Diabetes Diet #65: Get Your Bones Ready to Go Outdoors

Diabetes Recipes:

Raspberries
Almonds
Are your bones ready to get outside and plant a garden? Go for a brisk walk or run? Bicycle to a park for a picnic? Bend over to smell June roses? After the wicked weather, many parts of the country endured this winter our bones may need a little TLC to prepare them for the enjoyment of life outdoors. Diabetes affects the whole body, so it makes sense that part of good diabetes management is doing regular body checks. Of course, we hear all about checking feet, but checking other natural resources such as flexibility, mobility, breathing, and skin are important too. This is a good time of year to start your body check. Here are a few tricks that work for me, but check with your diabetes team to be sure they are good for you. Or, better yet, create your own routine.

Try a few minutes of flexibility exercises such as knee circles, hanging like a rag doll, gentle twisting of the waist, slow rotation of hips like you are stirring a bowl of molasses in January, and pointing, flexing and circling ankles and wrists. Take in several deep belly breaths through your nose and slowly exhale through the mouth. Try this outdoors in fresh morning air if possible.

What do you think of when you hear the word bones? Calcium probably comes to mind since it has the reputation of building strong bones. It is pretty simple to take in enough good quality calcium in the course of a day to satisfy the recommended daily dose. Eight ounces of soy milk can satisfy 50% of what is needed. Check labels though as amounts vary from different manufacturers. Choose plain or pick from the delicious variety of flavored soymilks. A nice bright ¾ cup of cooked greens, such as spinach, strengthens the bones with 12% of the daily requirement of calcium. Canned salmon and sardines are big contributors to the calcium fund as are sesame and pumpkin seeds.

Many people I speak with who have diabetes complain about dry skin. There are good pure lotions and creams to use to help alleviate this annoyance. It is best to moisturize when the skin is clean and moist after a shower or bath. Spend a little time massaging the lotion into the skin. It is better for absorption, plus what could feel better than a massage! Don’t forget to lather on the sun protection if you go out, especially in the 11 am – 2 pm time zone when the sun damage monsters are in hot pursuit o light into your delicate skin.

Taking care of diabetes can be a very busy and time-consuming deal. By doing a body-check once a month you can, possibly, avoid accidents and damage. I like to use a certain day of the month, the 22nd, to check for bumps, bruises, changes, and irritations. I always remember that day because it’s my birthday. Pick a day you’ll remember and after a few months, it will become integrated as part of your standard operating procedure.

One more thing about preparing for life outdoors: avoid the terrible too’s: TOO MUCH, TOO SOON, TOO FAST, TOO OFTEN. Obviously, don’t go out and run 5 miles if you usually jog a mile or two. Be active, but be safe. You are the keeper of your body and you’ll be with it for a very long time hopefully, being kind to it will reward you with good diabetes control and good health. Now go out and treat your body to a new pair of sneakers for summer. You deserve it!

Part of body awareness is food. Today let’s see what we can come up with in Cyber Kitchen using raspberries and almonds, two powerhouse foods that taste divine while nourishing us with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants.