“When is the best time to exercise,” is one of the most common
questions I get asked by diabetics and non-diabetics alike. A
common belief is that low intensity cardio on an empty stomach
burns the most fat because carbohydrates are not available.

First, low intensity cardio is not the best for fat loss. The
fat burning zone is myth that does not take into account all
the calories burned during and AFTER the exercise session and
can actually cause you to lose muscle. If you want to lose
fat, then you must preserve your muscles.

Second, research has shown that there is no difference in
how much fat is burned during a moderate intensity cardio
session with or without food. It does make a difference at
lower intensities, but I already said that this is not
ideal. At high intensity training, you need some food to
maintain performance. So actually by eating a small amount
you are allowing yourself to exercise harder and as a result
increasing the amount of calories that you will burn hours
after your exercise session.

Third, you risk increasing the level of your stress hormones
and instead of breaking down fat, your body may break down
muscle. Again lowering your metabolism and pushing you in the
opposite direction of fat loss.

Exercising on an empty stomach can actually cause your blood
sugar to increase if you have diabetes. This seems very
strange since most of the time exercise helps to lower blood
sugar levels. Exercising tells the liver to release its stored
sugar or glycogen into the bloodstream but if there is not
enough insulin in the bloodstream the muscles cannot absorb
the sugar quickly enough.

People with diabetes must check their blood sugar before and
after exercise to determine their response to exercise. If
your blood sugar is very high (consult your health care
provider for the suggested level) then exercise could make
it even higher. This happens due to the stress hormones causing
the release of sugar into the bloodstream, often because of
limited insulin. If your blood sugar level is high test for
ketones in your urine. If there are ketones then you should
NOT exercise until your blood sugar is at a safer level.

Research is showing that you may be able to exercise safely
with high blood glucose level as long as there are not ketones
in the urine. Speak to your health care provider for specific
recommendations. In this case, keep the exercise intensity low,
because high intensity exercise can raise your blood sugar
levels even further.

Now, I know I just said to avoid low intensity exercise for
fat loss but under these conditions, preventing your blood
sugar from going higher is more important for your health
and the prevention of diabetic complications. All exercise
helps your diabetes even if it doesn’t promote weight loss.
I’d much rather you keep the habit of exercising than skip
it because it isn’t the most efficient for fat loss. Remember
you are exercising for both your health and fat loss. Your
health has priority over fat loss.

Exercise can also cause low blood sugar. As the muscles are
working they are absorbing sugar from the blood stream far
easier than they do when they are not working. If your blood
sugar is too low before you start exercising you must eat some
carbohydrates beforehand. This is not ideal for fat loss, so
timing your exercise session after you eat and avoiding the
peak time of your insulin is best. Depending on the length
and intensity of exercise your blood sugar can go low several
hours after exercise, making exercise close to bedtime risky.

OK, so what is the final answer? You must find a time 1 – 3
hours after you eat but away from the peak action of insulin.
The larger the meal, the more time you should wait. If you
must exercise in the morning, eat something small before
starting, such as low fat yogurt, a handful of nuts, something
that has some carbs, some protein and some fat.

While most people think Thanksgiving starts the
holiday weight gain, New York City Fitness Professional,
Katrina McKenna, claims it starts with Halloween and
that this hits people with Diabetes exceptionally hard.

Excess sugar and weight gain are the last things a
person with diabetes needs. Excess weight often
makes the disease worse. A major aspect of Type
2 diabetes is insulin resistance or the inability of
the cells to work with insulin and weight gain
usually makes this worse.

Excess sugar will wreak havoc on a person’s blood
sugar level. Repeatedly high blood sugar levels are
the cause of most diabetic complications such as eye
disease, kidney disease and cardiovascular problems.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death (fifth
leading cause of death by disease); it affects over 20
million Americans! Another 40 million Americans have
pre-diabetes. Many of these people do not even know it.

The excess sugar and weight gain can be the cause of
someone with pre-diabetes becoming a full-fledged
diabetic. Katrina encourages all people with diabetes,
or pre-diabetes to avoid excess treats, so they do not
turn out to be a horrible trick.

