Diabetes Awareness & Prevention Tips
Did you know that the risk of a shark attack is 1 in 11.5 million people, whereas the risk of prediabetes is 1 in 3 adults!?
Did you know that the risk of a shark attack is 1 in 11.5 million people, whereas the risk of prediabetes is 1 in 3 adults!?
37.3 million people have diabetes — that’s 11.3% of the U.S. population. Around 283,000 Americans under 20yrs old have been diagnosed with diabetes, and in 2019 alone, diabetes was the cause of death in over 282,801 people. With these shocking numbers, it is time to work together for a better, healthier future!
What is diabetes?
According to the Mayo Clinic, diabetes is “a group of diseases that affect how your body uses blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is vital to your health because it's an important energy source for the cells that make up your muscles and tissues. It's also your brain's main source of fuel.”
The chances are that if you have diabetes, your body doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't use the insulin well enough. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose (sugar) and goes into our bloodstream. It then signals the pancreas to release insulin that lets blood sugar be used as energy. Too much sugar in your blood can cause vision loss, kidney issues, and heart disease.
Causes & symptoms of diabetes
Each type of diabetes is different and caused by diverse factors.
Prediabetes: You might not have diabetes yet, but your average blood sugar levels might be slightly higher. You might be at risk if you are overweight, 45yrs or older, have certain genetics, and are sedentary. However, it is not impossible to regress it and prevent Type 2.
Symptoms include: Prediabetes shares the same symptoms as Type 1 & 2; however, your skin can darken around the knees, elbow, and knuckles as well.
Type 1 Diabetes happens when your immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Symptoms include Increased thirst & urination, hunger, fatigue, weight loss, breath smells fruity, stomach pain, and trouble paying attention or breathing.
Type 2 Diabetes: One of the most common types. You can develop Type 2 by being overweight, having physical inactivity, and having insulin resistance. Your genes can also be a factor.
Symptoms include: These are the same as Type 1 with the inclusion of slow healing sores, frequent infections, numbness or tingling in hands or feet, and/or darkened skin around the neck and armpits.
Gestational Diabetes: This type of diabetes develops during pregnancy due to massive hormonal and lifestyle changes. The hormones produced by the placenta contribute to insulin resistance which can happen when the pancreas doesn't make enough of it.
Symptoms include: While some symptoms include the same listed for Type 1 and 2, you can also experience nausea/vomiting, blurred vision, and yeast infections.
Diabetes Prevention Tips:
Choosing healthy foods like plants & healthy fats.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Get regular exercise & physical activity.
Avoid sugary foods & drinks.
Don’t smoke.
Find more resources.
Treatment Options
Mayo Clinic states, "Treatment for type 1 diabetes involves insulin injections or the use of an insulin pump, frequent blood sugar checks, and carbohydrate counting. Treatment of type 2 diabetes primarily involves lifestyle changes, monitoring of your blood sugar, along with diabetes medications, insulin, or both.”
When to see your doctor
The American Diabetes Association recommends routine screening with diagnostic tests for type 2 diabetes for all adults age 45 or older and for the following groups:
People younger than 45 who are overweight or obese and have one or more risk factors associated with diabetes.
Women who have had gestational diabetes.
People who have been diagnosed with prediabetes.
Children who are overweight or obese and who have a family history of type 2 diabetes or other risk factors.
Share your concerns about diabetes prevention with your doctor. He or she will appreciate your efforts to prevent diabetes and may offer additional suggestions based on your medical history or other factors.
Re-Post This May, get moving for Physical Fitness & Sports Month!
Whether staying home or going out into the world, staying physically fit has never been easier! Now more than ever, keeping healthy is a priority.
Whether staying home or going out into the world, staying physically fit has never been easier!
Now more than ever, keeping healthy is a priority. Daily physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. With the pandemic, many of us have become relatively stationary. However, you can find activities that will help you depending on your age, abilities, shape, size, and ethnicity/culture!
Keeping active can help improve your brain health, help you keep a healthy weight, keep diseases at bay, maintain strong bones and muscles, and improve your neurological, behavioral, and mental health.
Staying active
With the pandemic forever ongoing, staying active can be challenging but more crucial than ever before! Sedentary lifestyles can create additional stress on our bodies and minds. Therefore, physical activity can serve as a relaxation technique, combat depression, lower the risk of heart problems, lower blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer, and promote a better life during uncertain times. You don’t have to join a gym or buy fancy equipment to be healthy.
