Medications and insulin may be necessary to help you manage diabetes, but diet and exercise can have great impacts on your health.
Noticeable benefits of a healthy lifestyle include improved glucose levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol; maintaining a healthy weight or weight loss; building muscle strength; improved mood and improved sleep.
Wondering where to begin? National guidelines for healthy adults recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, which can be broken down into 30-minute sessions a day for five days each week. Taking a brisk walk, doing housework, dancing, and swimming are just some of the various activities that you can do. Here are some tips that can help you get started incorporating physical activity:
❉ Find something you enjoy doing. This makes it fun rather than a chore.
❉ Start small. You are creating a lifelong habit. You can always build and add to the time and intensity of your activity.
❉ Set a goal. Give yourself something to strive for; hold yourself accountable and make sure these goals are specific and realistic.
It does not have to be too difficult to manage diabetes and your health. You can start slowly and gradually build to make healthy eating and physical activity more manageable for you. Your doctor and healthcare team are always a resource for you if you have any questions or need help creating and managing your goals.
From the American Diabetes Association’s Food Hub, enjoy this thirst-quenching beverage.
SPARKLING STRAWBERRY MINT WATER
Prep Time: 5 min.
Servings: 4 glasses
Ingredients
1- ½ cups Sparkling water
2 tsp. Fresh lemon juice
4 Fresh mint leaves & sprigs
4 Fresh strawberries with crown
Directions
– Puree the strawberries, mint leaves, lemon juice and ½ cup of sparkling water in a blender on low speed until smooth, at least 30 seconds.
– Pour the puree into a serving pitcher. Very slowly, pour in the remaining sparkling water.
– Serve chilled over ice in tall beverage glasses. Garnish each with a sprig of fresh mint.
Nutrition Facts (total per serving) Calories: 5, Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 0mg, Carbohydrate: 2g, Sugars: 1g, Protein: 0g, Potassium: 30mg
diabetesfoodhub.org/recipes/sparkling-strawberry-mint-infused-water.html
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