The number one killer of people with diabetes is heart disease. But why is that?

Diabetes diet control and your heartThere are three reasons:

  • Diabetes, by itself, is a risk factor for heart disease. It’s right there in line with smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
  • When combined with other risk factors, diabetes puts people at an even greater risk for heart disease. So if you’re overweight or obese for example, your heart can physically change in a bad way.
  • Diabetes increases the bad effects of heart disease. This means that heart disease can happen earlier and be more severe than if you don’t have diabetes.

In general, the higher your blood sugar, the higher your risk of heart disease. But there is good news! The same habits that keep your blood sugar in check also reduce your risk for heart disease (as well as cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and stroke).

Eating well, not smoking and regular exercise are the trifecta of health. These three areas are the absolute most important things you can do to keep yourself healthy. We hear it over and over again, but it’s true!

Having a lot of healthy tips is good. You might not employ them all at the same time, but put them in your toolbox and you can use them when the time is right. Here are my three latest tips for living a healthy life:

  • Sit still less.  If you have hobbies, raise your work station to be able to stand. If you’re sitting, get under-the-desk bike pedals to keep your body in motion. The less you sit, the healthier you will be.
  • Take one minute per day to breathe deeply.  Breathe in slowly for five seconds. Hold for five seconds, release for five seconds and hold for another five. Repeat three to four times in a row. You’d be surprised at how, in just one minute, you can reduce stress and feel refreshed. You can instantly lower your blood pressure this way.
  • Eat kale chips.  If you’re having a hard time choking down bitter kale but know it’s densely nutritious, the chips are tasty and making them is really easy.

Kale chips with chilli flakes and seasoningKale Chips

  • Buy kale (can be pre-cut in a bag) and tear the leaves off. You don’t want the thick stems.
  • Place in a zip lock bag with some olive oil and salt. Like potato chips, these can absorb a LOT of salt. Be careful of how much you add.
    *You can avoid the salt altogether and lightly spritz with lemon juice after they are toasted.
  • Place on baking pan and put in a 300° oven for 30 minutes.