- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
I wonder how many older people (well men) have destroyed their health, by continuing in a job they have found stressful, and then been forced to give up by the health problems induced by the stress, but having impaired health too, rather than change job or give up in good time.Just taking a look at this thread because I was diagnosed as being pre-diabetic earlier this year. Having got through the worst of the Covid crisis, GP’s, or more accurately GP Nurses, have again started men over 50 (I am nearly 62) annual MOT’s and a blood test revealed I have a HbA1c score of 44. Pre-diabetic scores range from 41 to 47.
Xyla Heath care on behalf of NHS do really good courses to help get the level below 41.
Yes, we know about Starches and Sugars, being Carbohydrates, exercise, weight problems and that the pancreas doesn’t work quite so well as we get older.
But what really struck and immediately rang alarm bells with me personally, was how importantly Stress levels are in the body’s ability to control Glucose levels.
Further research has enabled me to spot many other symptoms associated with this exact Stress problem: Tiredness, withdrawal from wanting to socialise with friends, lack of motivation and irritability.
I suffered a very stressful 2021 and this has undoubtedly effected me long term. HbA1c tests relate to what has happened to your body over the last 3 months and can only be done every 3 months.
Christ knows what my HbA1c test would have been during 2021?
I knew nothing about any of this until my MOT in February this year.
It appears that just a few simple alterations in diet and exercise can easily bring levels down below 41.
Very gladly, I see how important they now believe managing Stress can affect it too and that the course also includes sessions on mindfulness to help combat the problem.
In the 70’s and 80’s, the fashion was to reduce Fat in our diets. Yet we have seen a 3 fold increase in Obesity!
Unfortunately, many replaced fat with Carbs and processed ready meals and carbonated high sugar fizzy drinks. That is the problem.
Portion sizes are also important as well as the proportion on a plate of Carbs : Protein : Veg/salad.
Farmers tend to have big hands, which helps and the Carbs section on a plate should be a palm of your hand size and about a quarter of the plate. As with the Protein, but the Veg/salad size being half a plate. (You could increase the Protein in favour of the Veg/salad a bit, but keep the Carbs down!)
For those of you with Type 2 diabetes, I send my sympathies and hopes that you can at least reduce or reverse your levels. Don’t forget the Stress bit!
Take care all.