Too Much Stress Linked to Rise in Diabetes

It’s no secret that diabetes is on the rise. About 29 million people have diabetes, and another 86 million have prediabetes. Do you already have diabetes, or are you at risk for developing this disease?

Your age, family history, and race are all factors out of your control that can have an influence on your risk for diabetes. Your lifestyle habits, diet, and exercise habits can, too.

But is there another factor that contributes to developing type 2 diabetes? Yes. It’s stress. New research suggests that too much stress elevates cortisol levels that spike blood sugar. It’s the body’s natural reaction to give you added energy to outrun a bear.

But if you’re frequently stressed for other reasons, (like financial problems, challenges in a relationship, trouble at work, or rush hour traffic), your pancreas may lose the ability to produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. It’s called insulin resistance, which can cause type 2 diabetes.

“There’s substantial evidence to demonstrate the environment we live in has direct impacts on our health,” says University of Michigan researcher Dr. Rebecca Hasson, who is leading a study on stress and diabetes. You may not be able to control every factor in your life that causes stress. But things like regular exercise, yoga, meditation, talk-therapy, and even deep breathing techniques can help.

Eating a healthy diet can help control blood sugar levels too, whether you already have diabetes or not. And it’s easy to adjust your diet to prevent or control diabetes.

Just pick your favorite foods from our Diabetic-Friendly menu like Grilled Chicken over Rice & Gravy with Carrots and Peas, Whole Grain Pancake & Sausage Patties with Sweet Potatoes and Cinnamon Apples, Basil Chicken with Rice & Zucchini Sauté, and many others, and enjoy healthy, stress-free meals.