There is so much talk about how our lifestyle affects our health. We would all prefer to live a long life. However, living for longer with ill health is no joke. We can easily access information about how to achieve healthy living. With the growth in online platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, it's never been simpler for anyone to offer advice on any subject. These "influencers" may be great at marketing themselves but may not have the qualifications or experience to advise others.

HEALTHSPAN - the length of time someone lives a healthy, productive life, not just alive. Differs from, LIFESPAN - the length of time a person is alive from birth to death.

There are many books as well as TV programs telling us how to live to be 100. The majority refer to the blue zones where it's not uncommon to have a larger than average population in this age range and older.

BLUE ZONES

Blue Zones include Loma Linda, California, Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, Icaria Greece, and Nicoya, Costa Rica. They have a large population of people 100 years old and above. It seems the common thread to their healthy, longer life, is remaining active, eating a diet rich in natural foods mostly grown locally, good sleep, and community.

TRACKING YOUR HEALTH

We can keep track of various elements of our health. Monitoring Glucose levels, sleep, movement, heart rate, stress, and more can be achieved with unobtrusive pieces of jewelry. To block the effects of Electromagnetic Forces (EMFs) a small disc is attached to mobile phones and other Wifi devices.

CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITOR (CGM)

They were originally developed to help diabetics monitor their Glucose levels without pricking their fingers every time. CGMs are now popular with people who want to avoid becoming pre-diabetic or developing type 2 Diabetes. The benefit of seeing how food and drinks affect glucose levels has also proved helpful for those wanting to keep a check on their weight. Glucose spikes brought about by high blood sugar levels may come after eating foods high in carbohydrates. We get a glucose response every time we eat, the trick is to eat in a way that avoids large after-meal sugar spikes. Knowing how certain foods affect your Glucose levels can help you make healthier choices. It's not always the obvious foods that react - everyone is different. Sometimes even those foods we consider healthy can raise levels.

WAYS TO AVOID GLUCOSE SPIKE AFTER EATING

1. Limit highly processed foods that quickly turn to sugar, that are quickly digested and absorbed.
2. Eat more fiber-rich foods that take longer to digest, so slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Beans, Legumes, and whole grains are good examples.
3. Make a healthy plate - combine carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in balance Fats and proteins take longer to digest than Carbohydrates, slowing down the release of Glucose.
4. Move after eating - no it doesn't mean you have to go for a run. Just avoid sitting for a long period directly after eating a meal. Take a gentle walk for 15 minutes - walk the dog, if you have one even a few household chores would work. Activity after eating will take blood away from your intestines reducing Glucose absorption.

Should you decide to try a CGM they're available without prescription in some countries. Here in France, for example, I could buy mine from Amazon with no problem. I'm not Diabetic, but was curious to see how my everyday eating regime affected my Glucose levels. I check my levels before a meal and then about an hour or so after to see if any changes have occurred. Currently, I use a CGM for 2 weeks a couple of times a year.

OURA RING

Oura Ring is a wearable device that tracks your biometrics - heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen, and more. It also provides daily scores for sleep, readiness, and activity, and easily shares data with other devices you may have.

The ring is plain, made from Titanium. Data is easily accessible using their app. Once you're wearing the ring, data is continuously uploaded and updated every morning, weekly, and monthly reports are available making it simple to keep records of any changes. In addition to the personal information, the Oura app offers advice and information about improving health. http://ouraring.com

These are the two devices I use. There are other wearable health monitors - Fitbit and Smart watches offering health and fitness information and tracking. Finding one to suit your lifestyle, that you'll use consistently is important. I preferred the Oura ring to a smartwatch or Fitbit because I can easily wear it all the time.

BENEFITS OF TRACKING YOUR HEALTH

Whether your goal is to start or increase your level of exercise, lose some weight, or improve your sleep a wearable device will help. Changing habits that have taken a long time to develop takes time. The monitor will make you aware of any changes being made, or suggest the need to keep check on areas of your health. http://nualacoombspilates.com.temp.link/changing-habits

IN CONCLUSION

At a time when we are bombarded with ultra-processed foods, easily able to be sedentary monitoring our health is becoming more important. Just having our attention brought to our current situation regarding heart rate, weight, and glucose levels could be life-saving.