Communication Wellness: Sweet Fitness

 Since Banting, Macleod and Best confirmed insulin as essential for modulating blood sugar levels in the 1920's,  physicians have had a steadily growing arsenal of tools for controlling diabetes in their patients. I've written elsewhere, about how seeing the severe complications of diabetes in rehab patients had supercharged my interest in disease prevention. Not only do persons with diabetes face bodily impairments to their extremities, their vision and their hearts, but they also appear to struggle with cognitive function - their brains are exfoliated from the inside. 

In addition to the challenges to their attention, recall and higher cognitive functions, persons with diabetes also have their skills impaired for visual acuity and perception, for dexterity, for their fine motor control, and their eating/drinking/swallowing. Not an easy way to meet the day, when your speaking, thinking, reading and writing, and also hearing, eating, drinking and swallowing might be limited!

Tomorrow- November 14 - is World Diabetes Day. If you are tempted to celebrate the day by running errands, taking a good walk or run, or by completing a round of household chores, and you are concerned about your blood sugar, - you may need to take some steps to maximize your fitness.  

 *HAVE THE RIGHT PLAN: Your healthcare provider is an important partner in a fitness plan, for managing your blood sugar levels and coordinating your lifestyle components contributing to fitness (e g. diet, sleep, tobacco use). Do you need help managing your plan? Trust in a friend to accompany you in your activities. Is your health status changing with the plan? Tweak your plan. 

*HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT: Do you have the best footwear? The right way to track your blood sugar levels? All the nutrition/hydration support that you might need for your exercise? All the human support you might benefit from, if your activity challenges your body and mind? 

 *HAVE THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE: Talk to people in your support circles, including your healthcare provider, about your program and how you feel it's progressing. Learn to trust the advice you get as your fitness program evolves with your needs. Keep your prize uppermost. Keep your dreams realistic and show your pride, as you approach your goal.