Marie L. Veselsky: Use movement, yoga, meditation and massage to improve diabetes

Typically, when people with diabetes think of things that raise their average blood sugar they often think of carbohydrates and being overweight. But stress, pain, poor sleep, depression and lack of movement can all contribute to higher blood sugar levels.  The higher the average blood sugar or HgA1c, the more risk of complications from diabetes down the road.

Although watching carbohydrate intake, using diabetes medications or insulin as appropriate, and proper weight management play a big role in reducing average blood sugars there are other things that one can do as well.  Stress, pain, insomnia and depression can all be reduced through movement, yoga, massage and meditation programs. The more a person with diabetes incorporates all approaches that can lower their risk for complications of diabetes the better.