EM Resources / Newsletter / Health Topics

• Metabolism: Is Yours Running?
• Five Ways to Increas Your Metabolism
• What't Your Blood Pressure?
• Optimal Heart Rate
• How Old Are You Really?
• Your Skin—Anatomy 101
• Six Skin Care Tips
• What's My Cholesterol?
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids—What Are They??
• Summertime Suncare
• What is Your BMI?
• What is Diabetes?

Article #1) Metabolism: Is Yours Running?

Most everyone these days has heard about metabolism. The question is do you fully understand what it is and how it affects your body? Metabolism is a complicated process that can be difficult to explain and understand. In simple terms metabolism monitors how many calories we burn off in a day, which affects our weight gain or weight loss. If you have a fast metabolism, you are expending more energy throughout the day and will have a tendency to lose weight. If your metabolism is slower, you will have a greater tendency to gain weight and it will be difficult for you to lose weight.

Regardless, metabolism is a crucial process your body undergoes every second of every day. This process is the amount of energy burned by your body to maintain itself. Metabolism is a series of chemical reactions that takes place in your body's cells to convert the food we eat into the energy needed to power everything we do. Whether you are eating, drinking, sitting, exercising, sleeping or even cleaning, your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.

It's important to know that metabolism is a constant process. It happens from the moment you are conceived to the moment you die, every second of every day. In a matter of one second there are over a thousand metabolic reactions occurring in your body. To take a breath or have a heartbeat alone requires hundreds of metabolic processes and these are things we don't even think of.

Metabolism is affected by nutrition, hydration and physical activity. Each of these items is critical to optimal metabolic health. When any one of these is lacking, the metabolic rate decreases. Consequently, weight loss and weight maintenance are directly related to a healthy metabolism.

Your resting metabolism, called your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), is a measure of your body's ability to burn energy in the form of calories while at rest. Right now, while you are reading this email, you are burning calories. Even if you stayed in bed all day, you would burn calories. How many calories you burn is determined by your BMR. If you exercise or increase your activity level, you can increase your BMR. I want you to use the metabolism calculator at the end of the article. This calculator measures your resting metabolic rate and your activity level. Combined, they show you roughly how many calories you burn each day. Take a moment to try it out; it will help you understand the remainder of the article.

You should have been given a number. For simplicity sake, let's say it was 2,000. This number represents the amount of calories you need to take in each day to maintain your weight. If your goal is to lose some weight, you should reduce your caloric intake by 200 - 300 calories and increase your intensity of exercise or type of exercise you are doing to expend an additional 200 - 300 calories. This will ensure you are not cutting too many calories. If you cut too many calories, your body will naturally lower your BMR by going into starvation mode. Most people who cut an exorbitant amount of calories when they diet scare their own body. The body thinks you are trying to starve it, so it will lower the metabolism significantly. After a period of time you may decide that eating like a bird is no longer enjoyable and decide to start eating normally. Unfortunately, your body does not adjust its metabolism automatically, so your metabolism remains lowered, but you are eating more so you will experience "rebound" weight gain.

Always respect your body by practicing moderation in everything. Eat a good balance of food and if your goal is to reduce weight or body fat percentages make sure you are not cutting too many calories. Good luck!

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Article #2) Five Ways to Increase Your Metabolism

1. Increase muscle mass: The most important factor in keeping your metabolism fired up is gaining lean body mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Studies have shown that one pound of muscle burns six calories a day, whereas one pound of fat burns two calories a day. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn in a day. Spend, at the minimum 30 - 45 minutes daily strength training or circuit training. Take the stairs not the elevator. Go for a walk over your lunch hour.
2. Adequate sleep: Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep to achieve an optimal amount of rest. Maintaining adequate amounts of rest will result in greater health benefits like boosting your immune system so you will be able to fight off infections and diseases and improving appearance as your skin, muscles, blood and brain regenerate during your sleep cycle. While we sleep hormones like melatonin and growth hormone are produced, which have a positive effect on our body tissues and metabolism. Growth hormone keeps our fat reserves at a healthy level by moving fat to use for energy. This allows our body to use protein for muscle growth versus being broken down. Melatonin helps to maintain a natural sleep cycle, allowing our body's to regenerate.
   
