High blood pressure poses grave health risks because you cannot detect it. The condition produces no outward signs so it is easy to dismiss it but such complacency comes at a cost. High blood pressure, which is characterised by the amount of force pushing against your artery walls, hikes your risk of heart disease, a major killer worldwide.

How? Your artery walls respond to high blood pressure by hardening and becoming more narrow.

As a result, less blood flows around your body, supplying vital organs, such as the heart - conditions that make a heart attack far more likely.

The only way to check your reading is to get a blood pressure test, which is conducted at a number places, such as GP surgery or some pharmacies.

Blood pressure tests can also be carried out at home using your own blood pressure monitor.

READ MORE:High blood pressure: The 30p item shown to lower reading and other heart disease markers

If it is determined you have high blood pressure, lifestyle changes are usually recommended to bring your reading down within a healthy range.

Diet is one of the most effective countermeasures and is also instrumental in reducing your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Research provides a reliable guide to the best foods for combating high blood pressure.

Protein has been shown to be particularly effective at lowering high blood pressure.

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In fact, according to a study published in the American Journal of Hypertension, participants consuming the highest amount of protein (an average of 100 g protein/day) had a 40 percent lower risk of having high blood pressure compared to the lowest intake level.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) analysed protein intakes of healthy participants from the Framingham Offspring Study and followed them for development of high blood pressure over an 11-year period.

They found that adults who consumed more protein, whether from animal or plant sources, had statistically significantly lower systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels after four years of follow-up.

Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure are the two figures used to record blood pressure.

Systolic pressure is the pressure when your heart pushes blood out and diastolic pressure is the pressure when your heart rests between beats.

In general, these beneficial effects were evident for both overweight and normal weight individuals.

They also found that consuming more dietary protein also was associated with lower long-term risks for high blood pressure.

When the diet also was characterised by higher intakes of fibre, higher protein intakes led to 40 to 60 percent reductions in risk of high blood pressure.

High protein sources include:

A regular exercise routine should compliment a healthy, balanced diet.

The NHS explains: "Being active and taking regular exercise lowers blood pressure by keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition."

As the health body points out, regular exercise can also help you lose weight, which will also help lower your blood pressure.

"Adults should do at least 150 minutes (two hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week," it advises.

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High blood pressure: Increase your intake of this food to lower hypertension - Express

Exercising, but still not getting that toned body you imagined? Here are the 4 different ways in which you can track your progress in the best way suitable for you.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has driven all the fitness enthusiasts crazy. Its extremely important to have a healthy body, healthy mind and emotional well-being.

The one thing that all fitness enthusiasts do is to keep track of their progress. Its important to start tracking the changes in your body for a better transformation. Here are the 4 different ways in which you can track your progress in the best way for you. 1. Keep A Workout Journal A major mistake that people do is that they stick to the same workouts each week with the same amount of weight. Logging in a workout journal is effectively simple to track the amount of exercises you did in the previous day.

2. Fitness Apps A fitness app is an application that can perform numerous purposes like to set fitness goals, track calorie intake, fitness advice, nutrition plans, personalised workout plans, and sharing progress to facilitate healthy behaviour change.

3. Fitness Bands A fitness tracker allows you to check and record your heart rate, daily burned calories and step counts at a flick of the finger. It also makes you stick to a healthier diet, exercise and have a good sleep cycle. Most trackers have data, alarms, and even history tracking. These features help users to check their progress instantly.

4. Smart Weighing Machines A smart weighing scale offers all-round measurement. From weight to BMI, BMR, muscle mass, hydration, skeletal muscle, bone mass, BMR, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, metabolic age, body fat and protein, a smart weighing machine is the need of the hour.

By tracking your body through one of these ways, you can achieve a more accurate view of what is working for you and what is not. If you are not losing or gaining the right kind of weight, you will know about the amendments you should make into your fitness regime.

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THESE are the 4 best ways to track your fitness progress - PINKVILLA

If you are looking for an effective workout that will help you burn calories and lose weight, try riding a stationary exercise bike.