Some tips to reduce the treat intake:
1. If you give out candy to trick-or-treat-ers, do not buy
it until the last minute. The less time it is in your house
the better.
2. Buy candy you do not like. You will be less tempted
buy it.
3. Give out healthy alternatives, apples, oranges,
raisins, yogurt, money. With the epidemic of childhood
obesity, everyone should be considering ways of reversing it.
4. Get rid of all leftovers, give them to a local homeless
shelter, skinny friends, or just throw them out
5. Allow yourself to have a couple pieces (depending on
size, 1 – 2 “fun” size candy bars) of candy, but only after
having a healthy meal of lean protein, and lots of green
vegetables, the fiber and protein will slow down the
absorption of the sugar into the bloodstream, psychologically
it is easier to be healthy most of the time if we do allow
treats occasionally (1 time per week).

November is National Diabetes Awareness month. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death (fifth leading cause of death by disease) in America. According to the American Diabetes Association Diabetes affects over 20 million Americans, that’s 7% of the population! Another 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes. That means out of every 5 people at least one of them has either diabetes or pre-diabetes. Chances are this includes you are someone you know. Every day approximately 2,200 people are diagnosed with diabetes, and the statistics getting worse each year.

I believe we can reverse this trend through education and awareness. Here are 7 things that we all can do to reverse the trend and eliminate the need for Diabetes Awareness Month.

1. Talk to your doctor, if you have diabetes or are at risk for diabetes you must find out as much as possible from your doctor as soon as possible.

2. If you have diabetes, learn how to manage your blood sugar. This is vitally important to reduce the risk of serious complications, such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations.

3. If you do not have diabetes, find out if you are at-risk. Find out how you can reduce your risk factors, to prevent or postpone a diagnosis.

4. Donate to the American Diabetes Association, directly or sponsor someone in the Diabetes Walk or the Tour de Cure. You can participate or volunteer for one of these events. Find out more from the American Diabetes Association at http://www.diabetes.org

5. Maintain or obtain a healthy weight. If you have diabetes, losing weight will improve your blood sugar control, and if you are risk, it reduces your likelihood of becoming diabetic.

6. Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet will also help keep your blood sugar stable and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Moderating calories helps maintain or lose weight, and controlling the amount of carbohydrates and when you eat them helps control your blood sugar.

7. Exercise regularly. Exercise is very important in controlling blood sugar and even preventing diabetes. Moderate exercise most days of the week improves insulin resistance and assists in weight-loss or maintenance. Exercise is vital tool for a long, healthy life whether you have diabetes or not.

Exercise is an important tool in managing your diabetes in order to live a longer, healthier life.

1. Exercise increase insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. The key problem of Type 2 diabetics is insulin insensitivity, or insulin resistance. By exercising you can improve how well your insulin works; this helps you to control your blood glucose level.

2. Exercise improves your cholesterol levels. Exercise helps by raising the good kind of cholesterol (HDL) and lowering the bad kind of cholesterol (LDL). Exercise can also lower triglyceride levels. This is good news for diabetics as diabetics are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. I myself have had cholesterol problems, but between proper diet and exercise and no drugs, I now have a much healthier cholesterol levels.

3. Exercise can decrease blood pressure. Many diabetics also have hypertension or high blood pressure. Exercising can reduce both your resting blood pressure and your blood pressure during effort (including exercise). This is very important for reducing your chances of heart disease and stroke. I also used be on blood pressure medication, and have been able to get off the drugs. Because of the strong genetic component, this took more than just diet and exercise; I take several supplements specifically to help keep my blood pressure in the healthy ranges. I also work on stress management and meditate, but exercise is a key ingredient to lowering it in most people.

4. Exercise can also improve heart efficiency, and help it work less. This also helps with the cardiovascular risk factors. You will be able to exercise harder and it does not feel harder. This will make performing your daily tasks easier. Many people do not exercise because they think they do not have the energy. They need to exercise to get the energy. Your resting heart rate can also lower.

5. Exercise can improve your mood. Diabetes can be a stressful disease, exercising can help you feel better mentally. Exercise can even improve depression which can be an issue with a disease like diabetes.

6. Exercise aids dramatically in weight-loss and maintaining weight-loss. Specifically, the right kind and right amount of exercise aids in fat-loss and preservation of muscle tissue. Losing weight can improve blood pressure, insulin resistance, glucose levels, and cholesterol levels above and beyond what exercise alone does.

7. Exercise helps you to reduce your chances of diabetic complications. Better control of your blood glucose helps prevent serious complications of diabetes, including blindness, neuropathy, and kidney failure.

Please talk to your doctor and start exercising!
You will feel so much better!