   If we skimp on sleep or try sleeping in conditions that are less than optimal (i.e. highly lit rooms, noise, etc.), a reduction in growth hormone can occur. This can lead to a lowered metabolism and reduced cell growth in our bodies.
   
   With reduced sleep follows increased stress on our bodies. The more stress we are under the greater amount of cortisol is produced. Cortisol is a hormone produced in the brain that is involved in the response to stress. Cortisol causes an increased appetite even with adequate food intake. This can lead to more weight gain and a slower metabolism. Do yourself a favor and get some rest!
3. Don't skip meals: Start your day off right by eating breakfast. This will wake up your digestive system and fire up your metabolism. Continue to sustain an active metabolism by eating five to six small meals throughout the day. Spacing meals about three hours apart will ensure that you don't suffer energy crashes and will keep your metabolism revved throughout the day.
4. Try a cup of green tea: Green tea increases the body's metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation. The compounds in green tea speed up the rate at which calories are burned and therefore increase overall energy expenditure, leading to weight loss.
5. Proper protein intake: Protein is a building block for muscle. If you are exercising, you should be taking in 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. This may seem a little confusing so I'll use myself as an example.

I weigh 182 pounds. To convert pounds to kilograms divide weight by 2.2. So, I weigh 182 pounds and I divide this by 2.2 giving me a calculation of 82kg. I then take my weight in kilograms and multiply this by 1.2, which equals 98 grams of protein. I need 98 grams of protein daily to sustain and build lean muscle tissue.

By eating the recommended amount of protein for your weight, you will release more glucagon, a hormone that facilitates fat loss. Balance your protein intake with five to six servings of fruits and vegetables and some whole grains daily.

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Article #3) What's Your Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure seems to be a hot topic in the world of health lately. Do you know what your blood pressure is? If not it would be good to get a baseline soon. High blood pressure has been called the silent killer because it does not present with symptoms until it is too late, meaning you've already had a heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure.

What exactly is blood pressure you ask? Blood pressure is the amount of force the blood applies to the walls of the arteries as it flows through them. It's normal for blood pressure to increase when you exert yourself, or when you feel stressed or anxious. However, if your blood pressure is consistently high this is termed high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

As blood is pumped from your heart throughout the body, it carries oxygen and nutrients that are essential. As a result of the pumping action of the heart and the size and flexibility of the arteries that carry blood, the blood is under pressure. This blood pressure is an essential and normal part of the way the body works.

Measuring blood pressure is one way of assessing your risk of health problems, particularly the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Blood pressure tends to rise with age. When a nurse or doctor takes your blood pressure, the result is expressed as two numbers, such as 120/80 (one hundred and twenty over eighty). The top figure - the systolic blood pressure - is a measure of the pressure when your heart muscle is contracted and pumping blood. The bottom figure - the diastolic blood pressure - is the pressure when the heart is relaxed and filling with blood.

A blood pressure of 120/80 is considered normal. If your blood pressure is 140/90 or greater you should consult your physician. Currently 1 in 3 Americans have high blood pressure. While there is no known cause of high blood pressure there have been risk factors highly correlated with high blood pressure. These risk factors consist of your age, the older you are the greater your chances of developing high blood pressure. Your sex, men are at a greater risk of developing high blood pressure than women, that is until a women enters menopause, then the incidence of men and women equal out. Your race, African Americans are more predisposed than Caucasians.

While you can't change your age, sex, race, or family history there are risk factors that you can influence positively which will assist in controlling your blood pressure. Here are five factors you can work on.