Just 30 minutes on a stationary bike will strengthen your heart and lungs and improve circulation of blood and oxygen throughout your body. @Shutterstock

Cycling is fun and a great form of exercise. But it comes with its own hazards. This is especially true for cities, where traffic conditions are not safe for cycling. Inattentive drivers, uneven roads and poor visibility often lead to unwanted exercises. Moreover, extreme weather conditions also make this form of exercise not the first choice of many fitness enthusiasts. But if you get a stationary bike, you can easily enjoy the benefits of this workout in the comforts of your home. Also Read - Sedentary lifestyle during childhood ups risk of depression in adolescents by 28 per cent

There are many fitness routines that will tempt you when you first start out on your fitness journey. You can choose from many options like strength training, cardios, yoga to name a few. But if you are looking for an effective workout that will help you burn calories and lose weight, then you must try riding a stationary exercise bike. This gives your whole body a proper workout and also improves the health of your heart and lungs. It is a low-impact exercise that helps you build muscles and improve bone strength. This aerobic exercise comes with many health benefits. Here, let us look at few health benefits of riding a stationary bike. Also Read - Best workouts that will give you a sexy butt and toned thighs

Just 30 minutes on a stationary bike will strengthen your heart and lungs and improve circulation of blood and oxygen throughout your body. This will keep your blood pressure levels under control, improve blood sugar levels and give you a strong immune system. Your cholesterol levels will go down and your heart health will improve. Also Read - Pollution increases your risk of hypertension: Fight this with regular exercise

An hour of riding a stationary bike will help you burn almost 600 calories. This is the key to weight loss. Moreover, if you ride it fast, you will be able to burn off more fat in your body. The results will be even better if you combine this with a low-calorie diet.

Many exercise regimes take a huge toll on your joints. But this is not the case with a stationary bike. This provides a low-impact workout that gives your bones and joints a workout without putting too much pressure on them. That is why this is perfect option for older people and patients of arthritis or injuries.

This exercise will make your calves, hamstrings and quadriceps strong. It will also tome your core, back and glutes. You can also decide on the resistance and pace of pedaling, which can help you work within your comfort zone.

When starting this exercise, you need to keep a few things in mind. These tips will help you avoid the risk of injuries.

Published : August 14, 2020 4:03 pm

Original post:
Amazing health benefits of working out on a stationary bike - TheHealthSite

From improving your performance to keeping your health in check, Dr. Ashish Jain, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC tells us the importance of having a pre-workout routine.

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Do you not feel motivated enough to work out every day? Do you feel that you lack the energy and stamina it takes to exercise? If yes, then you need a proper pre-workout routine that will help improve your performance and achieve your goals. We talked to Dr. Ashish Jain, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC, who also happens to be a fitness enthusiast, shared with us some tips to help you with your pre-workout routine.

Dr. Jain said, I believe that one must have a Workout Routine in place for the week to be able to effectively decide on the Pre-workout prep. A good weekly routine involves a mix of Cardio and Strength Training days with one or two days for rest and recovery. It is better to do cardio in a fasted state in the mornings, and strength training in the evenings when your body is well-fed and strong to lift.

1. Pre-workout nutrition

Fueling your body with the right nutrients prior to exercise will give you enough energy and strength you need to perform better. Cardio is best done fasted to ensure maximum fat utilization for energy unless one is into HIIT. However, for a good strength workout, one must eat a good meal at least an hour or more prior to training. Complex carbs like sweet potato or oats along with a protein is ideal to ensure sustained energy for the session, added Dr Jain. He recommends drinking black coffee half an hour before you exercise as it will help improve focus and energy levels.

2. Supplements

The use of supplements is common these days with people getting more enthusiastic about working out. These products are believed to enhance performance, improve strength, increase lean body and reduce fatigue.

These are optional boosters which can be used to enhance workout performance and results. Some of the commonly used are L-Carnitine, caffeine, L-Arginine or Citrulline, Creatine or a combination of the above as a pre-workout drink with or without a whey protein scoop, said Dr Jain. However, you must consult your doctor once before adding any of them in your diet.

3. Warm-up exercises

Dr. Jain explained that it is crucial to get your body and muscles warmed up and mobilized before you work out. It also helps to prevent injuries.

General Body warm-ups: Short burst of running or brisk walking, cycling, cross trainer or rowing. At home this could be knee-ups, jumping jacks or mountain climbers. These exercises raise your heart rate and get your sweat going.

Local body part warm-ups: Pull-ups far back, push-ups for chest, free squats for legs or rotator cuff movements for shoulders. These are essential to mobile the muscle groups to be trained that day and loosen up the involved joints.

ALSO READ:THESE are the 4 best ways to track your fitness progress

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How important is a pre workout routine? Heres what you need to know - PINKVILLA

Hatha yoga is a slow, meditative practice that focuses on using your breath to deepen the poses.

Image Credit: Stgur Mr Karlsson /Heimsmyndir/E+/GettyImages

If the different styles of yoga are layers, Hatha yoga is the base. The meditative, stress-busting practice hones in on many of the basic yoga postures, making it a perfect introduction for beginners.

But seasoned yogis can also benefit. Depending on the yoga instructor and the studio you visit, Hatha yoga classes can range from a constant flow to a slow, gentle class.

Ready to go deeper with your practice? Here's everything you need to know about Hatha yoga and what to expect if you're just starting out, plus a Hatha yoga sequence you can practice in the comfort of your own home or wherever you are!

Hatha yoga is an umbrella term for physical practice, so other types of yoga, such as Ashtanga and Vinyasa, are all forms of Hatha yoga.

Hatha in Sanskrit is a combination of ha (sun) and tha (moon), and represents the union of two opposites. Hatha yoga is filled with a series of physical postures, or asanas, that both strengthen the body and improve flexibility.

Hatha yoga also allows practitioners to discover something deeper within themselves by creating balance and uniting opposites not only in their physical practice but also in their hearts and minds.

"The beauty of Hatha is that through the eight limbs of yoga, each individual is receiving their very own unique remedy to something they are needing in their own life at that time," Candy Glover, a yoga instructor based in Oxon Hill, Maryland, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Those eight limbs of yoga that Glover refers to are yoga's principles for living a purposeful life, which are found in the yoga guidebook, Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali, from sage Sri Swami Satchidananda. They are:

What makes Hatha stand out is that it teaches you how to apply yoga principles in everyday life. For example, using your pranayama to do asanas helps strengthen the body-breath connection and trains you to sit in stillness.

"Balance is so hard to come by in our fast-paced culture," says Brandie Regaldo, a San Antonio-based yoga instructor and co-founder of SAY OM SA.

"From my personal experience of practicing and observing as a teacher, a Hatha class is often the first opportunity some people have to actually slow down and tune into their body and mind while reinvigorating themselves at the same time."

That said, many of the poses you'll encounter in Hatha yoga involve balancing and slow transitions between poses to really emphasize the breath. Expect seated and standing poses with twists and bends, so each side of your body is strengthened.

Practicing yoga regularly can increase flexibility and energy, improve muscle strength and tone and promote better respiration and weight loss, according to the American Osteopathic Association. And because many of the yoga poses in Hatha involve gradually moving from a seated to a standing position, you'll also work on your range of motion and joint mobility.

In fact, a May 2012 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, which included 250 participants with osteoarthritis in the knee joints, found that those who did Hatha yoga in addition to pain treatment saw more improvement in walking and range of motion in the knee than those who did therapeutic exercises after pain treatment.

In Hatha yoga, you'll also do poses that incorporate both the upper- and lower-body muscles and limbs, so you'll develop greater body awareness and learn how to move more mindfully, which can promote good posture and flexibility. This is particularly helpful for people with stiff joints, as well as athletes who want to improve their performance.

"Through my Hatha yoga practice, I have developed increased flexibility, better air flow and breathing practices, a better meditative practice, as well as a deepened appreciation for my spirituality," Glover says.

A June 2015 study in Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine, which included 154 middle-aged Chinese adults, found that after 12 weeks of Hatha yoga, participants improved their flexibility and muscular strength and endurance.

One of the things you'll learn quickly in Hatha yoga is that your breath helps you not only transition between the poses, but mindful breathing also helps you perform new and difficult poses. This can easily be translated to life off the mat. When you're going through stressful moments, focusing on your breathing can help put your mind at ease.

"No matter where I am, how I'm feeling or what's going on, if I really take the time to check in with myself, there's always a way to bring more comfort, joy and acceptance into the moment," Regaldo says.

Regaldo also credits her Hatha yoga practice with helping her lose weight. "There are so many benefits to practicing Hatha yoga regularly, but the most dramatic benefit I've experienced was an 85-pound weight loss over the course of four years, which I have been able to keep off for 12 years," Regaldo says.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, just 30 minutes of Hatha yoga can burn anywhere between 120 to 178 calories, depending on your weight.

Still, Hatha yoga doesn't have the same calorie-burning power as cardio workouts. To lose weight, the Mayo Clinic recommends supplementing your Hatha yoga practice with regular activity like walking, running, cycling or swimming and a healthy, calorie-controlled diet.

Whether a Hatha yoga class is slower-paced or more vigorous is up to the instructor, but the most important thing is to breathe through the transitions of the poses and to move at your own pace.

Some poses you can expect to do in a Hatha yoga class are Child's pose, Mountain pose, Downward Facing Dog and a nice back warm-up that includes Tabletop and Cat-Cow. These are great basic poses for beginners to learn, but they also serve as reminders for more advanced yogis to return to simplicity when the body needs it.

While the instructor will give you a general time frame for staying in a pose, you can expect to hold poses for five to 10 breaths. If you're not able to do certain poses, don't be shy to ask for a modification.

Regaldo also emphasizes letting go of all expectations and encourages students to not be concerned with setting strict goals, such as vigorously working through the hour-long classes or trying to nail down all the poses.

