A must read for diabetics! Doctors reveal the latest health guidelines: You must achieve the "5 S's" in life
Diabetic patients must not only follow the doctor’s instructions and take medication, but also have good living habits, which is a key factor in controlling the disease! Dr. Liu Hanwen, the attending physician of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Wanfang Hospital, pointed out in a social post that the treatment of diabetes includes “lifestyle changes” and “blood sugar drugs”, both of which need to be implemented simultaneously and neither can be neglected.
Dr. Liu Hanwen said that this year’s consensus report updated by the American Diabetes Association and the European Society of Diabetes mentioned several healthy lifestyle behaviors that can help control blood sugar. The English words just start with “5 S”, and it is recommended that people with diabetes can adopt 5 beneficial behaviors. Lifestyle measures to control blood sugar and maintain good health:
1. Sleep
Pay attention to the quality, quantity, and chronotype of sleep. Sleeping too long (more than 8 hours) or too short (less than 6 hours) is not conducive to sugar control. In addition, patients with poor sleep quality will also have higher blood sugar levels. The common “insomnia problem” or “sleep apnea” among people with diabetes are the main reasons that affect sleep quality.
When it comes to chronotype, Dr. Liu Hanwen emphasized that chronotype can be divided into “morning people” who go to bed early and get up early, or “night owls” who go to bed late and get up late. Going to bed late and getting up late is more likely to lead to low physical activity and poor blood sugar control. If work can cooperate, it is recommended to go to bed early and get up early as much as possible, which is relatively beneficial to blood sugar control.
2. Stepping
An increase of 500 steps per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. However, walking slowly is considered a light-intensity physical activity. A short brisk walk of 5-6 minutes a day will help improve the health of people with diabetes.
3. Sitting
Dr. Liu Hanwen explained that although the title is “Sitting”, its meaning is “Don’t sit for a long time.” Modern people generally have low levels of activity. Therefore, if people with diabetes are engaged in jobs that require long periods of sitting, they should get up and walk, jump, or do moderate resistance exercises every 30 minutes to help control their diabetes.
4. Sweating
People with diabetes know that exercise is important, but just “sweating” does not mean exercise. Patients are encouraged to engage in more than 150 minutes of “moderate-intensity exercise” or more than 75 minutes of “high-intensity exercise” every week, and the rest interval should not exceed 2 consecutive days. In addition, it is also recommended for people with diabetes to combine resistance training, flexibility, balance and other exercises to help control blood sugar.
“If you have no exercise habit or are really busy, even 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week can help control your sugar levels,” said Dr. Liu Hanwen.
5. Strengthening
Dr. Liu Hanwen said that as age increases, the body’s muscles will also be lost. “Resistance exercise” can slow down the rate of muscle loss, improve insulin resistance and help blood sugar control. Resistance exercise is training that uses your own weight or allows muscles to feel resistance. Common training includes push-ups, dumbbells, barbells, elastic bands, and the use of mechanical equipment. Patients who are unfamiliar with resistance exercise can first seek guidance from a professional sports coach.
The 5 S’s mentioned above are not only helpful in controlling blood sugar, but also in improving blood pressure and blood lipids, maintaining long-term health and improving quality of life. Dr. Liu Hanwen appealed, hoping that people with diabetes can integrate into their lives and have a happy and long journey on the road to sugar control.
Dr. Liu Hanwen Facebook fan page: Dr. Liu Hanwen
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