1. Weight—Being overweight is a major factor in having high blood pressure. Losing excess weight is the most important step you can take in lowering high blood pressure. After checking out various websites I found the following site to be useful in calculating your "ideal" weight. Check it out at: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
2. Smoking—Each time you smoke a cigarette, your blood pressure rises. Nicotine causes a narrowing in small blood vessels, making blood flow more difficult. Smoking increases your risk of coronary heart disease.
3. Exercise—A lack of activity results in poor cardiovascular health. Exercise strengthens your heart, lungs, and muscles, relieves stress, and helps lower blood pressure. I recommend a minimum of 4 days of cardiovascular exercise and 3 days of resistance training.
4. Eating—A diet high in fat and cholesterol increases the risk for high blood pressure. In addition, salt sensitivity can lead to an increase in body fluids, increasing pressure in your blood vessels. Most people consume more salt (aka sodium) than they need. This comes in the form of processed or canned foods. Also, recent findings suggest that potassium may be protective in blood pressure management. Bananas and other fruit are good sources of potassium. Also cutting back on your alcohol intake will assist in lowering your chances of developing high blood pressure.
5. Stress—Who doesn't have stress? Emotional stress, frustration, and feelings of futility contribute to high blood pressure. Physical tension caused by anger, especially holding anger in, can contribute to increased blood pressure.

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Article #4) Optimal Heart Rate

Do you know what your heart rate is doing throughout the day? How about while you are active or exercising? One of the biggest challenges I find with individuals is they have no idea what their HR is while they are working out.

It is important to know your optimal heart rate zone where you will burn a greater percentage of body fat. If you aren't training in that zone you just aren't burning the calories you need to lose body fat. So many times I see individuals at the gym leisurely pedaling on the stationary bike, many times reading a magazine article on how to lose weight. If the article was any good it would say to put the magazine down and pedal faster! As long as you are putting in the time, get the most out of it. For instance, if you have two 35 year old individuals ride a bike for 25 minutes, and one of them maintains a HR of 120 and the other a HR of 150, who is burning the most calories? You got it, as long as you are putting in the time, get the most out of the effort.

By maintaining an elevated HR you will burn more calories and have a greater percent loss of body fat. The exercise will also help in lowering your blood pressure. To calculate your optimal heart rate zone and to learn how to take your pulse click on the link at the end of the article.

Sometimes I have clients that have a difficult time finding their pulse while exercising. What should you do then? Another option is to use what is called the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). This is a scale where you rate how hard you feel you are working. The scale has been found to have a correlation to your heart rate. The scale ranges from 6 - 20. Where 6 = No exertion at all and 20 = maximum exertion. I recommend exercising between 12 - 14 which equals a rating of somewhat hard. I make sure my clients are at a level 12 as a low point for the majority of their training routine.

Maintaining an effort level of 12 will ensure your heart rate is elevated enough to be in your optimal heart rate zone. As your level of conditioning increases you will be able to train in higher zones and attain improved results. Copy the following link to learn more on the RPE scale: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/measuring/ perceived_exertion.htm

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Article #5) How Old Are You Really?

It's not how old you are, it's how you are old." ~ unknown.

A client of mine preaches that quote and lives it too! In his 70's he was still playing basketball pick up games against 30 and 40 year olds! I admire his commitment to a healthy lifestyle.

In today's world, it seems as if everyone is trying to look and feel younger. Billions of dollars are spent on products to do just that. Whether it is wrinkle creams or energy pills, botox or human growth hormones, or any number of other products offered to accomplish the goal of feeling younger.

Our lifestyle and the little things we do each day will also determine how we look and feel 10, 15, 20 or 30 years down the road. Take a look at your current lifestyle to see if you are creating a balance. Are you eating properly, exercising regularly, fostering healthy relationships with those around you, enjoying the work you do, practicing your faith and being responsible with your finances?

Doing little things each day, to improve your health, can add quality years onto your life. Are you aware of the impact that your life choices will have 10 years down the road? Take a moment to sit down and complete the Real Age test. It will give you an idea of how old you really are. For example, chronologically you may be 50 years old, but by not smoking, not drinking excessively, getting enough rest, exercising and following a healthy diet, your body systems may be that of a 38 year old. However, if you have done the opposite and disrespected your health and wellbeing, you may have the body of a 65 year old.

