Almost 415 million people in the world live with diabetes and live their normal daily lives without it stopping or impeding them. How do they do it?
Diabetes can be a challenging disease to live with purely because of the management it requires in day to day life. You must be constantly on top of and keeping track of yourself; it’s easy for it to become overwhelming.
If you have been recently diagnosed or simply need to learn how to manage your diabetes more effectively, then there are a number of ways you can do this and get back to living the best life you can, even with diabetes.
Learn About Food
Healthy eating is important for everyone, but it is even more important and pressing for those with a diabetes diagnosis. You need to know how food is going to affect you and your blood sugar levels prior to eating it.
Luckily, as noted by the folks from DiaBettr there is plenty of resources out there that can guide you to better understand the food pyramid and what it means for your diabetes.
Count Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of the food groups that can influence your blood sugar levels the most upon eating. If you take insulin at mealtimes, it’s essential that you know how much of your food contains carbohydrates. This is so that you can accurately measure the correct dose in correlation to your food.
Portion size is also a key factor; you should learn what portion size to have for each type of food since each is different and will impact you differently.
Coordinate Medicine and Food
Taking medicine is often a crucial part of dealing with diabetes, but it has to be taken correctly. If you do not eat enough food when taking insulin, it can cause low blood sugar at a dangerous level. Research and talk with your doctor about how to balance and coordinate your food and medicine intake.
Take Advantage of Technology
Technology helps out in everyday life, and now it can even help out with everyday health.
There are now new technologies available that can help you to manage your blood sugar levels without having to use a needle to test your blood. If you are finicky about needles, then you will no longer have to deal with this pain. CGM systems monitor the glucose in your system which will allow you to understand your body better and make better decisions when it comes to food and medicine. With this type of new technology, there is no need for discomfort or pain when it comes to measuring your blood sugar levels.
Managing your diabetes daily is simply made so much easier with systems like this.
Make an Exercise Plan
Just like eating well, exercise is a crucial part of managing diabetes. However, physical activity can actually lower your blood sugar levels, even after you finish exercising. Therefore, it is important that you monitor your levels before, during and after.
Strenuous activity can impact your glucose levels for the worst. Make sure you talk with your doctor to devise an exercise plan that works for you and for your diabetes.