Diabetes can be a very devastating disease that can cost your legs and eventually your life. Keep walking while you have the chance and lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Not only will you feel better, but you will probably shed a few pounds and look better!
Let us start with the basics. Why do we want to improve our insulin sensitivity? Insulin is responsible for absorption of glucose or sugar into the body. If the glucose is not absorbed properly it stays in the blood stream and accumulates in inappropriate places. Insulin deficiencies cause Diabetes. Diabetes has a strong genetic prevalence but is still a preventable and manageable disease with appropriate lifestyle changes and medical interventions. A great example of a lifesaving lifestyle change is starting a walking program.
The daily recommendation is 3,000 steps a day. Do you own a pedometer? How many steps are you taking in a day? 3,000 steps seem like a reasonable number, but if you want to make a difference, go for 10,000. A recent study calculated that a sedentary person who began a walking program of 10
Oakley M Frames Lenses 10 Best Family Activities i,000 steps a day would see a threefold improvement in insulin sensitivity compared to only walking 3,000 steps a day.
The average American takes around 3,000-5,000 steps a day. This is less than 3 miles of walking. We must all admit that most Americans live a relatively sedentary lifestyle and are not very active. Thus our goal should be above and beyond the average American. 10,000 steps a day is about 5 miles. This is every step you take. If you take a mile walk at night with your dog that is only a small portion of the steps you have taken throughout the entire day. You would be surprised at how fast they add up.
How do you double the steps you take in a day? We all have busy lifestyles but walking 10,000 steps does not take a gym membership or any at home equipment. First thing to do is to get a pedometer. Surprise! You can get a pedometer for free. Type free pedometer into your search engine and you will be surprised at how many non-profit organizations are giving free pedometers to help Americans get healthy. Simply click it on your belt and go out for a normal day and see how many steps you are taking.
This causes a protective build-up of skin under our feet where the bone prominence lies, as well as on the tops of the toes that are contracted up against shoes. Softening corns and calluses with a daily moisturizer and using a pumice stone or file after showering will help smooth them out. Avoid medicated corn pads, as they can burn the surrounding healthy skin. More severe corns and calluses may require professional trimming and padding, or even surgery to correct the underlying bone prominence.Nails are also part of the skin. Over time, nails can become thickened, malformed, and discolored. This may be due to a nail fungus, which can also cause pain and nail lifting. Nail fungus is difficult to treat, and infected nails are difficult to trim by oneself. Options for treatment include a prescription pill, specially formulated topical oils, or toenail removal. The nails can also look abnormal due to bruising or other medical conditions which can mimic nail fungus.
To treat dryness, you should moisturize the skin once or twice daily. Foot soaking is not necessary, and tends to dry out the skin even more by leaching vital oils. Avoid placing moisturizer in between toes, as this can increase the likelihood fungus will develop. If fungus does infect the foot skin, it will cause Athlete's foot. This condition creates redness and itching on the bottom of the feet or in between the toes, and needs medical treatment to destroy the invading fungus. Sometimes over-the-counter medication works well, and sometimes prescription medication is needed. Skin can also become thinner over time. Because of this, sores, scrapes, blisters or minor cuts may need medical attention as healing can take longer. The feet should be protected for this reason by wearing properly fitted shoes at all times.Corns and calluses are caused by pressure from bones as they squeeze overlying skin against your shoes or the ground. As we age, the natural fat pad in our feet slowly move and shrink, making bones more prominent.
Now be creative. Park your car in the back of the lot and take the stairs instead of the elevator. Take the long way to the bathroom. Walk to the mailbox, walk the dog, or take a walk with your kids
mirrored aviator sunglasses, neighbor, or significant other. Instead of surfing the web during your lunch hour, window shop at your favorite boutiques or walk around your favorite sporting goods store. The opportunities are endless once you start looking.