Say NO To Diabetes | Tips from FROME PERSONAL TRAINER

On the verge of diabetes? Eat right to keep it at bay.

When type 2 diabetes sets in, you can expect a life full of tedious and exact portion control, medications, blood tests, and injections. But what if you could catch diabetes before it ever set in, and thereby avoid all of these potential problems?

Thanks to a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, you can. If you're willing to change your diet.

Know the Numbers

With pre-diabetes, your fasting blood sugar level (level of sugar in your blood) is between 100 and 125 mg/dl. These measurements butt up right against the 126 mg/dl that indicates you're diabetic, and if you don't make some lifestyle changes, you can easily enter the land of diabetes. By watching what you eat, you can actually lower your blood sugar levels, preventing pre-diabetes from turning into type 2 diabetes.

Ready to sidestep diabetes by what you put in your mouth? Then sit down and take notes on your new diet plan.

Eat Less

If you're overweight and have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your first step toward a healthier diet that can reduce your risk for diabetes is to lose weight. The best way to do that is to look at how much you eat every day. Spend time eating out of boredom? You can't do that any more. If you're going to fight off diabetes, you're going to have to eat for energy. That means listening to your stomach and only eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full. A few easy tips to help you do this include drinking a glass of water before each meal, going to bed earlier (this will prevent unhealthy late-night snacking), and chewing your food well and slowly.

Eat Better

Now that you're eating less food each day, you'll need to eat the right kinds of foods if you really want to help your blood sugar. Instead of greasy, fatty foods, go for something a little healthier. This means grilled or broiled instead of fried food, more fruits and vegetables, and leaner cuts of meat. It also means saying no on occasion, but there is good news about your sweet tooth.

Choose Wisely

While you don't want to stock up on cookies and cakes, you don't have to mark them off your list altogether either. With pre-diabetes, the secret to success is moderation and being choosy. That means only having a small slice of cake during very special occasions. And instead of going back for seconds, relish in the piece you had and enjoy it so much that you don't need a second piece.

Choose Daily

In addition to choosing which sweets to eat and when, you've got to make other dietary decisions on a daily or even hourly basis. Should you go with chicken or a hamburger? Baked beans or a salad? Find out what is in different dishes and opt for the option that has less sugar, fat, and calories. Low-fat, low-calorie options not look too appetizing? Then go for the hamburger. But only eat half of it and skip the fries. Tomorrow, give the chicken a try. Or better yet, give up meat one day a week and focus on getting more fruits and vegetables.

Eat Up the Gym

As you probably suspected, what you put in your body doesn't have the final say over whether or not your pre-diabetes will turn into type 2 diabetes. If you want to fend off diabetes and pull yourself out of the pre-diabetic realm, you'll also need to spend some time in the gym.

By working out regularly, you help your body make use of the food you eat each day. That way, your food gets burned off as energy instead of sitting around and increasing your blood sugar levels. So eat well, and make sure you couple your new eating habits with regular physical activity for maximum diabetes-fighting power.

The Common Cold - Tips for staying fit and healthy in Bath!

With cold season around the corner, keep these home remedies on hand to battle your symptoms.

Feeling miserable because of a cold? While bed is calling your name and you know you should listen, duty is calling too loudly to ignore. What can you do to feel better faster? Good question with bad news. Because there is no cure for the common cold. As a virus, it has to run its course, which usually takes one to two weeks.

Thankfully, you don't have to suffer the whole time you have a cold. Numerous home remedies are available for colds and many have been around for centuries. Here are a few ways to help alleviate your discomfort.

Drink, Drink, Drink

It is important to hydrate with plenty of water or other liquids. While you can't flush a virus out of your system, fluids help break up congestion and keep your throat moist. Water, ginger ale, fruit drinks, and sports drinks are helpful, but avoid caffeinated drinks such as soda and coffee, as these can actually cause dehydration.

Especially beneficial for relieving nasal congestion and a sore throat are hot liquids such as clear broth, warm lemon water, and herbal tea with a teaspoon of honey. If congestion is preventing you from sleeping, a good old-fashioned hot toddy may help. Just make some hot tea and add in a small shot (one ounce) of bourbon or whiskey.

Increase the Humidity

Winter is the cold season partly because cold viruses spread rapidly in dry conditions. Also, when the air is dry, so are your mucous membranes. This results in a stuffy nose and a sore, scratchy throat. A helpful remedy is breathing in warm, moist air through your nose. You can do this either with a humidifier or a pot of boiling water on the stove. If you use a humidifier, keep the filters clean and change the water daily. If you breathe steam from boiling water, be careful not to burn yourself.

