Last Updated on November 15, 2024
Keeping your diabetes in check is important if you want to get a good start in life. Although your body’s sugars can be difficult to manage, working closely with your healthcare professional will allow you to manage your diabetes properly as you adapt your lifestyle to it.
Here’s how to manage your diabetes better.
Learn To Take Your Diabetes Seriously
You have to understand that diabetes is a serious condition and you mustn’t take it lightly. Even though diabetes is a serious disease, you have the option to take control of it and manage it.
If you’re diabetic, you need to start making healthy food choices, be active, stay at an ideal weight, and take your daily medications. Doing all of these can be difficult, but it’s all worth it because you still get to enjoy your life.
The Importance of Taking Caring of Your Diabetes
Taking care of your diabetes can help you live life longer and become
happier. When you can manage your diabetes properly you are likely to:
- Feel less tired and thirsty
- Have lots of energy
- Feel better about yourself
- Have fewer bladder and skin infections
Keeping your blood sugar levels in check can also reduce the risk of health problems caused by diabetes such as:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Eye problems that may cause blindness
- Nerve damage
- Kidney problems
- Teeth and gum problems
Learn To Live With Your Diabetes
People with diabetes are usually depressed, sad, angry and feel overwhelmed with their condition when first diagnosed.. Even though you know how to keep your sugar levels in check, you still have a hard time sticking to it. The most important thing to do when you have diabetes is to learn how to live with it.
If diabetes is already in your genes, you can’t do anything to make it go away. You can, however, keep it in control so you can still live your life like a normal person. Fortunately, there are several diabetes online communities that help you realize you are not alone, with your Diabetes diagnosis.
Below are ways for you to help live with your diabetes.
Learn How to Cope
Dealing with diabetes is not easy. It is an everyday task that requires you to give a good amount of time and attention to it so you can stay healthy.
- Your everyday stress can raise your blood’s sugar levels, which is why you should learn how to lower your stress.
- Feeling down because of your diabetes can also make things worse. Don’t always think about your sugars and try to live normally as much as you can.
- Whenever you are depressed, it can also spike up your blood sugar levels. If you are depressed, you should look for help from a mental health counselor or talk your loved ones or friends who are willing to listen to you.
Watch Your Diet
A healthy diet helps ensure healthy living. If you are a diabetic person, you have to be extremely careful with your diet. You must know which foods can make your blood’s sugar out of control. You also have to learn to control your eating.
- Make an effort of making your every meal well-balanced as much as possible. Your meal should have the right combination of fats, fruits, proteins, starch, and vegetables.
- You should also carefully monitor your carbohydrate intake. You want foods that possess low in carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
- Avoid eating foods that are high in calories, salt, saturated fat, sugar, and trans-unsaturated fatty acids.
- Eat foods that contain a lot of fiber such as whole grain bread, crackers, wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole grain cereals as they can help in keeping your sugar levels low.
- Drink plenty of water everyday and stay away from sugar-sweetened beverages.
It’s best if you talk to your healthcare provider or dietitian about the diet that’s best suited for you.
Keep Active
Exercise plays an integral part in your diabetes management plan. Your body uses up sugar for energy when exercising. So if you exercise regularly, you get to reduce blood sugar levels in your body efficiently.
- Consult your doctor to find out which exercises are best for you.
- Try to stay active throughout the week and stick to the exercises your doctor has suggested to you.
- Always check your sugar levels before, during, and after you exercise. You should be aware of the indications of low blood sugar level such as feeling tired, hungry, or lightheaded during your exercise.
- Stay hydrated during the exercise. Dehydration can affect the amount of sugar in your body, which is why you need to drink plenty of water when exercising.
- Always carry around glucose tablets or a small snack with you when exercising in case your sugar levels becomes too low.
Staying active can help you manage your diabetes and bring your blood sugar levels down. An active lifestyle also helps reduce the risk of heart diseases, reduce stress, and keep you physically fit.
Avoid Alcohol & Smoking
Alcohol and diabetes never get along well together. Drinking too much alcohol can make it hard for you to manage your blood sugar levels.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol. One drink a day is enough for women, while men should avoid more than two drinks.
- Alcohol affects your sugar levels. It can increase sugars in your blood or drop it down too low.
- Smoking can also make it harder for you to control sugars in your body. It also increases the risk of being afflicted with heart diseases, stroke, kidney disease, nerve damage, and much more. You should find ways to quit your smoking habit, especially if you have diabetes.
Make Regular Doctor Visits
You should make regular visits to your doctor at least twice a year.
- With each visit, try to get a blood pressure check, weight check, an A1C test, and a foot check.
- Don’t forget to get a full eye examination for at least once every 12 months.
- Visit a foot doctor to see if you possess foot ulcers or nerve damage to your foot.
Living with diabetes is tough. It requires you to be extra careful if you want to stay healthy. Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes are enough to make a big difference in managing your diabetes better so you can continue to live your life healthy and free from any complications caused by imbalanced blood sugar levels. If you’re in need of health insurance or clarifications about types of health insurance for your situation like hospital coverage, perhaps people from Membersown might be of assistance.
