If an eating plan is the most important part of any diabetes-reversing strategy, exercise is a close second. Even moderate amounts of physical activity can do wonders for managing your blood sugar and weight. While just about any exercise will do, there are a few factors to keep in mind that will skyrocket the results you get from it.

Commit to Daily Exercise:

To reap the full benefits of exercise, it is important to do it every single day. This is important because studies show the ability of exercise to make cells more sensitive to insulin tapers off after just two days.

You don’t have to hit the gym every single day, but taking a short walk or two or even gardening will do the trick when you’re in a time crunch.

Interval Train:

Most people picture cardio as an activity where the intensity hardly changes throughout the workout. While there’s nothing wrong with a jog, the metabolic effects pale in comparison to interval trainings… short, high intensity bouts of exercise alternating with periods of rest.

Studies show that this type of exercise, while intense, can give you more bang for your buck. In fact, one study showed that just 30 to 40 minutes of this type of training improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 23%.

The author of that study, James Timmons, Ph.D states that: “High-intensity sprints prime your muscle fibers to respond better to insulin”.

If your last trip to the gym happened before the housing market collapsed, it’s best to wait until you’re in better shape before diving into interval training.

Pump Iron:

Whether you’re a man or a woman, 25 or 75, strength training is for you. That’s because strength training can do things cardio can’t. For example, strength training gives your metabolism a boost long after you are done exercising. Also, lifting weights helps to improve your body composition… a key factor in getting blood sugar back under control.

You don’t have to lift your refrigerator over your head to benefit from strength training either. Body weight exercises like push ups and crunches 3 times per week for 15 minutes is enough to make a difference.

Walk It Off:

While daily exercise may seem daunting, when you consider that walking counts towards your physical activity goal, (at least 30 minutes per day), it’s actually quite reasonable.

Walking is by far the most convenient exercise around. You don’t need equipment, special clothes, or a gym membership. Just a comfy pair of shoes and a pleasant route.

Skeptical that a simple walk can influence type 2 diabetes? Consider a 2005 study published in Diabetes Care which found that just 38 minutes of total walking per day significantly reduced the HbA1c level… even if the person with diabetes didn’t lose any weight.

Best of all, you don’t have to do all your walking at once. Four 10-minute walks have the same benefit of a single 40 minute bout.

Hypertension, a problem of very high blood pressure, is a common problem particularly in the United States where as many as one in four people suffer from it. However, those with diabetes are even more susceptible to the problem, and are doubly as likely to have hypertension. Depending on other factors, a person with diabetes may have as much as a 60% chance of also having hypertension.

The two problems are linked by a variety of different factors. The most common and important of which is being very overweight, a problem associated with type 2 diabetes. However, insulin resistance, immune system and autonomic factors all come into play as well. Additionally, hypertension can make some symptoms and conditions of diabetes more dangerous and more prevalent.

Those that have diabetes typically already have stricter blood pressure requirements than those in the rest of the population. This can make hypertension all the more serious, and it’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Serious problems ranging from heart attacks to strokes and more can all stem from prolonged hypertension.

A person who has both diabetes and hypertension can seek out a variety of treatments. There are several classes of drugs which can attack the problem in different ways. Considering the seriousness of hypertension, particularly in those with diabetes, drugs are often recommended as a primary way for combating the issue.

This should also be combined however with a general health and fitness plan designed to lose weight and be healthier. Even moderate amounts of mild exercise can make a big difference over the long term in lowering blood pressure. Participating in moderate to intense exercise several times a week is even better. The physical exertion is healthy in and of itself but should also pay dividends towards a goal of achieving weight loss.

Eating better foods can also make a big difference towards hypertension and high blood pressure levels. Particularly, cutting back on sodium in your diet can have a positive effect as one example. Potassium is a key nutrient that you should be sure to include heavily in your diet as well. While weight loss is a goal, weight loss drugs have to be taken with care. For example, some appetite suppressants actually increase blood pressure as a side effect. Always consult your doctor when considering various medications.

Additionally, smoking can add to the problem of hypertension and needs to be stopped. Avoiding or moderating your intake of alcohol is also important, and other stimulants such as caffeine should be monitored.

With these lifestyle changes you can make a big dent in a combined hypertension and diabetes problem. However, to reach the target goals of improvement and to ensure success it is usually recommended to make these healthier life decisions while also taking one or more medications to help control the problem as well. Considering the seriousness of hypertension and it’s extremely high correlation with diabetes, it is a problem that cannot be overlooked.

If you have adult onset diabetes, there are two types of foods that you may be ingesting on a regular basis that you should completely cut out of your diet altogether. These 2 are really bad choices and can greatly increase your risk of complications. You are the only one in control of what you eat and the only one that can really control what you put into your body. This makes you the only person who can increase your chances for better health and a good long life that is lived to its fullest.

The 2 Really Bad Foods Choices are:

1. Alcohol is really a non food item and its consumption should be limited or avoid it altogether. Talk to your doctor about how alcohol affects diabetes. Consuming too much can cause some serious complications, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and nerve damage.

A few common pointers are:

• Don’t drink on an empty stomach, instead drink alcohol with your meals
• Only drink moderate amounts. Men should only have as much as two alcoholic drinks a day and women should only have one

Avoid alcohol completely if your blood sugar is not under control

2. Unhealthy Snacks that are processed, high in fats and sugars, even when homemade, should be carefully limited and/or avoided.

Examples of bad snacks are:

• Pastries
• Candy
• Ice cream
• Donuts
• Chips
• Cookies

Choose Really Good Food Choices Instead

Get used to reading labels and look for foods that are low in sugar, fat, salt, and replace unhealthy choices with these foods such as:

• Fresh fruits
• Fresh vegetables
• Lean meats
• Low fat cheese
• Whole grain flour
• Brown rice
• High fiber foods as in grains and legumes

Although changing your diet over to a healthier way of eating because you have diabetes may be difficult and frustrating at first. After time, you will begin to notice you are feeling better, have more energy and your blood sugar is under control. The choice is really simple, choose life giving foods and avoid the disease causing ones and you will increase not only the quality of your life but the length of it as well.