I have been noticing a distinct drop in after meals glucose levels recently. It also seems to have cut down on the overnight increase in glucose readings. There were times I would go to bed with a glucose reading of 95-115 as an example. I would not eat anything and wake up in the morning with a glucose reading of say 134 to depending on my activity level the day before perhaps 150 or so.
I read somewhere that during inclement weather or on those days when your busy schedule simply does not permit the usual 30-40 minute brisk walk once a day, and compounded by perhaps eating out and not making the best food choices..............there is a possible solution!
I am talking about climbing stairs. I live in a two story home and am constantly up and down between the top floor and the basement. What I have been doing lately is purposely climbing both flights of stairs taking the steps two at a time and not using hands to support myself. One can accomplish the same thing of course by climbing just one set of stairs over and over again within a reasonable time period after your lunch or perhaps a heavier evening dinner meal.
This is NOT a suggestion to go ahead and OVER EAT ON PURPOSE. Despite our best efforts, we might overeat if invited out to dinner at a friend's home or eating late at a restaurant etc. As mentioned in print here several times, I am on a low dose of Metformin and Glipizide and have been since becoming a diabetic. The stair climbing routine is an excellent method to help counter those blood sugar spikes after a heavy meal. The worst thing you can do after a big meal, is get into your recliner and take a nap.
BY using the stair climbing method you are bringing large muscle groups into play taking stairs two at a time and helping your body to burn off the glucose instead of storing it as fat.
Last night I went to bed with a glucose reading of 114 and when I woke up this morning it was 115. It only moved (1) point from my bedtime reading. Yesterday I had a business meeting away from home and ate one of the brown rice, chicken, broccoli smothered in some sort of I presume sugary laden syrup and broke my cardinal rule of having a diet Pepsi. I was in a local mall and I walked for 30 minutes at a brisk pace after eating and climbed one set of stars up and down 8 times before leaving the mall. What SHOULD HAVE BEEN a big glucose spike for me ...............WASN'T!
There are other benefits of climbing stairs two at a time and not using your hands unless necessary to hold onto the handrail. It develops strength in your legs and your overall core strength and body tone to help your balance.
WARNING / IF YOU have high blood pressure, heart problems, are on insulin or an insulin pump etc. , or are physically handicapped in some way, check with your diabetes doctor first before getting into this routine. Rome was not built in a day. The key to making this work is to ease into it. If you are the type that never takes the stairs now and believes that is why God made escalators and elevators etc. then go slowly. Do not climb two sets of stars two at a time 8 to 10 times right out of the chute (so to speak). SOME OF YOU MIGHT SIMPLY NOT BE ABLE TO CLIMB STAIRS AT ALL, and that is OKAY. Check with your doctor to see if there is any physical exercise that might be appropriate for your specific condition.
Be consistent (after checking with your doctor) and ease into it. I am already active and for me it has made a difference and I actually like it. Your doctor might advise an easier form of exercise to start you out. ANY aerobic exercise or movement that brings in large muscle groups is a GREAT start. As time marches forward and you are faithful in doing what you can, you will be encouraged to step up the pace and/or duration as you feel better.
Following below is a link with additional information. The beauty is you do not need a basement full of equipment and you don't have to pay a gym membership.
God Bless,
Dan
http://www.peakhealthadvocate.com/2498/lower-blood-sugar-from-six-minutes-of-climbing-stairs/
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