As age increases, the body's metabolic rate inevitably declines, and blood sugar has become an unavoidable health anxiety for many middle-aged and elderly people. Professor Li Guangwei, now 81 years old and chief expert in endocrinology at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, has fasting blood sugar that remains stable year-round within the ideal range of 5 mmol/L, even better than many young people's indicators! Professor Li Guangwei recently publicly shared his daily blood sugar control experience, and the core secrets are actually very down-to-earth, mainly covering the 3 major directions of diet, exercise, and mindset.
Eat with Moderation—Use the "5-0-0-1-1-1" Rule to Protect Metabolic Health
Many citizens feel fearful as soon as they hear about blood sugar control, mistakenly thinking they must give up all delicious food from then on. Professor Li Guangwei believes that life must be enjoyed, and occasionally tasting braised pork or ice cream is not impossible. The key is not to have big fish and big meat at every meal, and to eat as little fried food as possible in daily life, grasping the right measure for oneself. To make it easier for the public to practice, he once proposed a "5-0-0-1-1-1" rule:
"5": Exercise five days a week, at least half an hour a day.
"0" "0": Do not drink beverages with sugar or artificial sweeteners, and do not eat anything after dinner.
"1" "1" "1": Obese people should reduce staple food by one tael per meal, consume at least one jin of vegetables per day, and eat out at most once a week. Office workers can also adopt the golden pairing principle of "one fist of staple food, two fists of vegetables, one palm of protein" for daily meals, and moderately increase the intake of coarse grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Maintain Regular Exercise—Walk at Least 5,000 Steps Every Day
Besides dietary control, regular exercise is likewise an indispensable part of stabilizing blood sugar. Professor Li Guangwei loved badminton and running when he was young. Even when clinical work later became busy, he set himself the goal of walking a minimum number of steps every day:
Daily step goal: Persist in walking at least 5,000 steps every day. If busy work on weekdays only allows two or three thousand steps, then use weekend time to moderately make up for it, and never blame himself for occasionally failing to meet the target.
Fun ways to exercise: Choose activities that are not boring, such as increasing activity by shopping on weekends, which allows him to enjoy window shopping to heal body and mind while also accompanying family—killing several birds with one stone. For office workers who are busy on weekdays, they can likewise make good use of fragmented time such as commuting or lunch breaks to move their muscles and bones.
Stay Optimistic—Avoid Negative Emotions Disrupting Blood Sugar
Mental and emotional states often directly affect the endocrine system. Professor Li Guangwei points out that an optimistic mood helps improve blood sugar performance. On the contrary, long-term negative states such as anxiety and tension easily cause endocrine disorders and lead to blood sugar spikes. When reviewing his decades-long scientific research career, he shared his mindset for coping:
Back then, conducting the "Daqing Study" required often taking more than 20 hours on a green train back and forth between Beijing and Daqing, and he even once had to sit on the floor at the train car connection in difficult conditions, but he never felt it was bitter. He suggests that when citizens feel depressed, they may shift their attention by listening to music, reading books, or talking with relatives and friends. As long as one always maintains an optimistic mindset, one can naturally cope with the various challenges in life.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
