Being newly diagnosed with diabetes or looking for a new way to live with your diabetes can be difficult. Fortunately, there are plenty of essential diabetes management tips to help you take a step back and assess your methods.
Knowledge is one of the most effective ways to deal with diabetes. It can affect the whole body so there is a lot of information to take in. You should take your time and research the different ways that others have managed the same issues. Seeking out a reliable information like from endocrinologist Utah County can help you break down complex information. There are many books out there that can provide a solid foundation for understanding diabetes.
Here are a few more tips to help you live with diabetes.
Eating the right carbs
As many with diabetes will know, counting your carbohydrates is important. They have a big impact on your blood sugar. Additionally, not all carbs are the same. Some carbs are better for you than others and so you should keep track of what you are eating.
Carbs are one of three things: Fibers, starches, and sugars. Healthy carbs are found in high-fiber foods like vegetables and whole-grain products. Sugar can be found naturally in fruits and milk, but you should look to avoid the added sugars that can be found in junk food like biscuits and chocolate. Many processed foods use added sugars to preserve them so you should look at the labels of any food you purchase.
Weight management
Losing weight can help you manage diabetes, but it is frustrating to stick with it. Many people who start weight loss fail to maintain the new practices over the year, keeping at it only for a few weeks or months. It is so much easier to fall into old habits than to try and create new ones.
However, there are a few tips that can help you maintain your progress when you are trying to lose weight. You should set reasonable goals that you can keep consistently going across the year. Crash diets tend to fail as the change is too dramatic. Keeping healthy foods in the house for snacking is a great way to keep away from cookies and sweets.
You can also try learning new recipes from healthy chefs and replacing the unhealthy foods that you eat regularly. If you continue to buy them then it will be harder for you to resist cooking them when you are feeling low. You should replace them with healthier foods and controlled portions so that you know what you are eating and how much you are putting in your body.
All of this should be coupled with exercise. Getting 30 minutes of exercise a day is a good way to help you lose weight and keep it off once you lose it.
Sleep
Many people get less sleep than they used to. The sleep that people do get is often fragmented. Unfortunately, if you have diabetes then you need to get 6.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep a night. If you don’t then you are likely to experience an increase in your blood glucose level.
Though getting more sleep is not always the answer. If you get more than 8.5 hours of sleep, you could put yourself at risk too. You should regulate your sleep to ensure that you remain safe. To do this you should avoid naps and try to wake up at the same time every day, including the weekends.
Another way to encourage sleep is to develop a sleep ritual. Brush your teeth, wash your face, and do relaxing hygiene in the same order in the same way. This will help you prepare for bedtime and develop a pattern before bedtime. If you cannot sleep after 10 minutes of trying, you should get up and do a quiet activity without screens. Make sure to keep your tv and phone off.
Staying active
Staying active when you have diabetes can be tricky. You are recommended to do 30 minutes of exercise a day. When you remain sedentary, your diabetes and risk of obesity rise. You do not need to do full-blown workouts to get more active, just make a conscious effort to get active throughout the day when you can.
Monitor regularly
When you have diabetes, you become very familiar with regular blood testing. This is a vitally important tool in your arsenal for monitoring your blood sugar levels. Your target range for blood glucose will vary but it is recommended that for an adult you should aim for 60-130 mg/dl before a meal and less than 280mg/dl 1-2 hours after a meal,
All adults should test when they are over the age of 18 daily. When you are at home you should always monitor but you should also try and keep your monitoring in the office as well. This can make sure that you do not miss any changes in your glucose levels.
Shedding stress
Stress affects everyone and can come from various sources. Whether it is a big test, a demanding boss, or a traffic jam. Stress consistently keeps your body in a fight or flight response. It works well in the wild, but it does not work for regular life. Stress will also sadly affect your glucose levels when you have diabetes.
The relationship between stress and diabetes is complicated. People with type 2 diabetes have been told that their blood sugar shoots up when they are stressed. This may happen with type 1 diabetes as well. Importantly it can be both physical and mental stress that affects your blood sugar levels and so you should keep on top of your monitoring to ensure you do not get caught out.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a difficult condition to live with, but it should not be the end of the world. There are plenty of strategies that can help you manage your diabetes. You should follow a routine to ensure that your lifestyle can grow healthily and sustainably. Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly and keep your sugars in check.