Learn how to control sugar level and take care of your diabetes at home by adopting a healthy diet and lifestyle. Do regular exercise as it promotes your sugar level. Try to reduce stress factors like work, high pressure, and tension. Stay disciplined with regular meal timings and never skip meals. Reward yourself for keeping up with your diabetes care plan.
Lifestyle changes can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. Prevention is especially important if you're currently at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes because of excess weight or obesity, high cholesterol, or a family history of diabetes.
Making a few changes in your lifestyle now may help you avoid the serious health complications of diabetes in the future, such as nerve, kidney and heart damage. It's never too late to start.
1. Be more physically active
There are many benefits to regular physical activity. Exercise can help you:
- Lose weight
- Lower your blood sugar
- Boost your sensitivity to insulin — which helps keep your blood sugar within a normal range
Goals for most adults to promote weight loss and maintain a healthy weight include:
Aerobic exercise. Aim for 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise — such as brisk walking, swimming, biking or running — on most days for a total of at least 150 minutes a week.
Resistance exercise. Resistance exercise — at least 2 to 3 times a week — increases your strength, balance and ability to maintain an active life. Resistance training includes weightlifting, yoga and calisthenics.
Limited inactivity. Breaking up long bouts of inactivity, such as sitting at the computer, can help control blood sugar levels. Take a few minutes to stand, walk around or do some light activity every 30 minutes.
2. See your doctor
If you’re new to diabetes, ask your doctor what type of diabetes that you have been diagnosed with and their recommended treatment plan.
During an appointment, take your shoes and socks off so your doctor can examine your feet and quickly identify any spots that could lead to an infection. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, like what your A1C result is, and compare it to your last visit. You can also ask if a referral to an endocrinologist would be appropriate if you’re having trouble getting your blood sugar under control. And lastly, attend follow up appointments with your doctor as scheduled.
3. Eat more fiber (Eat Smart)
Fiber slows carb digestion and sugar absorption, thereby promoting a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
There are two types of fiber — insoluble and soluble.
While both are important, soluble fiber has explicitly been shown to improve blood sugar management, while insoluble fiber hasn’t been shown to have this effect .
A high fiber diet can improve your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and minimize blood sugar lows. This could help you better manage type 1 diabetes (17Trusted Source).
Foods that are high in fiber include:
- vegetables
- fruits
- legumes
- whole grains
The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men. That’s about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories.
For more tips on optimizing your diet, read the signs diabetes.
4. Seek support
Get support from friends, family, and co-workers. Don’t keep your diabetes a secret. Friends and family can support you by listening, choosing restaurants with healthy options when you dine together, sharing resources, and more. Join an in-person or online diabetes support group and ask for help or a listening ear when you need it.
5. Test blood sugar and take action
Monitor your blood sugar as recommended by your doctor and keep a blood sugar log. With type 1 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and those with type 2 diabetes who use insulin, checking your blood sugar will be recommended throughout the day to control blood sugar levels.
Recommendations for blood sugar testing for people with type 2 diabetes who do not inject insulin can vary. However, testing before and after meals can help you learn how different foods affect your blood sugar. Don’t treat what you think may be a low blood sugar without testing first, as symptoms of a high and low blood sugar can be similar
6. Stay well
The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes over the age of two get a flu and pneumonia shot. If you do get sick, make sure to continue to take your medication and/or insulin, and check your blood sugar more frequently.
If you are not able to eat, sip on clear liquids such as ginger ale, Sprite, broths, or try Jell-O or popsicles. These should all be regular drinks or foods containing sugar and not the diet version, so that you can still have carbohydrates and calories on board. Sometimes illnesses can raise blood sugar levels higher than normal.
Notify your doctor if you have two blood sugar readings greater than 250 mg/dL, or if you are not able to keep food down, so they can provide further treatment recommendations.
Taking care of yourself and your blood sugar is important for good health and wellbeing, no matter what type of diabetes you have. When your blood sugar is under control, you decrease your risk for complications, and in the case of gestational diabetes, avoid complications for both you and your baby.
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