Quality Life Forum
  • Home
  • Forum
    • Mind and Body
    • Feeling well
    • Feeling ill
  • Coaching
    • Coaching Programs >
      • Loneliness Breakthrough
      • Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
      • Time-Restricted Feeding for Healthy Aging
      • Patient-centered Health Navigation Program
      • Customized program
    • 2022 health coaching monthly >
      • Health: the Cornerstone for Quality of Life
      • Aging Eye Facts
      • Age-Related Hearing Loss
      • Aging and Oral Health
      • Aging Skin and Sun Safety
      • Making Transition From A Patient To An Educated Healthcare Customer
      • Daily Routine for Healthy Aging
    • 2021 Health Coaching Monthly >
      • Hew Year Brings New Hope
      • Pandemic Winter Blues
      • Make a Self-Care Plan for Your Golden Years
      • Are You Fully Vaccinated?
      • Less is More
      • Managing Chronic Insomnia
      • Range of Motion Recovery from Frozen Shoulder
      • The Milestone of Age 65
      • Aging Brain
      • Muscle Memory and Cognition
      • Navigation for Healthcare Needs
      • Gratitude Power for Wellbeing
    • 2020 health coaching Monthly >
      • The Key Role of Protein in Healthy Aging
      • Healthy Fat for Healthy Aging
      • Healthy Aging Energy Source Carbohydrate
      • Transform Pandemic Fear to Self-Care
      • Hope endures
      • Breathing and Blessing
      • Listening to your body
      • Keep Fit for Your Age
      • Time-Restricted Feeding Is A Healthy Lifestyle Choice
      • Process and Results
      • Moderation
      • Invest In yourself
    • 2019 Health Coaching Monthly >
      • Empty Nest
      • Food Safety and H. pylori Infection
      • Body Image and Self-Care After Midlife
      • Exercise is Medicine
      • Cognitive Health
      • Dietary Supplements Are Not Drugs
      • GERD
      • Downsizing in the Golden Years
      • Time for change
      • Action is what counts
      • Osteoporosis in Women
      • Dealing with Difficult Emotions in Holiday Season
    • 2018 Health Coaching monthly >
      • The Golden Keys for the Golden Years
      • loneliness Breakthrough
      • Regulate Blood Pressure
      • Lowering Cholesterol
      • Blood Sugar Self-Management
      • TLC Transformation
      • Golden Mindset
      • Nourish Your Body for Healthy Living
      • Keep Life in Motion
      • Tough Fight for the Belly Fat
      • Dealing with chronic stress
      • The Most Valuable Gift
    • 2017 Health Coaching monthly >
      • Willness Attitude and Winterizing Fitness
      • Live with Thyroid Nodules
      • Exercise for Blood Sugar Regulation
      • Longevity and Quality of Life
      • How to Reduce Aging Eye Fatigue
      • Sleep Well
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • Facing a life-threatening illness
      • Music Learning for older adults
      • Better to Eat Meat or Plant Food
      • Immunity and Aging
      • A Special Holiday Gift
    • 2016 Health Coaching Monthly >
      • Wellness Mindset
      • Get Active
      • Balance Training
      • Emotional Healing
      • Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Weight Management
      • Health Literacy
      • Prevention
      • Significant Health Indicators
      • Gratitude for life
      • Home Coming for Holidays
  • Health Product Guide
    • Choices for Healthy Living
    • Vitamins and minerals
    • Digestive Health
    • Heart Health
    • Eye Health
    • Joint Health
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blogs
    • Blog How much water to drink in a day?
    • Blog What’s Good to Eat?
    • Blog Are You Motivated for a Healthy Life Style?
    • Blog A Green Tea Invitation
    • Blog The Value of Vitamin and Dietary Supplements
    • Blog Holiday Edition 2015
    • Blog Travel album of Switzerland
    • Blog A Mourning Dove Story

Blood Sugar Self-Management with Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
​
(Quality Life Forum Self-Care Series)
Health Coaching session May 2018

Blood sugar is significant in human body chemistry and it is an important diagnostic indicator for diabetes.

What Are Normal Blood Sugar Levels? The normal range is less than 100 mg/dL after not eating (fasting) for at least 8 hours; and less than 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating.

