It’s another episode of Wellness Wednesday! And Dr. Cori is explaining the impact yoga can have on your life both on and off the mat. It is often misunderstood that yoga is simply another form of exercise that emphasizes stretching when in fact, that is only 1/8 of the yoga experience. So listen in to this episode on how you might be underestimating the impact yoga can have on your life.

You’ve heard Dr. Cori talk about this before, but where you get your information is extremely important. Be aware of how people share information with you and if you feel that something you hear or see or read applies to you, consult your health care provider. Information shared online is meant to create awareness and encourage you to take charge of your own health with the support of a health care team when appropriate. Be wary of general statements that make claims without supportive follow-up.

We’ve discussed on the last few Wellness Wednesdays the impact of our lifestyle on our blood sugar. And one way that impact may manifest is type 2 diabetes. People have even coined type 2 diabetes a lifestyle disease more often referring to food intake than some of the lifestyle characteristics I have been describing. Traditionally diabetes education always centered around food, even though there were six other topics within the curriculum, every patient visit focused on food.

So we’ve talked the last couple of weeks about how our lifestyle is impacting our health. And many of you are like yes Dr. Cori, I get it, I’m on board, how the heck do I start? I mean that’s the hard part right. Starting… Listen in for my 3 suggestions on getting started.

It kind of bugs me when people refer to yoga as exercise. It’s so much more than that. In fact asana, the actual postures people refer to as “exercise”, is only one of the 8 limbs of yoga. That means there are 7 other ways to practice yoga. If you study the root of the word yoga, it means to yoke or to unite.

Meditation as a word is often overused and the actual practice of meditation is underutilized. Meditation, however, is actually a direct means of becoming fully integrated with one’s truest self. Join Dr. Cori for her morning meditation this Wellness Wednesday.

The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Yoga text, also known as the Gita, teaches that the mind must be made one-pointed through the practice of meditation.

Adrenaline or epinephrine is your short-term, acute stress hormone.  It’s designed to help you get out of danger quickly.  It is the hormone that promotes the fight or flight response, that results in your blood supply being diverted to your periphery, (i.e.) arms, legs.  In order for your body to have the energy to fully execute on the fight or flight system, you need fuel or energy, and the most readily available source of energy in the body is glucose.

Diminishing who you are and what you have to share with the world out of fear or judgment has an impact on both your physical and mental health. The physical effects are rarely discussed even though there is a definite correlation that results from increases in adrenaline, blood sugar, and insulin. Listen in to Dr. Cori to learn more….

If you have diabetes, you have likely been told by somebody, I hope, to eat foods that are low-glycemic. And I would agree and advocate the same regardless of diabetes status. In fact, the foundation of chronic disease management and prevention is aligned with eating low-glycemic foods. There are a few nuances to that, depending on the condition, but in general, eating low-glycemic foods minimizes fluctuations in blood sugar and minimizes inflammation.