Page 46 - Robeson Living Fall 2017

Sugar Control By Dr. Ryan Beck

As summer shifts to fall, many of our lives turn to school Exercise has also been proven to help manage blood sugar
and sports-related activities that find us off schedule and levels. According to the National Diabetes Association,
on the go. In all the hustle, it can be easy to lose focus on cells in muscles take up more glucose in order to use it for
maintaining a healthy diet, following an exercise routine energy and tissue repair and also make the body more re-
and keeping stress down. This is important for everyone sponsive to insulin by helping to prevent resistance. Do-
but especially those who have diabetes type 2. ing 30–60 minutes of exercise most days of the week is
recommended and can easily be achieved. Instead of grab-
If you are one of the millions of people who have been di- bing a chair, try walking around the soccer and baseball
agnosed with prediabetes, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or fields while you child has a game or practice.
any other form of “insulin resistance,” maintaining normal
blood sugar levels can be extremely challenging especially In addition to diet and exercise, stress also plays an im-
when faced with a hectic schedule. Over the past several portant role in the management of blood sugar. Excessive
decades, these chronic disorders have swept through the stress can cause blood sugar levels to rise due to an in-
U.S. reaching epidemic proportions and causing serious, creased release of the “stress hormone,” cortisol. In ad-
but often preventable, side effects like nerve damage, fa- dition to elevating blood sugar, elevated cortisol can in-
tigue, loss of vision, arterial damage and weight gain. terfere with learning and memory, lower immune function
and bone density, increase weight gain, blood pressure
Normal blood sugar levels may be sustained through a and cholesterol. Studies have found that getting regular
combination of eating a balanced, low-processed diet, get- chiropractic adjustments have resulted in lowering corti-
ting regular exercise and managing the body’s stress hor- sol levels. Chiropractic treatments also have measurable
mones. calming, physically soothing and restorative effects.

When trying to maintain normal blood sugar it is import- By combining a healthy diet, regular exercise, chiropractic
ant to balance carbohydrates and sugars with proteins and care and decreasing stress hormones you may be able to
good fats that come from real, whole foods. Examples in- eliminate the unpleasant side effects that plague the mil-
clude lean meats, salmon, eggs, avocados, nuts, and olive lions of people with insulin resistance disorders. Make
oil products. When you grab a burger to go, leave off the sure to consult with your physician before beginning any
condiments and cheese as they are full of sugar and pro- exercise routine or extreme diet changes. You can also
cessed ingredients. contact us at Beck & Blackley Chiropractic Clinic to see
how we can help.

Page 46 Robeson Living ~ Fall 2017