Live Well. Work Well: Understanding and Managing Diabetes

NOVEMBER 2024 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER Live Well. Work Well. What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic health condition that Addressing Diabetes affects how your body is able to turn food into To properly manage diabetes, it’s important to energy. The food you eat is broken down into do the following: sugar (glucose) and released into your bloodstream. As your blood sugar goes up, Eat healthy. Enjoy a diet rich in fruits, your pancreas releases insulin. This allows the vegetables, lean proteins and whole blood sugar to enter your body’s cells for use as grains, avoiding foods high in saturated energy. A person with diabetes doesn’t make fats and refined carbohydrates. enough insulin or can’t properly use insulin. There are two main types of diabetes: Stay physically active. Moving your • Type 1 occurs when your pancreas doesn’t body lowers your blood sugar level by produce enough insulin. This type of moving sugar into your cells where it’s diabetes is usually diagnosed in children, used for energy. It’s important to aim teens and young adults, but it can develop at for at least 30 minutes of movement a any age. day. • Type 2 occurs when your cells don’t respond normally to insulin, which is known as insulin Manage stressors. Taking time to relax resistance. Out of the 34 million Americans and unplug naturally decreases your with diabetes, approximately 90%-95% of cortisol levels. To destress try a relaxing them have Type 2 diabetes. activity, practice gratitude, learn to Diabetes Symptoms establish boundaries and/or focus on mindfulness breathwork techniques. Diabetes symptoms vary depending on how Consistent sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours of much your blood sugar is elevated. People with consistent sleep each day with the help Type 2 diabetes may not initially experience any of a relaxing bedtime routine, a cool symptoms. However, those with Type 1 diabetes sleep environment and by limiting may experience severe symptoms that can screen time. develop in a short amount of time. Signs and symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes may include excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow-healing sores.

NOVEMBER 2024 LIVE WELL. WORK WELL. NEWSLETTER: Daylight Saving Time and Your Health Making the Most of the Most of the United States shifts between Season standard and daylight-saving time (DST) each Fall is a season of transition, making it a year in an effort to “save” natural light. Clocks good time for building resilience and will get set one hour back on Sunday, Nov. 3. practicing mindfulness. Trees shed their Although you may be excited about gaining leaves, and the days grow shorter; this another hour in your day, DST can wreak havoc natural process may mirror personal on your physical and cognitive health for several lives, where change is inevitable. days, weeks or even months. Consider the following ways to work The disruption of DST can negatively impact with the energy of fall to amplify your your health. Your internal clock regulates critical mindfulness practice: processes, including the immune system. • Start each day with an intention. Interruptions to the circadian rhythm, your People often set goals and intentions body’s 24-hour biological cycle that regulates seasonally, making fall the perfect wake and sleep, can also impair your focus and time to refocus your time and judgment. In fact, research revealed that fatal energy. Setting intentions can help traffic accidents increased by 6% in the week align your values with your purpose. following DST. Fortunately, there are ways to increase your odds of a smooth DST transition. • Keep a gratitude journal. Make a While you may be tempted to use the extra hour daily habit of noting what you’re to indulge in various activities, health experts grateful for during the fall. Reflecting recommend using that time for sleep. To help on these moments of gratitude can make the DST transition easier, consider going help you appreciate the season more to bed 15-20 minutes early in the days deeply. beforehand to help your body get used to the • Practice meditation. Take a difference. If you have specific health concerns, moment each day to meditate and talk to your doctor. practice deep, mindful breathing. This exercise can help you stay grounded and calm during the Help Your Body Adjust to the Time busyness of the season. Change • Cook a seasonal recipe. Savor the seasonal flavors and cook a delicious homemade meal or bake a sweet treat. Fall flavors (e.g., apple, pumpkin, maple, ginger, cinnamon Exercise in Prioritize Keep a Remove sleep and sage) can add a comforting the morning sunlight consistent disturbances touch to your cooking. exposure sleep routine