November is National Diabetes Month in the United States. Yet, you can invest in your health beyond Diabetes Awareness Month!
Know Your Numbers health campaigns help you stay on top of metabolic health biomarkers.
Many people have these health values checked close to health insurance enrollment windows. Know Your Numbers health campaigns may be part of employer wellness plans. However, for some people, other metabolic health values require monitoring.
Adults with diabetes may have a two- to three-fold increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Ultimately, people could have diabetes (or pre-diabetes) and not know it! Worldwide, the diabetes prevalence is 422 million people. (This is a 4-fold increase since 1980!). Diabetes awareness campaigns aim to help people understand metabolic health risk factors.
Also, new groups of people now have a greater risk. Researchers have identified women and adults between the ages of 20 and 39 as two of the primary groups with higher rates of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a primary risk factor for health conditions, such as diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, and sleep apnea. Also, insulin resistance is common in metabolic syndrome.
People with other existing health conditions may also be at greater risk. Researchers have also monitored co-factors, such as fatty liver, breathing problems during sleep, and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
A healthy lifestyle can play a role in overall metabolic health.
Lifestyle health factors, such as diet, physical activity, stress levels, and environmental pollutants, can influence metabolic health. Essentially, an inflammatory lifestyle can increase your risk for cardiometabolic health conditions.
Meanwhile, healthy habits can influence blood sugar, lipid levels, and blood pressure.
A diet focused on functional foods supportive of healthy hormonal regulation can help further boost your overall metabolic health. Studies have also demonstrated that dietary changes paired with increased aerobic activity should have a relevant impact.
Reducing psychosocial stress and minimizing exposure to harsh environmental compounds (where possible) can also help. There are also compelling links between sleep quality and metabolic health outcomes.
You can also get involved with Diabetes Awareness Month in other ways.
A few of those options are below:
- Staying up to date diabetes resources and education
- Participating in diabetes awareness events
- Joining a group centered on healthy living.
Finally, a commitment to overall self-care can help you stick with a healthy lifestyle plan. Also, it can help you avoid stress with managing a health condition, like type 2 diabetes!
Photo credit(s): Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
Ashley L Arnold, MBA, MPH is a lifestyle health educator and coach who supports clients to channel authority over their health, well-being, and overall vitality. Offering health education approaches and 1-on-1 coaching modules, she gets them out of excess weeds of information and inconsistent practices that don’t get desired results. Through helping people focus on the right applications paired with appropriate consideration for bio-individual facets, they become stronger, more confident self-advocates for their health. Bottom line, they will surpass challenges, embrace healthful living with ease, and, best of all, feel a greater sense of empowerment and more energy!
In need of formalized support to make healthful lifestyle changes? Contact me through my business site.
References
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