra insulin to bring elevated glucose levels down to normal. For a diabetic, however, there is not enough insulin to adjust blood glucose.
Without doubt, emotional stress profoundly affects the body’s ability to control glucose, and its greatest impact is when it interferes with healthy behaviours necessary to regulate glucose levels. For example, stress can clobber your willpower which could then lead you to consume too much food, to indulge in unhealthy foods such as junk foods, to smoke cigarettes, or to get drunk with alcohol. Stress may also make you feel drained, without the energy to perform daily exercise. Stress can get you so low you neglect even important activities like monitoring blood glucose or taking your prescribed medication.
Easing Emotional Stress
Research has shown that keeping your cool and managing your worries help to control your blood glucose. Here are some things to help you control your emotional stress:
- Think positively. By thinking positively, you induce an increased secretion of the hormone, endorphin. This is a “feel-good” hormone that adds to your physical strength and enhances your health.
- Have a good attitude. Attitude derives from your beliefs; it is a force from within you. Your attitude impacts on diabetes by helping you make the proper choices. Effective self-management requires a good attitude.
- Perform some relaxation techniques. Meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation are just some of the relaxation techniques that will help you manage stress. Relaxation therapy has been shown in studies to contribute to lowering blood glucose levels and to provide other benefits to your health.
It has already been established in studies that stress, indeed, impacts blood glucose control. For this reason, you must constantly monitor your blood glucose when you are undergoing stress. With the help of some of techniques in reducing stress, you will get a better handle on your blood glucose levels while you’re trying to weather this stage. Controlling stress and understanding diabetes is a key factor in preventing and curing diabetes.
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