"I invite you to use your time on the mat for self-exploration and inquiry in place of judgements and rules," Regaldo says. "Even five minutes of mindful movements and breathing can do wonders."

Since Hatha yoga is arguably the most popular form of the practice, many fitness studios and gyms offer classes.

To find a Hatha yoga studio or class near you, check out Yoga Alliance and ClassPass. You can also find on-demand Hatha yoga classes at Yoga Greenbook, Daily Burn, Peloton and Alo Moves. If you're a member at larger gyms, ask if they have Hatha yoga class offerings.

To help get you started with cultivating calm and relaxation on and off the mat, here is a quick Hatha yoga flow to practice daily.

Hold each pose for five to 10 breaths and repeat the sequence for 2 to 4 rounds, making sure to switch sides where noted with each round. This flow is meant to be relaxing, so feel free to hold the poses longer.

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

If your hips are tight, keep your knees and thighs together.

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

If this is your first Downward Facing Dog of the day, put a gentle bend into the knees or cycle your legs, bending one knee at a time. Otherwise, you can straighten your legs while making sure not to lock out your knees to prevent potential injury.

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

Image Credit: Shawna Davis/LIVESTRONG.com

Skill Level Beginner

Activity Yoga

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What Is Hatha Yoga and What Are the Benefits? - LIVESTRONG.COM

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) With lives so completely changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many have let healthy habits go by the wayside, but can back to the office mean back to better health?

Its back to workouts for Daniel Chern of Midtown.

I definitely got a bit out of shape just sitting in the apartment, he told CBS2s Dave Carlin.

Losing his access to a gym full of equipment made him stall his fitness routine.

He works in finance and may soon return to the office, so he wants to have a new regimen that works before that happens.

Its understandable that it may be challenging, psychologist Alexandra Stratyner said.

Stratyner says shes counseling some people working from home who feel guilty for lacking the motivation for healthy eating and exercise.

The opportunities to exercise may actually be more limited [for parents or guardians] compared to pre-pandemic when you were able to drop the kids at day care or at school and go to a workout class, she said.

Stratyner says shame doesnt properly motivate anyone.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Alexandra Corwin agrees, saying eating healthier works when not viewed as a chore.

Make it into a positive experience, she said.

Experts say its important not to be too hard on yourself, set realistic goals and celebrate small victories.

Hamilton Heights resident Edith Taylor is on a mission to lose 100 pounds, and shes seen results.

As well with the 20 pounds Ive lost, Ive also lost three to four inches, Taylor said.

Experts also suggest finding someone who can motivate you, whether its someone you live with, a group or someone online.

Im part of a Facebook support group, so they help keep me motivated, Taylor said.

The main foods to keep out of the grocery cart are high-fat, high refined carbed and sugary food, Corwin said. So we want to keep those out, and we want to focus on bringing healthier foods into your home, like fruits and vegetables.

Corwin says take it slow and steady. Baby steps that make you feel better about you and your familys health will add up to big strides over time.

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Experts Offer Advice For Getting Back To Healthy Habits Changed By COVID-19 Pandemic - CBS New York

The key to living longer could be to eat a healthy, balanced diet - including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day - as well as regular exercise. But you could boost your life expectancy by simply doing 15 minutes of exercise every day.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a well-rounded diet is crucial to prolonging your lifespan.

You could also boost your lifespan by doing regular exercise. Its the miracle cure weve all been waiting for, according to the NHS.

Making some small diet or lifestyle changes could help to increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death.

One of the easiest ways to make sure you live longer is to do just 15 minutes of exercise each day.

READ MORE: How to live longer - the best morning tea to prevent and early death

Short bursts of activity could add up to three years on your lifespan, a dietitian has revealed.

Fifteen minutes of exercise could provide you with some benefits.

For every extra 15 minutes of daily activity you do each day, your risk of premature death is lowered by around four percent, according to Alina Petre.

"Everyone should consider doing more than 15 minutes of exercise every day, but anything is better than not doing any activity at all," she wrote on medical website Healthline.

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"Many people think that life expectancy is largely determined by genetics.

"However, genes play a much smaller role than originally believed. It turns out that environmental factors like diet and lifestyle are key.

"It should come as no surprise that staying physically active can keep you healthy and add years to your life.

"As few as 15 minutes of exercise per day may help you achieve benefits, which could include an additional three years of life."

Regular exercise is a crucial aspect to improving overall health, and helping you to live longer.

People that do regular exercise are up to 50 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes and some cancers, said the NHS.

It may even slash the chances of coronary heart disease and stroke by up to 35 percent.

All UK adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

Meanwhile, you could also lower your risk of an early death by drinking green tea, it's been claimed.

The tea has powerful antioxidants that have been claimed to increase longevity.

