Blood Sugar Management

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1 Know Your Numbers... Blood Pressure and blood sugar management Blood Pressure Management High blood pressure is the most common cause of heart failure. It is also linked to stroke and kidney disease. Do your best to keep your blood pressure less than 130 for the top number and less than 90 for the bottom number. How can you better manage blood pressure? Check you blood pressure. Do it the same way each time. Eat a diet low in sodium (salt) If you have prescribed medications, take them the way you are supposed to each day. Exercise (make sure it s okay with your doctor) Blood Sugar Management A normal amount of sugar in the blood ranges from about 70 to 99 in people who do not have diabetes. Blood sugar goes up after eating but returns to that range in one to two hours in a person with no diabetes. Diabetes and Blood Sugar Management People with diabetes have to do some work to keep sugars in range. Studies have proven that it is well worth the effort. If you have diabetes, and can keep your blood sugar levels close to normal, you can live a normal life span with few, or even no complications. A good blood sugar range for most people with diabetes is from 70 to 130. This is before a meal like before breakfast or four or five hours after eating any food. A good blood sugar goal for two hours after having eaten should be less than 180. Goals do vary with health conditions, so be sure to work out the goals you set with your health care team. You can feel fine and still have sugars that are unhealthy for you therefore, testing always remains important. continued on back

2 continued from front How to reach tight control of your blood sugar Test your blood sugars more often. Before each meal and before bed is a good place to start. It is useful to test blood sugars as often as you feel it is giving you helpful information. It is also useful to: Adjust medication doses according to food intake and exercise; Follow a diet and exercise plan. For people with Type 2 diabetes, regular exercise and a healthy body weight or weight loss may forestall the use of medication; Stay in close contact with a health care provider skilled in helping patients manage diabetes. Who shouldn t strive for tight control? Tight control isn t recommended for everyone because of age or other health factors and can increase the risk of low blood sugar episodes. Your doctor can help you decide if tight control is for you, but it isn t recommended for the following people: Children under 13 years of age; People with heart disease or advanced complications; People with a history of frequent, severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar episodes); Older adults. For additional information on the UW Health Comprehensive Stroke Program, please visit our Web site at uwhealth.org/stroke. NS

3 Stay tobacco free... Tobacco Cessation Tobacco kills more than half its users. If an individual is able to quit smoking, they are able to drastically reduce their risk of stroke and multiple other diseases. Here s a brief timeline of what takes place after a person quits smoking: Within 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increase to normal levels. The carbon monoxide found in cigarettes decreases your body s ability to deliver oxygen; Within 8 short hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal. Your blood oxygen level can now return to normal; At 24 hours, your risk of having a heart attack begins to decline; Stick it out for 48 hours and the damaged nerve endings regrow and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced; The time between two weeks and three months, your circulation will greatly improve, (this increases stamina and your overall fitness) and your coughing and wheezing should decrease. Your lungs function should be greatly improved at this point; In one to nine months, you ll happily see your coughs, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease as your lungs continue to heal; In one year, your risk of coronary heart disease and even heart attacks will be reduced to just half that of a smoker; Anywhere from five to 15 years, you have reduced your risk of having a stroke to that of a person who has never smoked; In 10 years, lung cancer risk drops along with your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus; In 15 years, the risk of early death drops to similar levels of someone who has never smoked.

4 NS For additional information on the UW Health Comprehensive Stroke Program, please visit our Web site at uwhealth.org/stroke.

5 Improve your life... Seven reasons to exercise The merits of exercise, from preventing chronic health conditions to boosting confidence and self-esteem, are hard to ignore. And the benefits are yours for the taking, no matter of age, sex or fitness level. Before starting any exercise program, check with your doctor. 1. exercise combats chronic diseases. Regular exercise can help you prevent or manage high blood pressure. Regular exercise also boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol, while decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. This keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.it can help you to manage your blood sugars too. 2. exercise improves your mood. Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down. Exercise creates brain chemicals, that leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Exercise even helps you feel less anxious. 3. exercise helps you manage your weight. Trade some couch time for walking or get moving in other ways. When you exercise, you burn calories. The harder you work, the more calories you burn and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don t even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories too. continued on back

6 continued from front 4. exercise strengthens your heart and lungs. Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don t throw in the towel. Regular exercise can leave you breathing easier. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular exercise helps your entire cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work better, you ll have more energy. 5. exercise promotes better sleep. Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your activity during the day. A good night s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. Exercise is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. The timing is up to you, but if you re having trouble sleeping, you might want to try late afternoon workouts. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after you exercise might help you fall asleep. 6. exercise can put the spark back into your sex life. Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular exercise can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. Exercise also improves your circulation, which can lead to more satisfying sex. Men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don t exercise. 7. exercise can be gasp fun! Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical! Exercise doesn t have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. For additional information on the UW Health Comprehensive Stroke Program, please visit our Web site at uwhealth.org/stroke. NS

7 Eating right... Nutrition basics Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it s about feeling great, having more energy and keeping yourself as healthy as possible all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you. Here are some tips to learn how to eat smart: Eat the right amout of calories maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure. In other words, eat enough calories but don t eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight and physical activity. Eat a wide variety of foods healthy eating gives you a chance to expand your range of choices by trying foods, especially vegetables, whole grains and fruits, that you don t normally eat. Keep portions moderate in recent years, serving sizes have continuously increased. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend and don t order supersized anything. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, low in fat and cholesterol. Drink more water our bodies are 75% water. It is a vital part of a healthy diet. Water helps flush our systems, especially kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins. A majority of Americans go through life dehydrated. continued on back

8 continued from front Limit sugary foods, salt and refined-grain products sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. Take time to chew your food chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush through our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Avoid stress while eating when we are stressed, our digestion can be compromised, causing problems like colitis and heartburn. Avoid eating while working, driving, arguing or watching TV (especially disturbing programs or the news). Try taking some deep breaths prior to beginning your meal or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere. Listen to your body ask yourself if you are really hungry, and stop eating when you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly. Eating just enough to satisfy your hunger will help you remain alert, relaxed and feeling your best, rather than stuffing yourself. Eat early, eat often starting your day with a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism and eating the majority of your daily caloric allotment early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off. Also eating small, healthy meals throughout the day, rather than the standard three large meals, can help keep your metabolism going and ward off snack attacks. One step at a time establishing new food habits is much easier if you focus on and take action on one food group or food fact at a time. Also remember you can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. For additional information on the UW Health Comprehensive Stroke Program, please visit our Web site at uwhealth.org/stroke. NS