Type 2 diabetes is a very common diagnosis these days. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently 29 million people living with diabetes. While this chronic metabolic disease can affect your body’s ability to produce insulin, it is not a “death sentence” as some might believe it to be. Those who are diagnosed with diabetes can make simple lifestyle changes that will allow them to maintain normal sugar levels while leading a full and happy life.
Consulting with Your Doctor
Prior to making any adjustments to your lifestyle, it is imperative that you first talk with your primary care physician or diabetes specialist. Everyone’s body is different, and as such, diabetes can affect everyone differently. Talking with your doctor about your condition allows you to get a clear understanding of your health and how diabetes is affecting you. Knowing whether you’re prone to have elevated sugar levels or low sugar levels, whether you’ll require prescribed medication in pill form or through insulin shots, and getting a clear understanding of what changes you’ll need to make will ultimately come from a consultation with your doctor.
Trying to self treat can lead to more serious problems, which is why it is highly recommended that you follow all of the doctor’s orders.
Getting Down to the Basics
After having talked with your doctor, you should have a better idea on how to get your diabetes under control. Some of the basic recommendations a doctor might suggest would include:
- Monitoring – One thing that is extremely important for all diabetic patients to remember is to monitor your sugar levels. Knowing how certain activities and foods affect your glucose levels will help you in creating a customized plan of action to maintain normal levels. If you haven’t already done so, it is a good idea to invest in blood glucose meters. Having one in your home and one that’s easy to take along is a great idea. This way, you can easily monitor your sugar levels no matter where you are. Remember to write down your number along with any activities you completed or foods you consumed.
- Eating – Diabetics become fearful that they won’t be able to eat anything more than wheat bread and water, however, this is not the case. In fact, diabetics can consume most of the things they enjoy – within moderation. Staying away from foods high in starch or sugar is especially important. However, for the most part, your doctor will want you to eat a well balanced complete with fruits, veggies, and grains. Portion control will be very important to keep in mind. It is also likely that you’ll need to eat more times per day (however in smaller amounts). You can also try and partner your diet with health supplements such as Berberine to control your sugar levels.
- Exercise – Weight gain is often one of the leading causes of diabetes to begin with. Maintaining a healthy weight will be important to improving your overall health. Exercising at least 5 times a week for 30 minutes per day is an ideal starting point. Exercising does not have to mean going to the gym or even lifting weights. There are plenty of options you could try out, as long as you get up and get moving. Why not take a dance class, play a sport, or even jog when walking the dog each morning to get the heart pumping and calories burning.
As you can see, diabetes does not have to be the “end all be all”. The complications of diabetes that you often read about are the direct result of mismanagement of the disease, poor dieting, or lack of exercise.
How your life turns out after being diagnosed with diabetes is completely up to you. Hopefully, you will see the importance in creating a plan of action and begin taking the right steps towards improving your health and overall quality of life.
