By Lee Dobbins

When you think of a room divider or folding screen, you usually picture using it to divide a room. Perhaps between a large living room – dining room combination or to divide a bedroom into a sleeping and sitting area. But room dividers can be put to many other uses that will enhance your decor as well as add a unique touch to any room.

Today’s room dividers are quite decorative and come in almost any style to suit whatever your decor. Some can even be functional with shelving, slots for photos and activity centers for children’s rooms. Adding one to your room will immediately create a unique focal point, but what if you don’t need to divide the room?

If you are decorating a bedroom, one great use for a room divider is to use it as a headboard. In order to do this, you should choose a divider that is roughly as wide as your bed. In this instance, you won’t be folding the divider – you want to leave it flat. Simply open it up and slide it behind the head of the bed. Purchase matching bedding and you will have a fabulous display. Be sure to buy bedding that matches the theme and color of your folding screen divider and if the divider is very busy with a pattern or scene you might want to make sure you buy bedding that is more plain.

You can also use a room divider simply to dress up a wall. This is a great idea for apartments where you can’t paint or wallpaper but you want something a bit more snazzy to liven up a room. You can put the divider flat against the wall, but if you do you will have to anchor it somehow so it doesn’t tip over. If you don’t want to anchor it, then you can fold it slightly – not too much as you want to be able to see the full divider but just enough so that it is steady.

You can even use a room divider in the kitchen to enhance a breakfast nook or corner eating area. here you will be using it in sort of the opposite way you would normally. Instead of folding the divider so that it is kitty cornered and there is a space between the divider and the wall, you will put it flat against the wall with a fold in the corner so that it wraps around the corner creating a decorative alcove for a unique dining area.

Room dividers add ambiance to any room and you don’t have to use them in the traditional manner. If you use your imagination, you can think of different ways to use traditional decorative accessories which will give your home a unique flair!

About the Author: Lee Dobbins writes for

Room Divider Decor

where you can learn more about the

different types of room dividers

and how to decorate with them.

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Submitted by: Danielle VenHuizen

Most of us have heard plenty about Type 2 Diabetes. It is a serious condition causing abnormal elevations in blood glucose levels. Type 2 Diabetes now affects over 29 million Americans and is costing the healthcare system over $300 billion annually.

The cause of Type 2 Diabetes is multifactorial. A high BMI with an unhealthy diet is often the main culprit, but genetics may play a role as well. Over time, diabetes leads to a host of other diseases, which is where the most considerable health damage is done. These include conditions such as neuropathies, heart disease, stroke, infections, and poor wound healing.

In terms of diagnosis, your doctor will sound the diabetes warning bell if you have an HbA1c above 6.5 and a fasting blood sugar over 125. Treatment often begins with drugs (Metformin is usually the first option) and diet and lifestyle recommendations.

But..now more frequently we are hearing about what is termed Pre-Diabetes. Yikes, another type of diabetes? Well, sort of, but not exactly. Pre-diabetes is basically the beginning stages of blood sugar irregularities. It is a critical point where we can catch people before they become full diabetic and in many cases even reverse the progression. It is important that we all get a better understanding of this condition so we can combat the rising rates and healthcare costs of diabetes. To that end lets review the definition of pre-diabetes, the associated health risks, and effective preventative measures.

We already reviewed the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. For pre-diabetes, the ranges are just slightly lower. If your fasting blood sugar is running anywhere from 100-125 and your A1c comes back anywhere from 5.7 to 6.4, you will likely be labeled as pre-diabetic. This puts you at significant risk for diabetes within the next 4-10 years unless steps are taken to return your blood sugar to an ideal range.

This is where I would ask, if you happen to have them on hand or online, to go check your labs. Seriously, go check them! See where your fasting blood glucose is at and determine if youve had a recent A1c. The reason being? Many doctors are not diagnosing pre-diabetes. Studies have shown we have an under-diagnosis problem in this country when it comes to pre-diabetes. Ive seen many clients in my office with pre-diabetic numbers and yet no one told them they were pre-diabetic. So yes, go check.

It is so valuable to know this information because pre-diabetes is EASY to treat with diet and lifestyle change. The studies show that diet and lifestyle are the number one way to reduce blood sugar numbers in pre-diabetic patients. Once you progress to full diabetes the chance of returning to normal blood glucose is much, much harder. NOW is the time to take action and correct.

If you are pre-diabetic and want to take steps now to avoid becoming diabietc, here are a few of the researched ways to get those numbers back under control.

DIET

Not surprisingly, diet of course is the primary area to address. From the research we see that that reducing carbohydrates helps immensely, as does decreasing overall calorie intake such that weight loss occurs. When diet and weight loss are tackled together, blood sugar begins going in the right direction as well. What kind of diet you ask? Multiple studies show the Mediterranean diet is a very helpful roadmap for an overall healthy diet. Thankfully multiple books, cookbooks, websites, and blogs have been devoted to this way of eating. Another similar approach is the anti-inflammatory diet. In both cases, think fruits, veggies, lean protein (especially fish), nuts, seeds and legumes..you get the idea.

WEIGHT LOSS

As alluded to, weight loss is extremely important in normalizing blood glucose levels. In many studies they have found weight loss to be the most important factor in reducing diabetes risk. The theory is that being overweight increases inflammation in the body. Once the weight comes off and the inflammation subsides, blood glucose begins to return to normal. Of course diet is always interwoven with weight loss, so likely the diet plus the decrease in weight is working together. Whatever the cause, include modest weight loss in your plan and you should see results.

EXERCISE

Naturally we cannot talk about diet and weight loss without including exercise. Exercise helps support weight loss which we know improves blood glucose. Apart from helping with the weight, exercise also helps improve insulin sensitivity and increase metabolism, all of which help us clear sugar from the bloodstream more efficiently. It also supports a healthy heart and improves circulation, both of which are negatively impacted by high blood sugar.

DRUGS

In some cases, drugs are employed to help in the pre-diabetic state. If diet and lifestyle changes just arent working, or maybe you are at a place where you cannot implement these changes, doctors may prescribe drugs such as Metformin to support healthy blood glucose levels and slow the progression towards diabetes. Of course diet and lifestyle change remains paramount components, but drugs can often work in conjunction with other treatments when necessary.

SUPPLEMENTS

As you are likely well aware, there are many supplements on the market for diabetes. They are often marketed for pre-diabetes as well. Some of the ones you may have heard of include cinnamon, alpha lipoic acid, chromium and Omega 3s. All of these have shown some promise in various studies conducted. While they can help support improved glycemic control, remember that diet and lifestyle changes are always the most important. Never rely on supplements as your primary means of blood glucose control. They show modest results at best. Like medications, they can be helpful in conjunction with changes in diet, exercise and weight control.

Hopefully this review gave you a quick glimpse into pre-diabetes and a better understanding of where you stand in terms of blood sugar health. Like I mentioned, always review your labs and be keep tabs of where you are at. While doctors are very knowledgeable, sometimes they miss these early stages of disease where small changes now can lead to big decreases in risk later. Take control of your health and be on top of your numbers.

About the Author: Danielle VenHuizen, MS, RD, CLT is a Registered Dietitian who helps her clients achieve health and vitality through food, not pharmaceuticals. She specializes in working with food sensitivities, Diabetes, Cardiovascular health, Digestive Disorders, and healthy pregnancies. This article was originally published at

foodsense.net/what-is-pre-diabetes/

and has been syndicated with permission. For more expert health advice visit her blog at

FoodSense.net

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