Building Muscles Benefits Diabetes Patients

In a recent article in ScienceDaily, research findings reinforce that you can get the same results by weight training at a lower intensity but with more repetitions than lifting strictly high intensity weights.

Photo Credit: World Health

Why is this important?

Nicholas Burd, lead author in the study, states that, "these findings have important implications from a public health standpoint because skeletal muscle mass is a large contributor to daily energy expenditure and it assists in weight management. Additionally, skeletal muscle mass, because of its overall size, is the primary site of blood sugar disposal and thus will likely play a role in reducing the risk for development of type II diabetes." A UCLA study suggests that having more muscle mass decreases one’s risk for Type 2 Diabetes and other physical limitations. It decreases one’s risk by increasing metabolism and controlling insulin.

Individuals with compromised skeletal muscle mass, like the aged, patients with cancer and even someone who has had a stroke can benefit from these findings. It's motivating knowing that you can lift lighter weights and still have similar muscle mass as those who lift heavy weights.

Recommendations 

The American Diabetes Association and the American College of Sports and Medicine recommend weight training at least twice a week, doing 12 repetitions per set of eight to 10 exercises targeting major muscle groups.

According to an article in Everyday Health, strength training protects against various problems of diabetes by:

·         Reducing your risk of heart disease

·         Helping control blood pressure

·         Increasing your levels of good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol levels

·         Improving bone density

·         Preventing atrophy and loss of muscle mass due to age

Resources

For more info on Exercise and Diabetes

For Exercise programs visit LiveStrong

How Much Is A Cup of Fruits & Vegetables?

Here at Moveable Feast, we have wonderful full-time Dietitians overseeing the menu and portions of our client meals. The rest of us, however, still wonder if we are getting it right sometimes. To help us all, here is a great go-to visual aid showing us 1/2 cup and 1 cup serving sizes of fruits and veggies.

How much is a cup? Here are some examples…

This image and more information can be found at: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=63  (©2008-2012 Produce for Better Health Foundation. All rights reserved.)

Feeding More People

Early this month, Moveable Feast expanded our list of community partnerships and clients by joining forces with Feeding the People, a local non-profit that provides services for low-income diabetics.

Moveable Feast is pleased to provide diabetic-appropriate meals for up to ten Baltimore area clients, the cost of which is subsidized by Feeding the People. If you yourself or any friends or family members struggle with diabetes, you know how important nutrition is in maintaining both day-to-day and long-term health.

As noted on Feeding the People’s website, low income diabetics face three major obstacles to managing their nutritional needs:

1.       The high cost of fresh, unprocessed whole foods;

2.       The prohibitive expense of frequent trips to the grocery store to purchase perishable foods; and

3.       The lack of intensive, ongoing, nutritional guidance and education.

As poorly managed diets can lead diabetics to have a number of serious complications, including obesity, kidney disease and strokes, the meals we provide, paired with the education and support services offered by Feeding the People, will save lives.

To learn more about the great work Feeding the People is doing, click here.