A fifteen minute walk after each meal may help older people regulate blood sugar levels and could reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study has claimed.

The study by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS), found that three short post-meal walks were as effective at reducing blood sugar over 24 hours as a 45-minute walk of the same easy-to-moderate pace.

Moreover, post-meal walking was significantly more effective than a sustained walk at lowering blood sugar for up to three hours following the evening meal.

Lead study author Loretta DiPietro, PhD, MPH, chair of the SPHHS Department of Exercise Science, said that these findings are good news for people in their 70s and 80s who may feel more capable of engaging in intermittent physical activity on a daily basis, especially if the short walks can be combined with running errands or walking the dog.

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Quitting smoke, limiting alcohol, eating more fruits and vegetables, and keeping your weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar in check, can lower your likelihood of stroke.

Still, there are eight lesser-known ways to protect yourself, based on research, ABC News reported.

Walk 20 minutes a day. We know—you work, you have kids, errands to run, dinner to make, and an episode of Real Housewives to watch, but make the time.

Even if you break it up into two 10-minute sessions, it’s worth it.

Walking a total of 2 hours a week can cut your stroke risk by 30 percent, according to a large study of nearly 40,000 women, conducted over a 12-year period.

Walk briskly (so you can talk but not sing) and your chances are reduced by almost 40 percent.

Know the difference between sad and depressed. The latter makes you 29 percent more likely to suffer from stroke, says a new study of more than 80,000 women.

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Are you one of those who are exhausted of all the medical treatments and looking out for a more natural cure? If yes, then herbal remedies may be one of the best solutions.

Here is a list of 5 herbs and supplements that promise to lower your blood sugar levels, boost your insulin sensitivity and abate the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol.

1. GYMNEMA SYLVESTRE

This plant is believed as one of the most powerful herbs to cut down blood-sugar level. In Hindi, the plant’s name is translated as the “sugar destroyer” and has the ability to detect any form of sweetness. The herb works in such a way that, the activity of certain enzymes that help in stimulating the production of insulin, is elevated. Although it hasn’t been researched extensively, it is not known to cause any serious side effects.

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Gastro = Stomach,
Paresis = Partial loss of ability to move

Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder when stomach emptying is delayed in the absence of any blockage. The vagus nerve controls the movement of food from the stomach to the intestines during digestion. When the nerve is damaged or its signals are disrupted, the muscles of the stomach cannot contract normally and this either slows down or stops the movement of food.

Uncontrolled diabetes is the most common cause of gastroparesis.Chemical changes occur in the nerves due to high blood glucose levels. Blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body can get damaged. If this continues for a long time, nerves can get damaged.

Gastroparesis can also be the consequence of stomach surgery, viral infections, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, medications that slow contractions of the intestines, and diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinsons.

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Diabetes cannot be cured, but it can be prevented. Whether you fall in the high-risk category for diabetes, or are simply concerned for your health, do read the top 10 ways in which you avoid getting this disease.

A healthy diet and exercise can help prevent diabetes

According to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research, Education and Training in Diabetes, diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death in the world. This disease is of special relevance in India, as Indians tend to develop diabetes at an earlier age and at lower levels of obesity.

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The American Heart Association’s seven steps for a healthy heart– dubbed Life’s Simple 7 – can also help keep cancer at bay, a new study has claimed.

Laura Rasmussen-Torvik, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said that following even six of the steps can cut cancer risk in half, ABC News reported.

She said that she and her colleagues had a hunch that following healthy-heart guidelines would also decrease the risk of cancer and their findings confirmed it.

According to the study, following four of the steps in ‘Life’s Simple 7’ resulted in a 33 percent cancer risk reduction, and following six or seven of the steps led to a 51 percent cancer risk reduction.

The American Heart Association had developed the seven steps in 2010 with the goal of reducing heart attack and stroke deaths by about 20 percent by 2020.

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Asparagus, a popular vegetable, can keep diabetes at bay by helping blood sugar levels stay under control while boosting output of insulin, the hormone that helps the body absorb glucose, says a study.

Type two diabetes, which accounts for 90 percent of all diabetes cases, is emerging as a major health burden worldwide.

More than a million people are already affected by it in the UK alone but don’t realise they have it, perhaps because they do not recognise symptoms such as fatigue, thirst, frequent urination, recurrent thrush and wounds that are slow to heal, the British Journal of Nutrition reported.

Left untreated, type two diabetes can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. But if doctors catch it early, it can be well controlled with diet and medication, according to the Daily Mail.

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India will soon be the diabetes capital of the world. A lot of emphasis is being laid on right nutrition, exercise and a stress-free lifestyle to prevent diabetes.

On World Diabetes Day, we take a look at the benefits of eating a low glycemic index diet. Low GI foods can reduce the average blood glucose levels of diabetics. This is important in reducing the risk of developing diabetes-related complications.

Healthy low GI diets
• Help to fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied for longer — thereby avoiding over-eating or too much snacking.
• Lower your insulin levels — which makes fat easier to burn and less likely to be stored.
• Help you lose body fat and maintain lean muscle tissue.
• Reduce your triglycerides, total and ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol.
• Increase your levels of ‘good’ (HDL) cholesterol.
• Reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
• Help to manage your blood glucose levels and reduce your risk of developing diabetes complications.
• Reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
• Reduce your risk of developing certain eye diseases.
• Improve your skin
• Sustain your energy levels longer, — which improves both mental and physical performance.

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Are you one of those people who thinks he is predisposed to diabetes? Or do you think you are sure of the symptoms and can guarantee you don’t have it? Here’s a simple quiz you can take to assess your awareness of the disease.

1. Diabetes is a condition where
A. Blood glucose is too low
B. Blood glucose is too high
C. The body stops making blood glucose

2. People can have different types of diabetes
A. True
B. False

3. You can control your blood glucose level if you
A. Make healthy food choices and are active every day
B. Maintain a healthy weight
C. Take your medicine, if needed
D. Check your blood glucose
E. All of the above

4. People with diabetes can eat sweets and desserts
A. True
B. False

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Pregnancy is a highly demanding period both physiologically and nutritionally. The mother’s diet and health during pregnancy has great influence on the foetus. Normalization of blood glucose levels during pregnancy is extremely important for women who have pre-existing diabetes (or) who develop Gestational Diabetes.

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is important not only to meet the increased nutrient needs of the mother and the developing foetus, but also to assist in optimizing blood glucose levels.

Increased demands of nutrients occur mainly in the third trimester as it is the period when the foetus achieves maximum growth.

Why are nutrient needs increased during pregnancy?
1.  To support the growth and development of the foetus.
2. To build up the mother’s tissues and fat stores.
3. To build up the baby’s stores of fat, iron and vitamin A.

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