Did you know that stress can adversely affect your blood sugar? Under stress, your body releases hormones in an attempt to mitigate whatever is causing the stress. This is called a fight or flight response. Nowadays, our stress does not come in the form of a tiger lurching in the brush that we have to fight or run from, but the biological effects are the same! The hormones released by stress inhibit insulin from working as effectively, causing blood sugar to stay higher.
In today’s world, we may experience stress at work, or with finances, or in obligations to family and friends. Managing everyday stress will not only have a positive effect on your blood sugar, but on your overall well-being too. Here are simple ways to help reduce stress levels:
– Pamper yourself
Healthy ways to pamper yourself and help reduce stress include taking a warm bubble bath, lighting a candle and sitting down with a favorite book, or giving yourself a relaxing pedicure. Make whatever it is that helps you to unwind a regular part of your schedule.
– Exercise
Exercise releases “feel good” endorphins which can help lower your overall stress level. You don’t need to do hard exercise; a simple walk can help to elevate your mood.
– Double up on your efforts
A personal mantra of mine is “cook once, eat twice”. When you wash, chop, prep and cook a meal, be sure to make enough so that there are leftovers. You will thank yourself later by providing a meal for the next day.
– Meditate
Meditation is the act of sitting quietly with your thoughts. You may begin to realize that things which are bothering you now aren’t worth the emotional toll. A great rule of thumb for putting things into perspective is something called the “rule of ten” – “Will this matter ten minutes from now? What about in ten hours? Days? Months? Years?”
– Have fun!
It’s no surprise – laughter is medicine. Watching your favorite comedy or getting together with the friend who makes your sides hurt from laughing are great ways to reduce stress levels.
– Sleep
Missing out on sleep can raise the level of stress hormones in your body – making time to sleep enough will improve your overall health.
All Blogs are written by Professionals in the fields of Nutrition, Human Development and Diabetes.