Of course you know that eating right
and exercising are good for you. But do you know that a healthy diet
and regular physical activity are directly related to your ability
to have normal
sexual function? If you have diabetes, it’s even more
important to pay close attention to your diet and exercise routine.
The benefits of exercise and healthy
eating constantly reinforce each other.
First of all, good blood flow to the
penis is essential for erections. High levels of cholesterol and fat in your
bloodstream leave deposits in the walls of your blood vessels. This leads to
atherosclerosis and contributes to high blood pressure, both of which can
damage blood vessels and reduce blood flow. Exercise helps lower cholesterol
and blood pressure. A diet low in fat and cholesterol also helps to prevent and
reverse the buildup of fatty deposits in blood vessels.
Second, a high blood sugar level
damages nerves as well as the blood vessels that are involved in getting an
erection. A good diet and the right amount of exercise help keep your blood
sugar level under control. Studies show that people who exercise are less
likely to get diabetes, and people with diabetes who exercise have better control
of their blood sugar levels. Exercise helps you use sugar more easily. That
leaves less sugar in the blood.
Eating a diet low in calories - and
burning calories through exercise helps you tone your body and lose weight.
Studies have linked erectile dysfunction and being overweight. Many other
studies have shown that exercise fights depression, which also has a major
impact on sexual function. With a leaner, toned body and a better sense of
well-being and self-esteem, you’re more likely to feel sexy and have normal
erections.
But there’s a lot of confusing
information out there. Maybe you’re wondering exactly what you should eat and
what kind of exercise to choose.
Designing a Sexy Plate
For someone with diabetes, it’s
important to have a meal plan approved by your doctor and a registered
dietitian who is trained in diabetes nutrition.
In general, though, there are simple
ways to make sure you’re eating the right things at each meal.
One good guideline to use is the food
pyramid. It tells you how much of various foods should be in your diet. The
things you should eat most are at the bottom and those that should be the least
part of your diet are at the top. According to the food pyramid, every day you
should eat:
- 2
cups of a variety of fruit
- 2.5 cups
of richly colored vegetable
- 3
ounces of whole grains like whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, or red rice
- Up to
3 ounces of refined grains like pasta, white rice, or white bread
- 3
servings of dairy foods (A serving = 1 cup of low-fat milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces
of cheese)
- 5
ounces of meat, fish, eggs, or legumes for protein
- 5
teaspoons of oils (including the oil found in nuts and fish)
- 130
to 295 discretionary calories such as sweets (about 1 cookie or cup of ice
cream)
(*Note: These amounts
are recommended for the average adult woman. Men can consume about one ounce
more in each category.)
The diabetes “exchange” system is
another way of figuring out how much of what foods to eat. An exchange list
shows what portion size of a given food gives you the same amount of calories
and nutrients. For example, one medium-sized peach is equivalent to 12 large
cherries.
The American Diabetes Association’s
“Rate Your Plate” guide is a different way to look at what you’re eating.
Following this guide, you divide your plate into imaginary quarters.
One-quarter should contain starches, like potatoes or rice. One-quarter should
contain meat. One half should contain vegetables.
Work Out Your Workout
When it comes to exercise, you don’t
have to follow any “fad” workouts. Just find a way to get your body moving and
your heart rate up. Here is the recommendation of the CDC:
30
minutes of moderate exercise five days a week; or
20
minutes of vigorous exercise three days a week.
But what do “moderate” and “vigorous”
actually mean? You can tell how intense the activity you’re doing is by
measuring your heart rate while you’re doing it.
First, figure out what your maximum
heart rate is. That’s the number 220 minus your age. If you’re 40, your max
heart rate is 180.
To measure your heart rate while
exercising, pause briefly to take your pulse. Place your middle and index
fingers on the artery of your neck or wrist where you can feel your pulse.
Using a watch with a second hand, count the number of pulses, or beats, in 60
seconds. That’s your heart rate. (If you’d rather take less time to do it, you
can count the number of beats in 30 seconds and multiply by two.)
When you’re doing moderate exercise,
your heart rate will be 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate — which is based
on a person’s age. If your max heart rate is 180, your goal for moderate
exercise is to get your heart rate up to 90 to 126 beats per minute (bpm).
