60% more people Living with Diabetes

According to a new report by Diabetes UK there are 60% more people living with diabetes in the UK compared with 10 years ago, which is an increase of more than 1.2 million.

Diabetes is a condition that stops the body being able to control its blood sugar levels effectively and  leading in worst cases to blindness and amputation.

Diabetes UK are warning that this huge growth in numbers over the last decade reflects an urgent need for effective care for people already living with the disease as well as highlighting the importance of prevention.

The 1.2 million increase of new sufferers is the equivalent of the population of a small country such as Cyprus!

Diabetes already costs the NHS nearly £10 billion a year and 80% of this is spent on managing avoidable complications.

About 90% of cases are type 2 which is closely associated with obesity and poor lifestyle choices such as a bad diet and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

If your BMI is 30 or more and you already have diabetes in the family you are at a much higher risk developing the type 2 version compared with those who are a healthy weight and don't have a family history of diabetes.

 The best way to reduce the risk is to get a handle on your nutritional habits and start to get more active, more often.  Below are my top 5 tips to get you started:-

1.) Start off slowly:- If you're new to exercise start off slowly, try doing an activity that lasts about 30 minutes, 3 times a week, using moderate intensity levels (slightly out of breath and slightly uncomfortable and makes you perspire) and gradually build it up to 60 minutes 2-3 times per week.

2.) Be Active more often:- It's no good going to the gym or an exercise class 2 - 3 times per week but for the rest of the time you're chained to a desk at work and at home glued to the sofa, watching T.V. Try cycling or jogging to work, get off the bus/train a stop earlier and walk, go for a walk at lunch time,  wash the car or do some gardening at home to burn off some extra calories.

3.) Stay hydrated:- Our body is made up of 70% water and so it's important to stay hydrated. This will help keep your energy levels up as dehydration has been known to cause fatigue, kidney problems, migraines, constipation and even weight gain.  Aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, more if you're exercising or it's hot.  If you want to add flavour to your water why not try Herbalife's Lift Off which comes in orange or lemon and lime and has the added bonus of providing you with an energy boost without the excess sugar of other energy drinks or Herbalife's Thermojetics tea which even helps to boost energy and help burn calories and comes in 4 great flavours of peach, lemon, raspberry and original.

4.) Get your nutrition right:- To keep your blood sugar levels steady its important to eat regularly and the right types of food to keep your energy levels up and give you all the nutrition your body needs.  It's also important to choose foods that don't contain excess fats and sugar that can often be found in high energy foods such as  biscuits, cakes and chocolate.
 Try a Herbalife protein shake instead for breakfast or lunch, its a perfect and well balanced nutritional meal and will give you a steady flow of energy throughout the day and keep your blood sugar levels steady.

5.) Ensure you eat regularly:- You should aim to eat 3 main meals a day with 2-3 snacks in between.  Try  yogurt with berries, a Herbalife protein bar, a piece of fruit or a packet of Herbalife  roasted soya beans as a healthy snack to help speed up your basal metabolic rate, keep blood sugar levels topped up and avoid your body going  into a starvation mode and storing fat.

I hope this post has been helpful and if you're interested in any Herbalife products, want to try out a free sample or make some extra money working as a Herbalife distributer than
I 'd love to hear from you.