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Taking Steps Against Diabetes
November is National Diabetes Awareness
Month, a reminder that by taking
the necessary steps, many Americans can
prevent incurring the disease. According
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), 79 million of us have prediabetes
and may develop diabetes later in
life. New research suggests that inactivity,
along with an overly refined diet, impairs
the body’s control of blood sugar levels
and may play a key role in the development of Type 2 diabetes.
“We now have evidence that physical activity is an important part of the daily
maintenance of glucose levels,” advises John Thyfault, Ph.D., an assistant professor
at the University of Missouri-Columbia, whose new study monitored the activity
levels and diets of healthy and moderately active young adults. He concluded that,
“Even in the short term, reducing daily activity and ceasing regular exercise causes
acute changes in the body associated with diabetes, which can occur before
weight gain and the development of obesity.”
The CDC reports that 25 percent of Americans have inactive lifestyles, taking
fewer than 5,000 steps a day, instead of a recommended 10,000 steps. Seventyfive
percent do not meet the weekly exercise recommendations of 150 minutes of
moderate activity, combined with a muscle-strengthening activity twice a week.
While regular exercise is crucial in preventing the disease, so is diet. Research
led by scientist Patrice Carter, at the University of Leicester, in England, has found
that cutting down on high-fat, high-sugar foods and refined grains while eating more
green leafy vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Her study, published online in the British Medical Journal, states that an extra
serving of green leafy vegetables a day can reduce the risk of diabetes by 14 percent.
DISH UP SOME PECAN PIE
W ho doesn’t relish a slice of pecan pie for Thanksgiving dessert? New research
from Loma Linda University (LLU) demonstrates that naturally occurring
antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention.
Earlier LLU research showed that a pecan-enriched diet lowered levels of LDL (bad
cholesterol) by 16.5 percent. Both studies were published in the Journal of Nutrition.
10 Greater Charlotte AwakeningCharlotte.com
Shop for Gifts
in Pleasant
Surroundings
Recent research underscores what
common sense tells us, that moods,
emotions and feelings influence the
quality of people’s decisions. A study
published in the Journal of Consumer
Research confirms that when shoppers
are in a positive mood, they make
quicker and more consistent judgments
than unhappy consumers.
The study’s authors manipulated
participants’ moods by showing them
pictures of likable objects (puppies) or
unpleasant images (diseased feet) or
asking them to recall pleasant or unpleasant
events from the past. Next, the
participants viewed individual pictures
of a common object they might consider
buying. Finally, they chose from
a random list of evaluative adjectives,
both positive and negative.
Individuals in a positive state of
mind not only responded more quickly
to the adjectives, they also responded
more consistently. For example, if they
reported liking an object, they were
less likely to respond later that they
disliked it.
“These results have implications
for how we navigate our world,” the
researchers reported. “The decisions we
make about liking or disliking objects
around us are fundamental to which
things we approach and which things
we avoid.”
The bottom line for retailers: Being
aware of and avoiding factors that
can induce negative moods—such as
abrasive salespeople and unwelcoming
shopping environments—can help ring
up more sales.