Diabetes affects how your body turns food into energy. Diabetes affects people of almost all ages and is known to be one of the major causes of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some common symptoms of diabetes include feeling very thirsty, needing to urinate more often than usual, blurred vision, feeling tired, and losing weight unintentionally.
Certain factors that contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes include being overweight, not getting enough exercise, and genetics. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, here are some important things that you should keep in mind to manage your blood sugar levels.
Important Diabetes Management Tips
Eat Healthy Foods
When struggling with diabetes, it is important to choose healthy and nutritious foods to manage your blood sugar levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, a diet for people living with diabetes is based on eating healthy meals at regular times. Eating meals at regular times helps to better use the insulin that the body makes or gets through medicine. A registered dietitian can help you put together a diet based on your health goals, tastes and lifestyle.
Be Active
Staying active and practising exercise regularly is essential for diabetes management. Go for a walk or jogging or choose some easy exercises to include in your regimes and focus on your body’s needs. Being physically active helps in managing weight, regulating blood pressure and sugar levels and increases your ability to do everyday activities.
Manage Stress
Another important thing to consider while managing diabetes is finding ways to cope with your regular stress. The release of stress hormones may lead to a rise in blood sugar levels, cause insulin resistance and lead to the development of diabetes. Therefore, it is extremely important to manage your stress levels in order to prevent diabetes.
Limit Sugary Drinks
The Mayo Clinic states that sugar-sweetened drinks tend to be high in calories and low in nutrition. They also cause blood sugar to rise quickly. So it’s best to limit these types of drinks if you have diabetes. The exception is if you have a low blood sugar level. Sugary drinks can be used to quickly raise blood sugar that is too low. These drinks include regular soda, juice and sports drinks.
Keep Check Of Your Blood Sugar Levels
If you have diabetes, then it is essential to keep a check on your regular blood sugar levels. The best time to check your blood sugar levels is before meals and at bedtime. You can easily check your bloodsugar levels by using a glucose meter and test strips or a CGM system.