These antioxidants, which are known as catechins, protect against a number of medical conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.

Drinking more than four cups of green tea every day could lower your risk of death by as much as 23 percent, scientists have revealed.

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How to live longer - amount of exercise you should do every day to avoid an early death - Express

Exercises For Hiatal Hernia:

Exercise for a patient of hiatal hernia could be beneficial for losing some weight if he/she is overweight. But the key is to not put pressure or strain on that area of your body where the hernia is located. It means that high weight lifting exercises are not recommended. You must consult your doctor and a proper physiotherapist if you plan to start working out.

1. Exercises and stretches to treat symptoms of a hiatal hernia:

If you want to know about natural ways to treat a hiatal hernia, some experts suggest diet along with specific exercises that improve your symptoms by strengthening the abdominal area.

It is debatable whether strengthening exercises can actually cure a hernia, or if they just diminish the symptoms. In any case, consider consulting your doctor about the following exercises.

2. Exercises to strengthen the diaphragm:

Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique that involves deeper breathing for a few minutes several times a day. It helps to increase the efficiency of oxygen flow. With the passage of time, these exercises can even be helpful to strengthen the chest muscles. Here is one way:

Also, Read Another Article @ Hiatal Hernia Diet Foods To Avoid, Cooking and Eating Tips

Yoga Exercises For Hiatal Hernia:

Gentle yoga exercises can improve symptoms of hiatal hernia in a few ways. Just like the deep breathing technique can strengthen the diaphragm muscles. You will also experience more strength and flexibility overall. Some poses, such as chair pose, are considered to help strengthen the abdominal area without causing any strain in it.

Be sure to get guidance from your yoga instructor about your condition so he can help modify the poses as per your convenience. Youll have to totally avoid inversion poses that may worsen your condition. Such poses include Bridge and Forward Fold.

Exercises For Weight Loss:

Losing weight may improve your symptoms of a hiatal hernia. Exercise, along with diet, can help create the calorie deficit needed to burn body fat. As you lose weight, you should start seeing your symptoms decrease over time.

Here are some of the appropriate and safe considered exercises for a hiatal hernia patient to do in a routine.

Sometimes with heavy exercises, the symptoms related to the hernia such as acid reflux or GERD become worse. Therefore, walking and jogging (at low pace) are preferred over high speed running.

Some other exercises to avoid for such patients are the following:

Also, Read Another Article @ What Causes a Hiatal Hernia: What Not To Do With Hiatal Hernia

Lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of hiatal hernia

Hiatal hernias usually do not cause any significant problems in most people. Therefore, rarely need any treatment. However, many patients of hiatal hernia suffer from GERD symptoms and their treatment starts with the management of these symptoms by different methods. Such as lifestyle modifications and diet control.

The first target of treatment is to prevent the refluxing of acid into the esophagus. Doctors recommend lifestyle changes for those with hiatus hernia and suggest these following things:

The second object of treatment is to reduce stomach acid so that the situation is less irritating if acid reflux does happen.

This is achieved by avoiding long periods without food in the stomach Avoid high protein foods and those drugs that stimulate acid secretion, such as aspirin and alcohol. If you something like that accidentally then take appropriate medication right in time to save yourself from discomfort and pain.

If however, there is no advantage of trying to manage hernia with only dietary and lifestyle change then the second choice is to put the patient on some sort of medication. So, his medical condition could stop at a stable point to avoid further damage to his health.

Also, Read Another Article @ Hiatal Hernia Treatment In Ayurveda Without Surgery

About Grocare:

Established In the 1950s, Pune, Grocare is a leading herbal pharma company offering natural solutions for all types of chronic diseases. we offering herbal supplements for chronic lifestyle disorders likehernia, varicocele, kidney stone, h pylori, piles, tinnitus, UTI, Prostate Enlargement, etc. through e-commerce worldwide.

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Hiatal Hernia Yoga, Exercise and Lifestyle Changes To Reduce The Risk of Hiatal Hernia - NJ MMA News

Author: Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, FACSM

Addressing how to balance blood glucose levels during (and after) exercise with type 1 diabetes is not new. In fact, it is likely the KEY topic to address to be successful at being physically active if you take exogenous insulin and want to prevent hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia during exercise. Strategies include changing insulin doses and/or supplementing with food, either of which can be done in myriad ways depending on the activity, timing and more.

A recent 2020 study revisited whether it works better to supplement with carbohydrates or lower bolus (mealtime) insulin doses before exercise to prevent lows (1). Its conclusionfor this particular group of subjects doing continuous, moderate-intensity cycle ergometer exercise for45 minuteswas that taking in 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate when blood glucose levels decreased to 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) prevented hypoglycemia better. Okay, but.