What are high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) levels?
  • Fasting hyperglycemia - This is blood sugar that's higher than 130 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) after not eating or drinking for at least 8 hours.
  • Postprandial or after-meal hyperglycemia - This is blood sugar that's higher than 180 mg/dL 2 hours after you eat. People without diabetes rarely have blood sugar levels over 140 mg/dL after a meal, unless it’s really large.

In addition, Hemoglobin A1C ( HbA1C) is a blood test that provides an estimated average of  blood sugar over the past 2-3 months. The testing result significance is indicated in the chart below, according to NIH –

Diagnosis       A1C (percent)     Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG)     Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)     Random plasma glucose (RPG)
Normal            below 5.7            99 or below                                   139 or below
Pre diabetes   5.7 - 6.4                100 to 125                                      140 to 199
Diabetes          6.5 or above        126 or above                                 200 or above                                          200 or above

High blood sugar damages pancreas, kidneys, vision, nerves overtime and hardening blood vessels. Hypertension is more common in people with diabetes.  Clinical Trials have shown that lowering BP reduces major cardiovascular events in those with diabetes. For cardiovascular and also renal protection, people with diabetes require good BP control and so most patients with diabetes and hypertension require combination therapy to achieve targets.  Furthermore, NIH study shows connections between glucose metabolism, Alzheimer’s pathology, and symptoms.

More evidences from recent studies suggest that high blood sugar is associated with cognitive decline.  Findings suggest that interventions that delay diabetes onset, as well as management strategies for blood sugar control, might help alleviate the progression of subsequent cognitive decline over the long-term. 

How aging may affect blood sugar level
  • The basal metabolic rate — the amount of energy the body expends at rest — declines with age.
  • Blood pressure tends to rise with age. Poor diet, inactivity, weight gain, and a slower metabolic rate all set the stage for cardiovascular disease and diabetes risks.
  • Insulin resistance, in which people’s body tissues become less and less sensitive to insulin, may occur due to having too much body fat, which interferes with the muscles’ ability to use insulin.

The good news is that you have natural power for high blood sugar regulation.  With health coaching, you will gain knowledge, skill, confidence and competence for self-care.

Self-management strategies for regulate blood sugar naturally
  • Know your numbers and monitor blood sugar changes
  • Exercise regularly: Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps your muscles pick up sugars from the blood. This can lead to reduced blood sugar levels.
  • Control carb intake: Carbs are broken down into glucose, which raises blood sugar levels. Reducing carbohydrate intake can help with blood sugar control.
  • Eat more fiber: Eating plenty of fiber can help with blood sugar control, and soluble dietary fiber is the most effective.
  • Drink water to well maintain hydration: Staying hydrated can reduce blood sugar levels and help prevent diabetes. Water is the best beverage choice.
  • Mindful eating and portion control: The more control you have over your serving sizes the better control you will have over your blood sugar levels.
  • Stress Management: Controlling stress levels through exercise or relaxation methods such as yoga will help you control blood sugars.
  • Get sufficient quality sleep: Good sleep helps maintain blood sugar control and promote a healthy weight. Poor sleep can disrupt important metabolic hormones.
  • Weight management: Keeping a healthy weight and waistline will help you maintain normal blood sugar levels and decrease your risk of developing diabetes.
  • Stay socially and mentally active – challenge yourself for new learning, join group activities/classes, volunteer your time and knowledge to help others
Picture
The take home messages from your health coach
1. Making lifestyle modifications will regulate blood sugar naturally.  It is an effective preventive strategy for risk reduction or work well in combination with medical interventions.
2. Blood sugar levels may increase with age as result of metabolic changes; therapeutic lifestyle changes will help to reduce cardiovascular and many other risks. Eat healthy, lose weight, and stay active are effective no-drug treatment.
3. Mindset and behavior transformation for life style changes can be very challenging.  For those who needs help for get motivated and get results, engage in a structured program is a viable option.   QualityLifeForum.net private health coaching will help you map out a plan, implement wellness strategies, take you through step by step for achieve results, and nurture the new health behavior become part of your life style.   
​
Feel free to contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your health coaching needs.
References:
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/how-sugar-affects-diabetes#1
https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/diabetes-hyperglycemia#1
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/tests-diagnosis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805932/
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/higher-brain-glucose-levels-may-mean-more-severe-alzheimers
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/more-evidence-has-been-found-for-a-link-between-sugar-and-alzheimers/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-ways-to-lower-blood-sugar
https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/about-diabetes/diabetes-basics/healthy-aging-with-diabetes/