Taking a hot, steamy shower in a closed bathroom is another way to relieve congestion, moisturize your throat, and relax. Even sitting in the bathroom while the shower is running will help.

Salt Water

What can you do with the salt found on your kitchen table? First of all, you can dissolve one-half to one-quarter teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water. Gargle this mixture four times a day to relieve your scratchy, sore throat. To make it work even better, add a little honey to the mixture.

Secondly, salt water can be used to irrigate your nose. While this may sound unpleasant, many people rely on it to relieve nasal congestion. The salt water helps to break up the mucous and remove the virus from your nose. Mix one-quarter teaspoon of salt and one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda with eight ounces of warm, clean water. Lean your head over a sink, hold one nostril closed, and use a bulb syringe filled with the salt water to gently squirt the mixture into your other nostril. Let the liquid drain out. Repeat this several times, and then switch to the other side.

Nose Care

Nasal congestion can make you feel miserable. And while you may have more important things to do than blow your nose, it is important to regularly blow your nose instead of sniffing the mucous back into your nose. When you blow, blow gently out of one nostril, while pressing the other side closed. This prevents the germy mucous from getting into your ear passages, which can result in an earache.

If your nose is rubbed raw from frequent blowing, use a salve containing menthol, camphor, or eucalyptus to relieve the pain. These ingredients all have numbing properties and help open your breathing passages. You can also alleviate your pain by applying a hot pack to your sinuses. Use reusable hot packs bought at the store or a damp washcloth heated in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Before placing on your face, test the temperature of the hot pack or washcloth.

Prevent a stroke- Good Health Tips in Bath

Maintain your mobility, communication ability, and quality of life - for the rest of your life.

Want to live life to the fullest, enjoying your children and grandchildren for years to come?

Then you're going to have to take some steps today to give yourself the greatest possible protection against a life-changing or life-threatening stroke tomorrow and well into the future.

What can you do to arm yourself against one of the leading causes of disability across the globe? You're about to find out.

Put Your Food Where Your Mouth Is

As with most conditions, one of the first places to look for protection against stroke is your mouth. Pay careful attention to what you're putting in it every day, and do your best to make sure you're filling up with as much good stuff as possible.

Wondering what the good stuff is? It's what mama always told you to eat: fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Get at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and your likelihood of suffering a stroke drops drastically. At the same time you're amping up your good food intake, it's a good idea to curb your appetite for salty foods and foods that have saturated fat or hydrogenated fat, as these can actually lead to stroke.

Keep the Bad Stuff Away

Now that you know what you should be eating, there are a couple things you'll need to avoid putting in your mouth that aren't foods. The first is cigarettes. Despite what they may do for your mood, your nerves, or your image, smoking wreaks havoc on your entire body, including the arteries that go through your neck. When these arteries are clogged and damaged, stroke can result.

Second on the chopping block is alcohol. No, you don't have to cut alcohol out of your life altogether. But you do have to be smart about your consumption of it. Drink no more than a couple glasses of alcohol each day, and do your best to avoid high-calorie alcoholic beverages. These may taste good going down, but they don't help your body avoid stroke once they settle into your belly.

Work It Out Often

So you're eating the right foods, you've stopped smoking, and you're drinking more responsibly. However, there's still something else you should be doing every day to help your body fight against a potential stroke. You've got to get out from behind your computer desk, step away from your kitchen table, get up off the couch, and go to your local gym for a rigorous workout.

Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, and you can reduce your risk for stroke by nearly 25 percent. Sound too good to be true? Talk with your physician to see what he or she thinks. Or better yet - get in the gym and start working out more regularly, with more intensity. The way you'll feel after a few good workouts should be enough to convince you that your routine is indeed leading to the greatest level of stroke protection you've ever enjoyed.

What You'll See

Recognizing stroke is key to a full recovery. Someone who is in the midst of a stroke will experience the sudden onset of the following:

•                difficulty speaking

•                severe headache with no known cause

•                confusion or difficulty understanding speech

•                changes in vision

•                loss of movement, tingling, weakness, or numbness in the face, arm, or leg - especially on only one side of the body

•                problems walking or maintaining balance

If any of these symptoms exist, don't waste time sitting around. Get to the hospital immediately. There is a short window of time following a stroke that allows the sufferer to sidestep many long-term consequences, but you've got to move fast.