Managing Your Health

For people who have diabetes - or almost any other disease, for that matter--the benefits of exercise can't be overstated. Exercise helps control weight, lower blood pressure, lower harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, raise healthy HDL cholesterol, strengthen muscles and bones, reduce anxiety, and improve your general well-being. There are added benefits for people with diabetes: exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body's sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance. Many studies underscore these and other benefits from exercise. Following are some highlights of those results: Exercise lowered HbA1c values by 0.7 percentage point in people of different ethnic groups with diabetes who were taking different medications and following a variety of diets--and this improvement occurred even though they didn't lose any weight.  All forms of exercise - aerobic, resistance, or doing both (combined training) - were equally good at lowering

If you've never lifted weights in your life - and many people haven't - why should you start now? The answer is simple: Music tissue, bone density, and strength all dwindle over the years. So, too, does muscle power. These changes open the door to accidents and injuries that can compromise your ability to lead an independent, active life. Strength training is the most effective way to slow and possibly reverse much of this decline. Strong muscles help the body in many ways. Strong muscles pluck oxygen and nutrients from the blood oxygen and nutrients from the blood much more efficiently than weak ones. That means any activity requires less cardiac work and puts less strain on your heart. Strong muscles help the body stay sensitive to insulin by making it easier for sugar to move into cells. In these ways, strong muscles can help keep blood sugar levels in check, which in turn helps prevent or better control type 2 diabetes. Strong muscles also enhance weight control. On th

Strength training is good for just about everyone. It's especially beneficial for people with arthritis. When properly done as part of a larger exercise program, strength training helps them support and protect joints, not to mention ease pain, stiffness, and possibly swelling. Yet, the thought of starting a weight training program can be daunting to many arthritis sufferers. If you have arthritis and want to incorporate strength training into your health routine, these tips can help you get started. 1. Work with a psychiatrist, physical therapist, or certified personal trainer who has experience working with people who have arthritis to design and adapt exercises that will work for you. Your goal should be to include strength training, flexibility activities that enhance range of motion, and aerobic activities that avoid further stress on joints (such as water exercise or the use of elliptical machines). 2. Schedule workouts for times of the day when you are least likely t

The primary purpose of your legs is to keep you upright and mobile. Yet, your legs can also act as an indicator of your overall health. Although some symptoms you may experience are specific to a leg problem, others can suggest trouble with your heart, nervous system, kidneys, or other organs. Use the following symptom guide to help you decipher what broader problems your leg pain might suggest. Symptom: Leg cramps  Possible cause: Dehydration A cramp in your leg after you've been working out, especially in the heat, could be an important sign that your body is low on fluids. To contract and relax normally, muscles rely on water and electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Too little fluid or electrolytes can hypersensitize the nerves that control muscles in the legs, causing the muscles to contract abnormally, or spasm. All of your organs rely on fluids to function normally. Dehydration prevents cells from properly using energy, transporting nutrients, and dividing. If not

The muscles in your legs are made up of bundles of fibers that alternately contract and expand to produce movement. A cramp is a sudden, involuntary contraction (tightening) of one of these muscles, typically in your calf. Cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. They can be mild, or intense enough to wake you out of a sound sleep. A sudden, painful muscle spasm in the leg is called a charley horse, which legend has it is named after baseball player Charlie "Hoss" Radbourn, who reportedly suffered from frequent cramps back in the 1880s. Sometimes there is no obvious cause for a cramp. Exercise is a common trigger, especially after you've exercised for a long period of time or in the heat. Muscles that are tired or dehydrated become irritated and are more likely to cramp up. A deficiency of electrolytes such as magnesium or potassium in your diet can lead to more frequent cramping, by preventing your muscles from fully relaxing. The risk of a cra

Many people are seeking out what they perceive to be healthier alternatives to refined (granulated) white sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. They may have heard that plant-based natural or organic sweeteners such as natural or organic sweeteners such as agave syrup (sometimes called nectar) or coconut sugar are less likely to trigger spikes in blood sugar. Less-processed "raw" sugars, maple syrup, or honey also may be perceived as better options simply because they are more "natural" than highly refined table sugar. Popular sugar alternatives do come from things in nature, such as tree sap or beehives. But the sugar in them is the same as what you'll find in a bag of "unnatural," refined white or confectioner's sugar. The same goes for sugars labeled "organic" or "raw." Though less-processed sugars may contain trace elements and minerals that refined white sugar lacks, they still end up as glucose (blood sugar) after the b

Added sugar is everywhere in the food supply. It's so ubiquitous that you might find some packaged and processed foods unappetizing without it. Evolution has hard-wired our palates to prefer sweet-tasting foods to obtain quick energy and to avoid bitter-tasting poisons. But in America today, our diet has reinforced and strengthened that preference beginnings in early childhood. Americans take in an average of more than 17 teaspoons of sugar (about 290 calories) a day from added sugars, often in sweetened beverages, far more than recommended. Sugar is added to countless food products, including breads, condiments, dairy-based foods, nut butters, salad dressings, and sauces. The sugar is added not just to impart sweetness. It's also used to extend shelf life and adjust attributes like the texture, body, color, and browning capability of food. To start reducing added sugar in your diet, first it helps to know where it comes from. Here are the basics. Where's the suga

Strength training isn't just for bodybuilders. Like aerobic exercise, it's important for everybody, and it should be a part of any comprehensive exercise program. Of course, if you've never trained with weights before, it can seem a little daunting. But as long as you ease into it gradually and take the proper precautions, strength training is safe for most people. Use the six tips below to help you get the most from your strength workouts. 1. Focus on form, not weight. Good form means aligning your body correctly and moving smoothly through an exercise. Poor form can prompt injuries and slow gains. "I often start people with very light weights because I want them to get their alignment and form right," says master trainer Josie Gardiner. Concentrate on performing slow, smooth lifts and equally controlled descents whenever you learn a new exercise. You can always add weight to challenge your muscles once you know how to move with good form. 2. Tempo, tempo

No one needs to join a gym to exercise regularly. As many of the exercises we've selected for our workouts attest, your body offers the cheapest equipment available. A small investment in additional equipment - such as hand weights, resistance, tubing, and a stability ball -- greatly expands your exercise options. Gyms do have advantages, though. Monthly fees are big incentive to exercise. Classes offer companionship, a chance to learn proper technique, and opportunities to challenge your body and sample new trends. Gyms can afford sturdy equipment that would drain your bank account and take up floor space at home. Often personal trainers are available for weekly appointments, small group training sessions, or a short-term overhaul to freshen your routine. Also, for many people, being around others who are investing time and effort in their physical fitness is motivating. When looking for a gym, consider these questions: Based on your goals, which amenities will you reall

Making friends in your 50s and beyond isn't nearly as easy as it was when you were young. School and work provide the perfect opportunities to meet and interact with new people. Once you've retired, you might not have access to a robust social network. And if friends and family have moved away, your social circle can shrink even more. Yet it's never too late to seek out and develop new friendships. You just need to know where to look for them. The following are a few good places to start: Take up a hobby. Do you like to knit, paint, play bridge, or sing? Join a knitting club, take a painting class, join a bridge group, or audition for a chorus or musical in your area. Whatever your interest, there is likely a club for people who share it. Look to your local high school, colleges, community center, and senior center for programs tailored to your favorite hobbies. You can also try MeetUp (www.meetup.com), which matches people with local groups that fit their interests.

Several technologies can assess bone density, but the most common is known as duel energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). For this procedure, a machine sends x-rays through bones in order to calculate bone density. The process is quick, taking only five minutes. And it's simple, you lie on a table while a scanner passes over your body. While this technology can measure bone density at any spot in the body, it is usually used to measure it at the lumbar spine (in the lower back), hip (a specific site in the hip near the hip joint), and femoral neck (the top of the thighbone, or femur). DEXA accomplishes this with only one-tenth of the radiation exposure of a standard chest x-ray and is considered the gold standard for osteoporosis screening--though ultrasound, which uses sound waves to measure bone mineral density at the heel, shin, or finger, is also used at health fairs and in some medical offices. The DEXA scan or ultrasound will give you a number called a T-score, which repre

While the exact cause of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is unknown, studies have suggested that IBS might be related to few specific changes in the body. Some symptoms may be caused by spasms, uncontrolled contractions in the muscles of the colon. The nerve endings in the intestines also may become unusually sensitive, magnifying pain. The reasons for these changes are not always known, but factors that have been linked with IBS include bacterial overgrowth, use of antibiotics, and stress, among others. Psychological factors. The brain and gut are intimately connected. Your thoughts and emotions can trigger symptoms in the gut, and the health of your gut can shape your mental well-being. Stress can cause more contractions in the intestines and increase sensitivity. It's not clear whether stress or other psychological factors may be a cause of IBS or vice versa. However, we do know that people with IBS often have higher levels of stress and anxiety and that this distress als