The real age test is a great way to find out where you are and it offers simple suggestions on how you can start to improve your health today. Click on the link http://www.realage.com/

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Article #6) Your Skin - Anatomy 101

Part of looking and feeling younger is having healthy skin. Our skin is part of the integumentary system. I know that is a mouthful. The integumentary system is actually the largest organ system in our body, composing up to 15% of our body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you are carrying around 22.5 pounds of skin! Humans shed about 1.5 million skin cells every hour, completely regenerating a new skin surface in about a month. I find those numbers to be fascinating!

Our skin is actually composed of three layers; the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous layer.

The epidermis is the outside layer. This is what you see when you look at your skin. Truth be told, what you see is all dead skin cells. The growing skin cells are located at the bottom of the epidermis. Your epidermis protects you from infections, the rays of the sun (through melanin cells) and other outside intruders.

The dermis, a thicker inner layer, lies just beneath the epidermis. The dermis is made up of connective tissue that contains collagen, protein, blood and lymph vessels, nerves and glands. Our skin recognizes pain with the nerve endings in the dermis. When you touch something warm or cold, soft or hard the nerve endings send a message to your brain about what you are touching. The blood vessels housed in the dermis bring nutrients to damaged areas to promote healing. Sweating is a function of the body that originates in the dermis. Our sweat glands are found in the dermis and come up through pores in our skin. So when you are working hard, you now know where the sweat is coming from. Releasing sweat is another way our body protects us; by releasing heat to maintain a constant internal temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

The subcutaneous layer is the bottom most layer of your skin. It is mostly fat and connects our skin to the underlying muscles and tissues. Our hair follicles begin in the subcutaneous layer and work their way up to the dermis. Yep, this is the layer the majority of people are trying to get rid of. It comes in the form of "love handles" around the abdomen and "extra cushioning" on the bum.

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Article #7) Six Skin Care Tips

1. Stay fit Exercise increases circulation of blood, which brings oxygen to your tissues and keeps skin looking young. Better circulation also means you are clearing your pores as you sweat.
2. Vitamin A intake Foods high in vitamin A help to keep your skin healthy. Benefits of vitamin A include reducing the appearance of acne, wrinkles, and other skin problems. The following foods are loaded with vitamin A. Sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, spinach, dried apricots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese.
3. Drink water Water helps to keep your cells hydrated, including your skin cells. You should take in about half of your body weight in ounces a day, especially in the warm summer months while you are exercising. If you weigh 160 pounds, try and take in 80 ounces of water a day.
4. Stay out of the sun Sun is a major factor of premature wrinkles. Don't believe me, take a look at your butt, do you see any wrinkles there? Kidding! After allowing yourself the 15 minutes of Vitamin D that the sun provides, it is time to lather up with sunscreen. Use a SPF of 30 - 45. Your skin will thank you for it in the future. And when you look into the mirror at 60, you will see a 45 year old looking back.
5. Wash your face daily This will ensure your pores are clean. Avoid using bar soap on your face, as it will dry your skin. Use a cleanser with some oil, which will help keep your skin hydrated. To wash your face properly (I had no idea there was a proper way to wash my face until my fiancée educated me!), use warm water to loosen dirt and clogged pores. Use a dime-sized bit of cleanser, rinse with cool or lukewarm water. Ladies out there, I'm sure you never go to bed with your make up on, make sure you use makeup remover prior to washing your face.
6. Limit sugar intake Too much sugar consumption causes an increase in blood sugar levels, which in turn, triggers a process called glycation. Glycation is a cellular inflammation that creates free radical formation, which destroys collagen and elastin, leading to increased wrinkles.

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Article #8) What's my cholesterol?

Do you know what your cholesterol levels are? Do you know what cholesterol is and how it affects your body? Cholesterol is a type of fatty substance that functions to produce hormones, which is important for our bodies, wouldn't you agree? However, when too much cholesterol circulates in the blood it leads to atherosclerosis and an increased risk of heart disease. In America, heart disease is the number killer of men and women, 1 in nearly every 3 people will die of heart disease. And it is preventable!

Blood cholesterol refers to the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream; dietary cholesterol is the cholesterol consumed in food.

