Recently I have heard a lot about how sudden health problems can trigger people to take action in their lives and how it can really motivate change. A lady in work had a minor stroke in which the doctor put down to stress and a sedentary lifestyle. This experience obviously frightened her, so after coming home from hospital she began eating a healthy diet and has started exercising more, she even asked me for advice on a training split. Shortly after hearing about this I was watching the London Real interview with Cara Santana and she said that her near death experience is what forced her to finally stop using drugs and alcohol. This made me think about how many of us take our health for granted.
I am speaking from experience here, too. Before I was diabetic I had very little perception of how I valued my health before. I mean, I ate a fairly good diet and I exercised, but like most young people these days, I used to drink and smoke a lot. This was definitely more so when I was younger, but when I was diagnosed I stopped smoking completely and I now I rarely drink alcohol. Maybe once every couple of months, for special occasions or if I’m on holiday.
I suppose the reasons for not drinking as often is because I feel like I have to cherish those moments of health and feeling good. Living with diabetes you never know when blood sugar is going to play the high or low game which will make me feel like shit, both mentally and physically.
When people say that you should find the good in everything, I think that this is why I can find the one good thing about diabetes. It makes me very aware of my health and I work harder every single day to achieve the feeling of health. I think people living with diabetes really have to look long and hard at what is effecting them. Blood glucose elevation due to stress, overeating, undereating, over exercising etc. There is a lot to think about.
It’s sad that for some people it’s too late. They have seen minor warning signs over and over again. If you’re reading this and you mistreat yourself, please think about one thing you could change today that would give you the opportunity to live a healthier life for longer. Don’t wait for a diagnosis or a near death experience to give you a kick up the bum.
On a more positive note, exciting news! My book Diabetes and Healthy, Active Living is now on sale at Amazon where you can purchase it for only $2.99. It’s packed with useful information for weight loss, muscle gain, maintenance, macronutrients, reverse dieting and how to prevent binge eating. Get your copy today and let me know what you think.
Rowena x
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