My issue with these types of studies is not that theydontprove a pointthey dobut its that they prove a very, very narrow point. The results can only be generalized to people with the same physical fitness level, age, sex, and diet undertaking a specific type, intensity, duration, and timing of activity. Exercising with type 1 diabetes is so much broader than that. Moreover,itsnot just short-term insulin dosing or immediate carbohydrate intake that hasan impact on balancing blood glucose and affecting how successful you are at being active.

Whether participating in sports or physical activity on a recreational basis or striving to be a professional or Olympic athlete, anyone who takes insulin must pay attention to his or her unique nutritional and dietary patterns, including intake of macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), fluids, and supplements like caffeine to maintain metabolic and glycemic balance (2). Athletic performance aside, nutritional recommendations may also differ on an individual basis relative to exercise, glycemic management, and body weight goals. Balancing all these dietary factors can be challenging for individuals with type 1 diabetes, and many related aspects have yet to bethoroughly researched in this population.

Carbohydrates undeniably have the most immediate impact on blood glucose. Theymust be matched with adequate insulin doses to manage blood glucose peaks after eating (3), but protein and fat intake can impact insulin needs as well (4). When youre an active individual with type 1 diabetes, you must balance all your dietary choices before, during, and after exercise to manage blood glucose levels notjust toprevent lows or highs, but also for optimal performance and recovery from working out or competing. Its possible to eat many different ways,including low-carbohydrate (5), andthe best nutritional practices to optimize performance may or may not be best for blood glucose management, optimal health, and bodyweight simultaneously, potentially making achievingathletic and health goals difficult at times.

As for insulin dosing, people vary so muchabouttheir usual doses, insulin sensitivity, types of insulin used (basal and bolus choices), delivery (that is, insulin pump use vs. injections or inhalation), and more. It makes the whole balancing act that much more difficult, especially when blood glucose responses vary with the type of activity being done, including how long, how hard, how often, and under which environmental conditions. Even hydration status matters! Given how limited studies by nature must be to limit all these conditions, it takes individual trial-and-error to figure out what works best to maintain blood glucose levels in areasonably tight (and hopefully normal) range for everysingle activity bout.

Many insulin users have still managed to figure out how to compete athletically at the highest levels. However,it is far from simple when balancing blood glucose levels with these many confounding variables (6).Itscertainly still worth it to be physically active with type 1 diabetes, just a challenge!

References:

Sheri R.Colberg, Ph.D., is the author ofThe Athletes Guide to Diabetes: Expert Advice for 165 Sports and Activities(the newest edition oftheDiabetic Athletes Handbook). She is also the author ofDiabetes & Keeping Fit for Dummies,co-published by Wiley and the ADA. A professor emerita of exercise science from Old Dominion University and an internationally recognized diabetes motion expert, she is the author of 12 books, 30 book chapters,and over 420 articles. She was honored with the 2016 American Diabetes AssociationOutstanding Educator in Diabetes Award.Contact her via her websites (SheriColberg.com and DiabetesMotion.com).

See more about how to balance blood glucose levels and exercise safely in our therapy center.

Read more:
Exercising with Type 1 Diabetes: The Insulin-Food Balance Challenge - Diabetes In Control

Rosalind Chao in a sea of red sauce. Illustration: Margalit Cutler

The actress Rosalind Chao has spent her adult life onscreen, in movies like The Joy Luck Club and TV shows including The O.C. But she grew up spending her days at her parents restaurant in Orange County. I basically spent every waking moment there, she says. I didnt have a normal childhood, and what I did during the day was basically talk to customers. Later, when the family opened a second restaurant, Chao bussed tables, hosted, washed dishes, and everything else. Ever since, food has been a big draw for her. When Im asked whatever my favorite dish is, Im like, Whatever Im eating at the time, usually, she says. Next, Chao will appear in Disneys live-action Mulan remake, and will also appear in Hidden Figures director Theodore Melfis new film, The Starling. For the time being, though, shes spending her time at home, making lots of scones, exploring new vegetables, and having Zoom dinners with friends.

Friday, June 26 I start every day with my poor mans version of the latte that I used to get at my local Intelligentsia Coffee. I have been using coffee beans ordered from a small business in Bozeman called Treeline Coffee Roasters. My coffee buddy Andy sent me a couple bags when we first went into quarantine. I literally wake up each day so excited for the ritual of grinding the beans and making the lattes.

Started the day with my latte and a matcha cookie with sesame filling made by my daughter the night before. I definitely have a sweet tooth. I wish I didnt. We all do. My husband is intermittent-fasting so, IF I like him that day, I make a green fruit smoothie in the fridge for him as well.

My daughter wanted to make something special for somebodys birthday, and she looked up this recipe, and to be honest we didnt have exactly the right ingredients. It required black sesame; she had to make it with white sesame. She was a little wigged out about it. Shes a musician, she plays cello, so shes very precise, and she was nervous it wasnt going to turn out well. So when it turned out amazingly, really the best cookie Ive ever had, it was like she won the Olympics or something. We were just oohing and ahhing.

Late lunch because my daughter wasnt free until 2. We had leftover chicken from our special anniversary dinner the night before, made into a bread salad with croutons from stale bread. I made a shallot salad dressing, too.

Dinner was stir-fry veggies and leftovers from dinner Wednesday night. (My hubby got takeout fried rice and noodles.) I was doing the Joy Luck Club Reunion book club over Zoom during my usual food-prep time.

I put veggies from the farm box I get from Little Prince, a local restaurant. We had reservations to go there on the night that everything closed down, so we didnt get to go. I started getting a farm box from someplace else, and it wasnt good. I told somebody that, and she said youve got to try the Little Prince. I always trust her opinions; she used to be a barista at our local coffee shop.

Im so loyal to this guy now they put together this beautiful farm box with items from the farmers market. They are making ends meet this way and helping the farmers at the same time. You dont choose what you get, and its a delightful grab-box of items. Some I normally might purchase and some that I normally bypass. One time I got celtuce, I found out its something they use in Chinese stir-frys, and I had never had it before. I cooked with it the first time I got the box, and I thought it was amazing.

I then look up recipes, with my goal being to use up all items for each week even unfamiliar ones. Its kind of like a game-show challenge to figure out how to use the entire box by the end of the week, and it also helps to exercise my creativity. I need to do that every way possible these days.

I have been cooking almost every day, lunch and dinner. (Babettes Feast is my film inspiration story.) But I try to order out twice a week to small restaurants. My parents were hardworking restaurant owners. I have SOOO much empathy for what small-business owners must be experiencing right now.

They had this teeny, tiny, restaurant in Orange County, and it was a one room when they first started, and my dad worked downtown, so my mom pretty much ran it. She would open the door and there would already be a line throughout the little shopping center to go in. What I did during the day was basically talk to customers. I would sit and watch them eat, and especially if a little old man were eating by themselves, or a little old lady, I would sit down and talk to them while they ate. I was a miniature chaperone or dining companion. Later on, they got another restaurant, and I ended up working there. I did everything: bussing tables, hostess, cashier, washing dishes if someone didnt show up.

Saturday, June 27 Baked cranberry scones in the morning that I made with Geeek yogurt. We had them piping hot from the oven. Ive been making these scones and put whatever fruits we have leftover or frozen that week. Weve always got a scone happening somewhere on our shelf. We have half a banana bread, brownies, and scones on our counter.

Im trying to make everything nice. Im always inspired by this movie Babettes Feast. The whole theory behind it is, food can bring joy to a time or environment that has lost its joy. I just feel like it feeds the spirit, without getting too woo-woo. Ive been baking a lot, and my husband is English, and I just spent six months in England, so it kind of brings us back there.

Then I had a tuna-melt sandwich made with radishes with fake cheese (Im lactose-intolerant) and my hubbys delicious guacamole. He hates fake cheese, so he was on his own with leftover tuna salad. I like this brand called, ironically, Chao. But its harder to get, so lately Ive been getting Daiyas cheddar-style cheese. My favorite one I cant seem to find anymore.

I love a tuna melt. Its my staple. When youre pregnant, youre not supposed to have tuna they say it lowers your kids IQ. I didnt know that. But I had it all during my pregnancy with my daughter, and I think shes smart.

I think you can put anything in a tuna melt to make it good. I put radishes in them if I have them, or mix in tomatoes. You can do so much. I also like anchovies on toast. Thats my other favorite thing. But were out of anchovies.

Chinese sesame noodles with cucumber and peanut butter for dinner. Had it with the lettuce from the farm box. Made extra sesame peanut sauce because its great on everything: fish, chicken, etc. If I have cucumbers, nice cucumbers in the house, I will make this. Its something everybody loves and it keeps well, and you can reconfigure it and serve a stir-fry with it. The bottle of peanut dressing is so useful, so I find myself using it using it constantly once Ive made it.

Dessert was nondairy stone fruit ice cream from Sweet Rose Creamery. Its another local business owned by friend of our family Zoe Nathan. Her hubby, Josh Loeb, is extra-meticulous with safety and health during COVID, so I am comfortable buying from their local shop or from any of their restaurants. I just try to minimize the amount of lactose I have so I dont OD on it and then dont feel great. My husband is milk-fed English, hes from an area that has dairy farms. So its the opposite.