There are two types of cholesterol: High density lipoprotein (HDL) "good" and low density lipoprotein (LDL) "bad". Your HDL carries cholesterol away from arteries, while too much LDL can clog your arteries and increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Get a baseline! If you don't know what your cholesterol levels are, meet with your physician and find out. It is very easy and could save your life. A desirable level would be less than 200mg/dL. Borderline high cholesterol is 200 - 239. Anything above 240 is placing you at a higher risk for a visit from "Mr. Grim Reaper".

What can you do to prevent high cholesterol? First proper nutrition, eat more fruits and vegetables and cut back on red meats, poultry, eggs, butter, and cheese (all the good stuff huh?). Omega - 3 fatty acids are beneficial to your heart, and are important in reducing the chances of heart disease. Of course exercising at least 30 minutes a day is a must and can reduce cholesterol levels as well.

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Article #9) Omega-3 Fatty Acids—What are they???

Omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent blood cells from clumping. This can reduce the formation of blood clots that can be a cause of a heart attack or stroke. They also regulate the rate of cell division and the dilation and constriction of blood vessels.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish such as tuna, mackerel, sardines, and salmon. Trust me, I'm not touching the sardines either. However, I try to eat three servings of fish a week. If you find you are just not able to get fish in your diet, try a supplement of fish oil. Make sure it contains EPA and DHA, which are two types of Omega-3 fatty acids.

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Article #10) Summertime Suncare

Summertime usually means sunshine. That is, of course unless you live in Seattle! Actually, we are close to approaching the four months the sun peeks out on a regular basis. Over time I have learned to appreciate how the sun warms the body. The sun truly is therapeutic.

Are you getting enough sunlight and on the flip side of that are you getting too much sun? The sun provides both positive and negative effects on our body. The sun provides ultraviolet rays (specifically UVB rays) which produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for strong bones and muscles. Vitamin D has also been shown to be a preventative measure against cancer, depression and other health problems.

Unfortunately, there is a flip side to the sun and that is it can cause skin cancer. The intensity of UVB rays can cause changes in the epidermis, which cause cancer.

"Sunshine is a welcome thing. It brings a lot of brightness." ~Jimmie Davis

Everyone I know has a story of how they went on vacation and got so burned they were unable to leave the hotel because their body hurt so much. Don't be that person this year. Respect your skin while you are in the sun this summer with the following strategies:

1. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.
2. Apply sunscreen thirty minutes before sun exposure, it takes that long for the sunscreen to be absorbed into your skin.
3. Reapply sunscreen every two to three hours depending on your activity and reapply after swimming, excessive sweating or toweling off.
4. Apply daily facial lotion with an SPF of 15, it has been shown to prevent skin damage, wrinkles and age spots.

Now you are ready to absorb the sun's rays and protect your skin at the same time.

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Article #11) What is your BMI?

Have you heard of BMI? BMI is an abbreviation for body mass index. BMI is a tool used to determine if your weight is in an appropriate range in proportion to your height.

Many health care professionals and personal trainers use BMI as a tool for addressing weight management. Your BMI is a ratio between your height and weight, it does not take into account your body fat percentage. However it is a quick way to assess if you are in an appropriate weight range. Check out the following web link to calculate your BMI:

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

Your weight is the result of several factors:

1. How much and what kinds of food you eat
2. Whether your lifestyle includes regular physical activity
3. Whether you use food to respond to stress and other situations in your life
4. Your physiologic and genetic make-up
5. Your age and health status.

Remember this is just a gauge, if you are not satisfied with which range you are in set some goals and start improving your nutritional intake and exercise amounts.

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Article #12) What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. When you eat a food, let's say an apple for simplicity sake, the apple is digested in your stomach and broken down into glucose, which is a sugar. The sugar is then absorbed from your intestines into your blood stream in the form of glucose. I'm sure you've heard of the term blood sugars before. Your blood sugar is important in providing energy to your cells. When your blood sugars are low, you may feel weak, lethargic, light headed or even nauseated. I have worked with many clients who have skipped eating a meal prior to exercising and as a result, they "bonk" or hit the wall and have to stop working out. This is because their blood sugars are too low and they have no energy.

