How Can You Live Well with Diabetes
If you are diagnosed with diabetes then your body doesn’t produce enough insulin, which is important to break down glucose. Diabetes lasts for a lifetime and its impact depends upon various factors. The extent to which your body will be affected by the condition depends on the age at which you got diabetes, the time when it was diagnosed, the medications and your overall lifestyle.
You can face many complications if proper precautions are not taken. There is a probability of getting cardiovascular disease and heart stroke if preventive measures are not taken. If you do not take the condition seriously, then it can give birth to kidney and eye problems. In some cases amputations might be required.
You must take measures to help control your blood sugar level to avoid complications in future. Let us see in detail what actions you need to implement to live well even when you have diabetes:
6 Key Points for Keeping Diabetes in Control
We will discuss the six areas where you need to put your focus on winning against diabetes:
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Proper medications
You first need to take proper medications to control and reduce the effects of the disease. The medicines help the pancreas release insulin which is essential for breaking glucose. The medicines usually come in tablets or insulin shots. Ensure that you inform your doctor about any medicines you are taking to treat some other disease. The diabetes medicine can interact with other medicine so doctors must also be informed about other medications. Also, make sure not to overdose on medicine, as it can cause hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is a condition which involves low blood sugar. If you are experiencing low blood sugar then you can eat food with carbs and sugar to bring the blood sugar to an optimum level. Always consult the doctor in case of any problem so that he can make necessary medication changes.
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Active lifestyle
Keeping your body active with physical exercise is vital in controlling blood sugar levels. An active lifestyle does not mean you must go arm and length to raise blood circulation and sweating. You can keep yourself physically fit by making small lifestyle changes. Adding some fun outdoor games, picking up a sport as a hobby or simply going to a nearby park for a walk are great ways to get those muscles moving. Also, apart from doing these activities, you can change how you do your everyday tasks. For instance, you can park your car a little away from the store, take stairs instead of a lift, and walk nearby distances rather than taking your car, which will surely increase your daily step count.
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Eating healthy
Diet plays an essential role in controlling your Diabetes and preventing any complications in future. Eating healthy can be tough for some people as they are tempted to eat unhealthy food. You can eat healthy food that tastes good and provides essential nutrients by being creative. Many recipes can level up your cooking skills. You just need the right ingredients, vision, and guidance from your favourite cooking channels. If you are a diabetic person, the first thing a doctor would do is cut out on sweet food. Avoiding sweet food can be tough, but do not dishearten. You can satisfy your sweet tooth by eating nature’s candy, which is fruits, in moderation. Additionally, you can add dark green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains. You now know what food to eat, but there are certain foods that you need to avoid. You should consume sugary foods, fruit juices, dried fruit, simple carbs, and anything with trans fats.
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Maintaining an ideal weight
Obesity is a condition that can trigger the effects of diabetes. You can control the diabetic condition and keep yourself at bay from many other diseases by keeping your body within the ideal weight range. Your insulin resistance can increase if you have diabetes and your BMI is more than 25. Insulin resistance is a term used to describe a situation when the body’s cells do not respond well to insulin, thus increasing the blood sugar level.
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Manage your stress levels
Increased stress levels can cause blood sugar levels to spike. You can not always avoid stress, but you can take measures to reduce it. If you meditate, exercise, and talk to someone, you greatly reduce your stress levels. You should try communicating your feelings with your loved ones if something bothers you. You can vent your thoughts to let all the tension out of your mind. Stress also affects you in other ways, such as forgetting to take your medicine on time or having no mood for exercise. Some people tend to overeat when they are stressed. Thus, stress can make it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle, so consider reducing and controlling it.
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Quit smoking and reduce alcohol intake
Smoking is a habit that can worsen your overall health. It is best not to increase your chance of getting heart, kidney or eye disease with smoking. Smoking also affects your capability of exercising and doing yoga. Make a promise to yourself to quit if you smoke. A specialist can also help you in getting rid of the smoking addiction. Your sugar level in the body also gets affected by alcohol consumption. Your blood sugar level can become too high or too low if you drink irresponsibly. You can have one or two drinks in a day to keep the diabetes in control.
Key takeaway
Taking your condition seriously and practising a healthy lifestyle consisting of a good diet, lots of exercise, and quitting bad habits can significantly improve your diabetic condition. Remember that you are not alone in this; your loved ones and doctor are there to support you always. Always get regular checkups to keep insulin levels in control. Lastly, keep a positive outlook and avoid being discouraged in tough times.