Here’s that equation:
220
– age = max heart rate
180 x .50 (50%) = 90
bpm
180 x .70 (70%) = 126
bpm
For vigorous exercise, figure it the
same way, but instead of 50% to 70% of your max heart rate, the range is 70% to
85%.
180
x .70 (70%) = 126 bpm
180
x .85 (85%) = 153 bpm
Men with diabetes are twice as likely as other men to
experience erectile
dysfunction (ED). What’s more, they tend to
develop erection problems 10 to 15 years earlier than men who don’t have
diabetes. Those numbers may sound grim, but there’s hope. You can take control
of your sexual health by managing your blood glucose, or blood sugar levels.
If you want to prevent erection
problems or keep them from getting worse, you must control your blood sugar and
get your numbers as close to normal as possible. That means diligent
self-monitoring, taking any diabetes medications your doctor has prescribed,
and being committed to healthy living.
The best approach is to follow a
healthy diet, get regular exercise, and maintain a normal weight. Some people
with diabetes are able to gain control of their blood sugar levels with
lifestyle changes alone. Some may need to take medication to keep their numbers
as close to normal as possible. But it’s important to keep in mind that
diabetes medications work best when you make the effort to eat right and be
physically active.
The Key to Success: Testing Blood Sugar Levels
If you have diabetes and take insulin
you should test your blood sugar levels three or more times daily. Home blood
glucose monitoring can be done fasting, before or two hours after meals, and at
bedtime. Exactly how often you should test your blood sugar and at what times
depends on your specific needs and what your doctor tells you to do When you’re trying to get your levels
down to your goal, or if you are changing therapies, it’s a good idea to test
more often. By testing before and after meals, in the morning, and before bed
you can create a detailed picture of how your blood sugar fluctuates throughout
the day. That will help your doctor tailor your treatment for the best control.
Everyone with diabetes should know his
A1C score. The A1C test measures your average blood sugar levels over three
months. If you haven’t been doing regular finger-sticks, this test will tell
you how well you’ve been controlling your blood sugar levels.
The A1C test score is given as a
percentage, ranging from 6% to 12%.
A score below 6% is normal for people
without diabetes. You should aim for an A1C score of less than 7%. If you have
a score any higher than that you are at higher risk for problems like erectile
dysfunction. It’s best to have your level checked at least twice a year.
Even a 1% drop in your A1C score has a
big impact. One of the largest studies so far on type 2 diabetes shows that
people who lower their A1C score by 1% have a 35% lower risk for the kinds of
complications that cause ED. One study directly linked high A1C scores to
erectile dysfunction and low A1C scores to better sexual function.
If at all possible, you should aim to
get your A1C score down into the range of 6% or less, where people without
diabetes are. Research has shown that there’s no floor, so to speak, when it
comes to the benefit of lowering A1C.
If your blood sugar levels have been
out of control, you should have the test more frequently.
Another important factor is how you
take your diabetes medication. Follow directions carefully and don’t skip
doses. Skipping doses often results in worse blood sugar control and added
complications from the diabetes. And don’t forget guys, if you want to be a
tiger in the bed, check your blood sugars so you don’t end up down and out.
How does diabetes affect sexual health?
Diabetes
can impact the female body's sex organs in several ways, causing reduced
lubrication, fungal infections, reduced sensation in the genitals and decreased
desire for sex. The disease can also negatively influence the amount of
pleasure women get from sex and can increase the time it takes to climax.
For
men, diabetes can cause erectile dysfunction, which is caused by damage to the
nerves and blood vessels of the penis.
In
addition, general body fatigue or the stress of having a chronic illness may
affect one's sex life.
Avoiding long-term problems
Healthy
lifestyle choices may help offset chronic symptoms or sexual-related problems.
"These effects can be avoided or
at least delayed by observing optimal blood sugar control through a healthy
diet, regular exercise and anti-blood sugar medications as prescribed by the
physician.
In
addition, couples should communicate openly about sexual issues and anticipate
that there might be an adjustment period after a diabetes diagnosis. Avoiding
alcohol and maintaining good sexual hygiene will also help.
"Solutions
should be found together in a spirit of love and mutual respect.
Source: http://www.battlediabetes.com/
For Diabetes.
Controls blood Glucose level
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