Diabetes is a disease in which the blood sugars remain elevated. Let's say you eat that apple or perhaps apple pie. Your blood sugars will in turn spike shortly thereafter. If you are not going to be exercising or active, your cells don't need any glucose to fuel them. This is when your body releases insulin. Insulin is a hormone released from your pancreas into the blood stream. Once there, it assists glucose in being transported to your cells, primarily your muscle and liver cells. People with type 1 diabetes produce no insulin. People with type 2 diabetes do not always produce enough insulin.

Types of Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes: The body stops producing insulin or produces too little insulin to regulate blood glucose level. Current statistics report type 1 diabetes comprises about 10% of total cases of diabetes in the United States. Type 1 diabetes is typically recognized in childhood or adolescence. Individuals with type 1 diabetes require daily insulin for their bodies to function.

Type 2 Diabetes: The pancreas functions properly, as it produces and secretes insulin, however the body is partially or completely unable to use the insulin. This is referred to as insulin resistance. The body tries to overcome this resistance by secreting more and more insulin. People with insulin resistance develop type 2 diabetes when they do not continue to secrete enough insulin to cope with the higher demands. At least 90% of patients with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes: Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during the second half of pregnancy. While gestational diabetes typically goes away after childbirth, women who have gestational diabetes are more likely than other women to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Diabetes is a serious disease, which is taken too lightly. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, adult blindness, and non-traumatic amputations, and a leading cause of nerve damage, stroke, and heart attacks. In 2002, diabetes accounted for more than $132 billion in health-care costs in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes has almost tripled in the United States from 493,000 in 1980 to 1.4 million in 2005 in the number of adults aged 18-79. It is reported that a total of 20.8 million individuals in the United States are diabetic! That number is equivalent to 7% of the population. I find those statistics to be both staggering and unfortunate.

Symptoms

On average, people have type 2 diabetes for four to seven years before they're diagnosed. One of the difficulties in properly diagnosing diabetes is the symptoms can seem harmless and often normal. The following are the most common symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Increased fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurry vision

If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms or a combination, you may want to consult your physician.

There are two main tests used to measure the presence of blood sugar problems. The first is a direct measurement of glucose levels in the blood during an overnight fast. The other is a measurement of the body's ability to handle the excess sugar presented after drinking a high glucose drink.

Naturally occurring fluctuations in blood sugar happen throughout the day due to varying activity levels, the types of and how much food we eat. For most people, healthy blood sugar levels are:

On waking up (before breakfast).....................80 to 120
Before meals............................................80 to 120
2 hours after meals...................................160 or less
At bedtime.............................................100 to 140

When a physician completes a blood glucose test and it reveals a number above 200, the individual is likely to be diagnosed as diabetic.

Risk Factors

While the risk factors for type 1 diabetes are largely unknown, there are some definite risk factors for type 2.

1. Obesity—An excessively high body weight increases your chances of contracting diabetes. The Body Mass Index is a quick easy way to gauge if you are carrying around the proper weight for your height. Check out the following link for a BMI calculator:
   http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm
   
   A BMI greater than 27 indicates a risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and other health problems, which include cardiovascular disease, and contributing to premature death. As the implications of the BMI are not the same for everyone, you should discuss your BMI with your physician if it is too high (or low) according to the chart.
2. Thick Waistline—Johns Hopkins scientists reviewed data from 27,270 men, tracked over 13 years and put them into five groups according to their waist size; 884 of the men had diabetes. Compared to those in the group with the smallest waists, 29-34 inches, men with larger waist sizes were at least twice as likely to have diabetes. The test subjects with the largest waist size, 40 inches and above, were up to 12 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes, the kind associated with obesity.
3. Age—Age increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Though this statement is still very true, attention should be paid to our children as well. Research indicates that the occurrence of diabetes is on the rise for children and adolescents. It is becoming epidemic in the numbers of children who are now affected by this disease. The rise can be attributed to poor nutrition and an extremely sedentary lifestyle.
4. Family History—The genetic link for type 2 diabetes is stronger than the genetic link for type 1. Having a blood relative with type 2 diabetes, increases risk. If that person is a parent, sibling or child the risk is even higher.

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