Renewed Health Today

My doctor’s first recommendation for a life style change was to exercise. My cholesterol was a little high. My muscle tone was gone. My blood pressure was slightly elevated. My cholesterol and higher blood pressure are related to being diabetic. As a recently diagnosed diabetic I was a mess.

As a side effect of high glucose levels in my blood I has lost 42 pounds in less than 30 days. Unfortunately, most of that loss was muscle. Naturally, I did not have any energy. I was shuffling rather walking. Except for the last few years I had been a life time jogger and bicycle rider. My life style had been very active and aerobic in nature.

I was scared and understood I had to build my body up. I had to renew my health. But, I could not find any time in the day for an exercise program. Then I consider taking the bus and train to work. But, I was so weak I had to swing my feet to move the heavy walking shoes I bought to provide support for the mile and half walk from my house to the bus. From the train to my office was a half mile walk. So in a day I would walk 4.0 miles. So somehow I converted the fear of being diabetic and all it complications into a driving discipline.

Today I still take the bus and train to work nearly everyday possible; hot sun, rain or snow. Since I can dress appropriately, I have walked by choice in a few heavy snow storms. I no longer desire to drive to work. The difference is walk close to 5 miles per hour rather than the less than 2 miles per hour a year ago. As a life long jogger I understand that walking can be as aerobic as jogging without the related strain on your knees, especially at my age (now 59).

Over the last year and half I have become aware of my friends who were diabetic did not exercise because I seem to recovered better than they have. I added a diet supplement that I credit improving my overall health faster. My health has improved faster. I am still and always be diabetic. This I know and have accepted. I use my condition as a wake-up call to take better care of myself.

The pay off is my last visit to the doctor resulted in a HbA1C of 5.5, a heart plus rate of 68, cholesterol normal, more athletic blood pressure and most importantly an positively impressed doctor with the better results.

So, try a small change in your diabetic and stick to it. You may fall short once in a while, but keep to it. IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT!