Jo's Cafe

I have decided to get back into working out again. Foot issues are preventing me from walking at the moment, so am going to get back into pilates and starting an “in the house” walking program. I have 10 pounds that need to go back to where they came from!

Moderate exercise for half an hour a day, yields huge benefits in terms of mood, health, weight and the ability to live an independent and fulfilling life, according to the January issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource.

• A 30-minute exercise can lower the blood pressure from 5 to 10 millimetres of mercury, which is adequate in preventing or reducing blood pressure medications.
• It increases the concentration of “good” cholesterol, also known as high-density lipoprotein, in blood, and also helps in reducing triglyceride levels.
• Exercising helps in reducing blood sugar levels by enhancing the insulin action thus preventing or managing type 2 diabetes, the journal said.
• Working out also helps in increasing bone density and protect against bone mass decline, especially if weight-bearing activities are involved, thereby preventing osteoporosis.
• Exercise supports the human immune system and improves circulation, and also helps in preventing colon, prostate, uterine lining and breast cancers, according to the journal.
• Regular exercise also keeps people mentally healthy, by reducing stress, improving mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety, advancing sleep and boosting moods.

Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes May Be Increased By Lack Of Deep Sleep

Suppression of slow-wave sleep in healthy young adults significantly decreases their ability to regulate blood-sugar levels and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, report researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center in the “Early Edition” of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available online.

Deep sleep, also called “slow-wave sleep,” is thought to be the most restorative sleep stage, but its significance for physical well-being has not been demonstrated. This study found that after only three nights of selective slow-wave sleep suppression, young healthy subjects became less sensitive to insulin. Although they needed more insulin to dispose of the same amount of glucose, their insulin secretion did not increase to compensate for the reduced sensitivity, resulting in reduced tolerance to glucose and increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The decrease in insulin sensitivity was comparable to that caused by gaining 20 to 30 pounds.

Previous studies have demonstrated that reduced sleep quantity can impair glucose metabolism and appetite regulation resulting in increased risk of obesity and diabetes. This current study provides the first evidence linking poor sleep quality to increased diabetes risk.

Our lives are too full I think. When was the last time you shut down and went to bed at 9:30pm because your body told you it needed sleep? Uh? I did it just Saturday night. I slept soundly until 5am Sunday morning and felt great. Your body knows when it needs to sleep – so listen to it.

C-peptide Emerging as Significant Factor in Nerve Recovery

Because scientists often tend to dismiss what they don’t fully understand, many of them used to think that C-peptide had no physiological function. But while it’s true that C-peptide does nothing to lower blood sugar, recent research is finding that it might have a role in preventing diabetes complications.

In one study, nerve conduction speeds were measured in diabetic and healthy rats that were treated with either C-peptide or a placebo. The progressive decline in nerve conduction speed seen in placebo-treated rats was arrested when C-peptide treatment was started one week after onset of diabetes. The nerve conduction velocity also increased significantly when C-peptide was administered at five months after onset of diabetes.

In a three-month clinical trial involving patients with peripheral diabetic neuropathy, sensibility impairment improved after C-peptide treatment but then returned three months after treatment stopped. In another trial, sensibility impairment improved after three months of replacement C-peptide treatment.

I’m starting to get nerve damage in my feet, just a little bit, so I wonder if this would be helpful to me? I’m taking insulin, one shot a day, and I think a C-peptide test is in order for the next doctors visit.