© All rights reserved

​
Disclaimer: This information is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional for personal conditions.
​
​Advocate and Giving Support for Healthy Aging

To support healthy aging, all helps are sincerely appreciated. We hope more people to share the benefits and making contributions to support Quality Life Forum continued health coaching education and services. You can help now by sharing [passing on QLF valuable health coaching resource for other’s benefit] and giving [click here for a donation in any amount]. Your help will benefit many others in need and make you feel great for your kind act of giving.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Forum
    • Mind and Body
    • Feeling well
    • Feeling ill
  • Coaching
    • Coaching Programs >
      • Loneliness Breakthrough
      • Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes
      • Time-Restricted Feeding for Healthy Aging
      • Patient-centered Health Navigation Program
      • Customized program
    • 2022 health coaching monthly >
      • Health: the Cornerstone for Quality of Life
      • Aging Eye Facts
      • Age-Related Hearing Loss
      • Aging and Oral Health
      • Aging Skin and Sun Safety
      • Making Transition From A Patient To An Educated Healthcare Customer
      • Daily Routine for Healthy Aging
    • 2021 Health Coaching Monthly >
      • Hew Year Brings New Hope
      • Pandemic Winter Blues
      • Make a Self-Care Plan for Your Golden Years
      • Are You Fully Vaccinated?
      • Less is More
      • Managing Chronic Insomnia
      • Range of Motion Recovery from Frozen Shoulder
      • The Milestone of Age 65
      • Aging Brain
      • Muscle Memory and Cognition
      • Navigation for Healthcare Needs
      • Gratitude Power for Wellbeing
    • 2020 health coaching Monthly >
      • The Key Role of Protein in Healthy Aging
      • Healthy Fat for Healthy Aging
      • Healthy Aging Energy Source Carbohydrate
      • Transform Pandemic Fear to Self-Care
      • Hope endures
      • Breathing and Blessing
      • Listening to your body
      • Keep Fit for Your Age
      • Time-Restricted Feeding Is A Healthy Lifestyle Choice
      • Process and Results
      • Moderation
      • Invest In yourself
    • 2019 Health Coaching Monthly >
      • Empty Nest
      • Food Safety and H. pylori Infection
      • Body Image and Self-Care After Midlife
      • Exercise is Medicine
      • Cognitive Health
      • Dietary Supplements Are Not Drugs
      • GERD
      • Downsizing in the Golden Years
      • Time for change
      • Action is what counts
      • Osteoporosis in Women
      • Dealing with Difficult Emotions in Holiday Season
    • 2018 Health Coaching monthly >
      • The Golden Keys for the Golden Years
      • loneliness Breakthrough
      • Regulate Blood Pressure
      • Lowering Cholesterol
      • Blood Sugar Self-Management
      • TLC Transformation
      • Golden Mindset
      • Nourish Your Body for Healthy Living
      • Keep Life in Motion
      • Tough Fight for the Belly Fat
      • Dealing with chronic stress
      • The Most Valuable Gift
    • 2017 Health Coaching monthly >
      • Willness Attitude and Winterizing Fitness
      • Live with Thyroid Nodules
      • Exercise for Blood Sugar Regulation
      • Longevity and Quality of Life
      • How to Reduce Aging Eye Fatigue
      • Sleep Well
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • Facing a life-threatening illness
      • Music Learning for older adults
      • Better to Eat Meat or Plant Food
      • Immunity and Aging
      • A Special Holiday Gift
    • 2016 Health Coaching Monthly >
      • Wellness Mindset
      • Get Active
      • Balance Training
      • Emotional Healing
      • Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Weight Management
      • Health Literacy
      • Prevention
      • Significant Health Indicators
      • Gratitude for life
      • Home Coming for Holidays
  • Health Product Guide
    • Choices for Healthy Living
    • Vitamins and minerals
    • Digestive Health
    • Heart Health
    • Eye Health
    • Joint Health
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blogs
    • Blog How much water to drink in a day?
    • Blog What’s Good to Eat?
    • Blog Are You Motivated for a Healthy Life Style?
    • Blog A Green Tea Invitation
    • Blog The Value of Vitamin and Dietary Supplements
    • Blog Holiday Edition 2015
    • Blog Travel album of Switzerland
    • Blog A Mourning Dove Story