Managing Diabetes

If you or your loved one is living with diabetes, you probably know how stressful it can be to manage your blood glucose levels on a daily basis. Diabetes affects nearly every aspect of your life, from daily life activities to what you eat. Managing diabetes is very important to prevent many health complications. This article covers advice about diabetes treatment and self-management that can help you live well with diabetes. 

Identifying Diabetes:

Your body needs insulin to transport glucose to be used as energy by the cells. When insulin levels are low, your body’s cells cannot use glucose. This causes glucose to stay and circulate in your blood. Over time, your body becomes resistant to insulin and does not use it effectively, leading to elevated blood glucose levels. The condition is called type 2 diabetes that affects about 95% of people and increases the risk of other health complications [1].

There’s no cure for type 2 diabetes, but it can be managed by sticking to medications, an active lifestyle, and a healthy diet. 

How Can You Self-Manage Your Diabetes?

Many people with diabetes don’t know what they should do to control their blood sugar levels. Let’s take a look at how you can manage your diabetes. 

1. Adopting A Diabetic Diet: 

Managing diabetes does not make you food-deprived; it means that you can enjoy tasty and healthy foods to control your blood sugar. You can follow a diabetic diet, which includes nutrient-dense foods that respond better to insulin. A healthy diabetic diet includes:

• Leans proteins sources like poultry
• Eggs and fish
• Nuts and seeds like sunflower seeds and almonds
• Whole grains, such as brown rice
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Non-fat dairy products
• Beans and lentils [2]

2. Be More Active: 

You should engage in physical activities to manage your blood sugar levels. Spending at least 150 minutes of two to three aerobic exercise sessions per week can manage diabetes [3].

3. Keep Your ABCs In Control: 

Because diabetes can increase your risk of heart disease, you should regularly have:

• A1Cs tested. For people with diabetes, the A1C goal should be below 7%. 
• Blood pressure is controlled at every visit to your doctor. The blood pressure goal for diabetic people should be below 140/90 mmHg. 
• Cholesterol (both LDL and HDL) is tested once a year. 

4. Quit Smoking: 

Both diabetes and smoking narrow your blood vessels and increase the risk of heart diseases. E-cigarettes aren’t safe either. Quitting smoking can prevent the risk of long-term complications of diabetes. 

Treatment Options For Diabetes:

There are a lot of treatment options for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Insulin and medications are two options for lowering blood sugar levels. Insulin injections and insulin pumps can manage your blood sugar levels. Medications, such as metformin, are commonly used. Some medications, such as sulfonylureas, also stimulate your pancreas to produce insulin [4]. 

Many people with diabetes struggle to keep their blood sugar at bay but fail to manage them. Medications and insulin can control diabetes, but self-management is also essential. By eating the right foods, engaging in physical activity, quitting smoking, and having your blood pressure and A1C tested regularly, you can manage to live a pretty normal life with diabetes.

If you have Diabetes and would like to speak with one of our expert healthcare providers, contact us today and we’ll be happy to help.

References:

1. Olokoba AB, Obateru OA, Olokoba LB. Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a review of current trends. Oman Med J 2012;27:269–73. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2012.68.
2. Wyness L. Understanding the role of diet in type 2 diabetes prevention. Br J Community Nurs 2009;14:374–9. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2009.14.9.43803.
3. Mortality O. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY , RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS 2006;29. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc06-9910.
4. Hu C, Jia W. Therapeutic medications against diabetes: What we have and what we expect. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019;139:3–15. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2018.11.008.