Saturday, June 28 Happy Pride Day! Was planning to make French toast but found Beyond Burgers I had defrosted last week in the back of my fridge (in case my Zooms went into dinnertime). Forgot about them and dont want to waste pricey! They werent quite the Apple Pan or In-N-Out Burgergood, but they were good!

I love those places. As a kid, to be honest, I was raised in a restaurant, so I never really got to go out to places. I feel like my life didnt really begin until, you know, I wasnt in the restaurant all day, every day, anymore. So I love dives, I love mini-mall restaurants, and maybe thats partly because I grew up in one.

It was Taiwanese dumpling dinner (wood-ear mushrooms, noodles) night over Zoom with actress and comedienne Patty Harrison and director Nikole Beckwith. Nicole Beckwith is a director I worked with a few years ago, and she ended up working with Pattie, and we started getting together before COVID.

We were doing thank-God-its-Friday, quote-on-quote cocktail hours, and Patty has suggested we do a Zoom dinner ordering all the same thing with food from a Taiwanese restaurant we all love called Pine & Crane. (The owner, Vivian Ku, is a friend, and all the veggies are grown by her dad.). We ate so fast, I didnt even see the food; they couldve been eating a burger for all I know.

Sunday, June 29 Leftover dumplings, leftover peanut noodles. Glad I made the extra sauce to give it new life!

I had a busy afternoon before picking up a bento box dinner from a small business called Spoon by H. Its a family-run business started by a young woman who was a classical pianist, proving there is a link between art and food! They have kimchi, they have fish, they have a huge bento box. Not a tiny one. Maybe a foot by two feet. Twelve-inches-by-24-inch bento box.

The bento box is a great deal. What isnt in it? I was shocked when I saw it the first time. I think each time, its different. Ive gotten it twice now. It does two meals, easily. I could probably squeeze three meals out of it, if I were to take all the kimchi out, make it with chicken or something. We eat a little bit out of it, and then we save the rest for the next day.

Monday, June 30Breakfast: Finished off the crumbs of the last scone cant believe my daughter left a sliver for me.

Made a salad nioise for the first time. It felt like a meal one would eat on vacation. We are all feeling the ups and downs of this time, and the COVID situation in Los Angeles has gotten so dire. And we have been feeling furious at the non-mask-wearers. The BLM movements power is the main upside to this time. We have to keep it up!

Felt like I had to cheer us up nevertheless with a feeling of escape. Hence, the pretty salad. Sometimes at night, because the news can be so dire, I skim the NYT Cooking app and see whats out there. This salad Nioise popped up, and I was like, Thats got everything still left in my vegetable box. Its got the potatoes, the haricot vert, and its got five stars. It was put together by one of the chefs I like on the app, as well. I couldnt believe how well it turned out.

If you ask me, I dont think Im opinionated about recipes. But if you ask somebody else, maybe they would say I am. I like Melissa Clarks recipes. Some of the recipes are a little above my pay grade. Im not one of those cooks who can just throw things together. My sons roommate came over for the holidays, and he just cooked a thank-you dinner for us. Hes that kind of chef who just grabs stuff and puts it in a pot and doesnt measure anything, and Im not that. I wish I was.

Took a call sitting outside while snacking on brownies. I love to hear the little boys who live across the alley playing. My daughter made two batches of brownies late last night: one was for a friend whose cat died while they were having a distance visit the night before. She came home, baked and dropped them off at 11 p.m. that night. Baking is a lovely way to show that you care. All this cooking Im doing is mainly because I just want to keep our spirits up. Everybodys got their plans cut short. Theres been a lot of disappointment in the air.

At night, I put the veggies that didnt have a home in any of my dishes this week into a donabe. The donabe clay pot was my big splurge for myself after we closed a deal for a film that I was supposed to film this month. The film is on hold, but my donabe pot isnt!

I got it at a store called Toiro Kitchen; I go there or I go to Tortoise. I have wanted a donabe pot for ages, ever since I saw one in San Francisco. I think this was my last running-to-the-store COVID purchase. Its great. The whole house smells so good after.

I made dashi stock from dried seaweed and katsuobushi (dried fish). Then threw in veggies. We had that with the leftovers from the bento box the night before. My fridge is quite empty now I love to have as little waste as possible.

I had a few items left over from last weeks farm box, so I didnt successfully complete my game-show challenge. The fennel took me down! Im a fan of the game show Survivor if this were a Survivor challenge, I would be at risk of being voted off the island because of that damn fennel! My daughter is giving me side-eye and my opinionated, foodie son is about to return to the island, so my torch could get snuffed this upcoming week.

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Rosalind Chao Reads Recipes to Take Her Mind Off the News - Grub Street