Yahoo Lifestyle Marcia Hines: “My Life with Diabetes”
Diabetes as we know it just got a major shake-up.
New research has challenged the traditional view of type 2 diabetes as a progressive, incurable disease, showing that simply adopting a healthy lifestyle can help reverse it in some cases.
In a recently released study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, people with type 2 diabetes put on a healthy lifestyle program which focused on weight loss, healthy eating and exercise increased their chances of a total or partial remission – defined as an improvement in blood glucose levels.
Other research shows pre-diabetes, which affects nearly one in six adults over the age of 25, can be stopped in its tracks with lifestyle strategies such as weight loss and exercise, which reduce the onset of type 2 diabetes in pre-diabetics by 58%.
Singer Marcia Hines has been successfully managing the condition for 27 years. While Hines has type 1 diabetes, the less common type which can only be managed – not reversed, she says taking care of herself is vital to keeping her condition in check.
“For me to feel my best, a balanced, healthy diet is essential,” she says. “I’ve been a vegetarian for about 30 years now, but still enjoy fish from time to time. Oats, fruit and vegetables are some of my favourite healthy foods.”
Regular exercise is also a priority for Hines. “I love working out in the gardens or by the beach – it’s a great way to connect with nature and it’s fantastic because you don’t have to rely on anything else. Like most people, I have days where I have to motivate myself to exercise, but once I’m out and about I feel absolutely fantastic,” she says.
Her key message? “It’s important if you’re not feeling 100% to chat to your doctor. Don’t put it off. Get yourself checked out sooner rather than later – it’s well worth it.”
