The 14-Day No Sugar Diet(11)
Now, maybe you are not a fan of formal exercise. A lot of people don’t like it. You may think it’s boring or too hard. Some people feel intimidated by going to a gym, a spin class, or yoga studio. And that’s fine. While I strongly believe you have a lot to gain by stepping out of your comfort zone and trying some new way to get moving, I realize that working out in a gym isn’t for everyone. Being active and having fun doing it, however, is for everyone.
If you don’t like running or lifting weights, don’t do them. Find something you enjoy doing that gets you off the couch and away from the TV. Find something that’s enjoyable to you that moves your legs and arms and gets your heart and lungs working harder. If you’re moving, it counts toward that 30 minutes a day of physical activity that’ll help you prevent diabetes.
Here are some of the endless move-more possibilities:
Bicycling
Roller skating
Lap swimming
Nature walking
Golfing
Zumba
Swing, jazz, salsa, ballroom dancing
Tai Chi
Bowling
Softball
Basketball
Gardening
Indoor rock climbing
Cross-country skiing
Badminton
Yard work
Rowing
Yoga
Pilates
Baare fitness
Backpacking
Fencing
Martial arts
Cardio kickboxing
Spinning classes
Rope jumping
Fitness trampoline jumping
The secret to sticking with any fitness-boosting activity is choosing an activity that matches your personality type. Do you like group activities or do you prefer to do things by yourself? Are you competitive or collaborative? It really doesn’t matter what you choose to do to get moving. This is what does matter: Its gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
It elevates your heart rate and challenges your muscles—your upper and lower body.
You can do it at a vigorous level for 30 minutes every day. Tip: You don’t have to do 30 minutes all at once. Exercise experts say you can accumulate 30 minutes a day by breaking it up into, say, three 10-minute segments. Just makes sure you huff and puff a bit and break a sweat.
It’s fun. If it’s not enjoyable, you’ll quickly find an excuse to avoid it.
Most people enjoy walking outside. So, until you find your “exercise” passion, I want you to follow the 14-Day No Sugar Diet High Intensity Interval Training walking workout in chapter 10. As you lose weight and feel stronger, advance to the simple body-weight strength-building workout in that chapter as well. Toning your muscles will improve insulin’s ability to clear glucose from your blood, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Step 5
Go to Sleep Earlier
Try this tonight: Go to bed at least 30 minutes before you normally do. Then, evaluate how you feel in the morning. I’ll bet you’ll feel better rested, more energetic, and happier when you wake up. Good quality sleep, and an adequate amount of it, plays a huge role in good health and stress reduction. And studies show that poor sleep habits—getting too much or too little—impacts your blood sugar levels and your waistline.
Japanese researchers looked at the sleep habits of 4,870 people and monitored their body fat percentage and HbA1c test scores. They found that people who slept between 6.5 and 7.4 hours per night (which is considered a healthy duration for most people) had the lowest A1c scores, while people who either slept less than 4.5 hours or more than 8.5 hours per night had higher A1c levels regardless of physical activity or diet. In addition, people who slept for short or long durations tended to have the highest body fat.
Poor sleep throws key hormones that regulate appetite, cravings and emotional stress levels out of whack. Tossing a monkey wrench into a smoothly running system causes a mix of problems that lead to weight-gain, inflammation and insulin resistance. Studies show that when you are exhausted from lack of sleep, your body begins to crave sugar and fat. Your metabolism slows down while levels of the stress hormone cortisol increase. In one study, women who slept less than six hours a night or more than nine hours were more likely to gain about 11 pounds compared with women who slept 7 to 8 hours a night.
Steps for Better Sleep
Good sleep is a habit you can quickly develop with a little effort and a lot of consistency.
Go to bed at the same time every night. And wake up at the same time, too. Get into a healthy routine. Start by hitting the sack 15 to 30 minutes earlier until you can consistently sleep six and a half to seven and a half hours. You should quickly feel the difference.
Don’t watch TV in bed. Don’t do work in bed either. Sit at a table with your laptop. Your bed should be used for only two things, sleep and sex.
Tune in before you turn in. Studies suggest that you may enjoy more satisfying sleep if you listen to music before you retire. Of course, you’ll want to choose Mozart, Diana Krall or Norah Jones instead of Metallica. Listen to music in the 60 to 80 beats-per-minute range to mimic your resting heartbeat, say researchers.
Make your room pitch black. Light entering your eyes suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that makes your body sleepy. Block out light from windows with room-darkening curtains, remove night lights, and turn off your smartphone. Even light from your electronic devices can disrupt sleep.
Turn the temperature down. Cooling your body induces sleep. So shed the heavy down comforter and use cotton sheets.