Here are some ways to stay active, whether inside or out!
Sign up for our ProWellness online fitness & wellness program: Wellness Program participants can benefit from a variety of activities such as exercises, meditation sessions, ergonomic exercises, and health talks to enrich your daily life. All the activities are presented by ZOOM in live sessions. To learn more about our exclusive wellness offerings and value-added programs for clients, such as our ProWellness virtual wellness program, please contact benefits@fulcroinsurance.com or your Account Executive.
Get walking! Walk for 30min with a friend, your dog, or adopt one. Walking can help your mood and heart health.
Set your fitness goals. A perfect way to stay organized and self-accountable is by making a plan and following it.
Go outside! Discover new nature trails with your bike, while jogging, or with friends. Even gardening and mowing count as staying active.
Play sports. Sports such as golf, yoga, swimming, horseback riding, or bowling can be therapeutic and adaptive to your abilities.
DeskFit. If you are spending 8hrs days working from your desk, you might want to try these beneficial exercises from NASA’s DeskFit.
Community outreach. Help the community around you to stay active by spreading messages on social media.
Aside from being physically active, don’t forget to drink a lot of water, know your limits, and eat your daily fruits and veggies. Devoting time to your body will give you energy, health, and overall increased happiness! In addition, you can help your employees be healthy and accountable for their health with this pledge.
Important things you need to know about One Pilot
To have two pilots or one pilot? That is the question. In this latest dilemma, airlines are pushing to cut costs and operations in very concerning ways.
To have two pilots or one pilot? That is the question. In this latest dilemma, airlines are pushing to cut costs and operations in very concerning ways.
In the early days, a pilot could count on 4 other crew members assisting them in the cockpit. Fast forward to now, technological advances have shrunk the operations down to 2 pilots and, quite possibly, even just one. Airlines and other regulators express their needs and explain how a one-pilot model will lower costs and solve crew shortages. It will also put all the pressure and responsibility on one person. With many countries asking the UN to change global aviation safety rules, issues of safety and stress are a significant concern.
Many airlines and companies are pushing to have one pilot instead of 2 in the cockpit when flying commercial. Though many believe this will cut costs, many pilots are expressing concerns about the amount of stress that comes along with this. What does this new bill mean, and how will it affect operations? Here’s a deep dive to help you understand, prepare, and consider the risks/challenges.
What is the one pilot model?
One Pilot model or Single Pilot (SPO) operation is an important development in modern aviation technology operations. According to Single Pilot Operations In Commercial Cockpits by Paul L. Myers III and Arnold W. Starr JR, The SPO mode is a reduction from two pilots to one pilot, which no longer can interact, monitor, confirm, and make decisions between pilots. With the development of IT technology, the logical automated processing capability and the performance of aircraft systems have been effectively enhanced, but human-to-human decision-making based on knowledge, perception, experience, and cognition during flight has stayed the same. Thus, relying solely on the single pilot's independent cognition, behavior, and competence does not meet the safety requirements set out by I0CAO.
With fuel, labor prices, pilot salary increases, and even staffing problems, the critically acclaimed SPO could save airlines some money.
The Concerns
Changing from a collaboration of two pilots to one single pilot can drastically increase the workload that two pilots should carry out. Specific controls, set-ups, and processes might be complicated and only possible to perform with two pilots. The SPO model adoption will need to cover or create an efficient and high-quality operation to eliminate any differences, response times, flight awareness, and decision-making for one pilot to perform effectively.
In addition, the circumstances below will need to be addressed:
● When a pilot becomes incapacitated or unconscious and unable to respond to voice alerts, it can cause tragic consequences.
● Cockpit surveillance
● Establish air-ground communications and decisions.
● Complex failures and problem-solving
● Check and balance
Obstacles to consider
While we have come so far in automation, the technology that helps us fly can only do as it is told. Therefore, the automation will have to act as another human pilot and respond promptly and without errors to the pilot. You could program a computer to do specific tasks, but it cannot handle human cognitive functions. Automation failures can increase the workload again for pilots and break any confidence in the systems, becoming a stressor and getting in the way of how the pilot thinks, operates, and reacts.
Lastly, the biggest obstacle to consider is whether passengers are willing to accept one pilot flying with possible help from a not-so-perfect system. With so many countries asking for regulations to be changed and saying one pilot is as safe as two, an imminent change in automation technology needs to be developed before replacing an expert second human pilot.