Living Well With Diabetes: How To Manage Your Life

Were you recently diagnosed with diabetes? Are you wondering about how to start living well with diabetes? It may seem overwhelming and hard, but you can do it to make your diabetes manageable and live a fulfilling life.

Keep reading to see learn more about diabetes self-management to help you feel happy and healthy.

Manage Your Diet

If you have diabetes, you need to manage your diet because it directly affects your blood sugar. The good news is that there are no off-limits with food, but you have to focus on eating what your body needs.

Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. You should also eat lean meats, such as fish and chicken, and low-fat dairy.

Carbohydrates turn into sugar, so be careful of your carb intake and try to eat the same at each meal to avoid spikes and dips in your blood sugar. Each meal should have a balanced and mixed portion of fruits, vegetables, proteins, starches, and fat.

Watch Your Alcohol Intake

If you choose to drink, try to drink in moderation. Women should drink about one drink a day and men two drinks a day according to the American Diabetes Association. Alcohol can make your sugar go low or high.

Before you drink, be sure to take your sugar level. Avoid alcohol with high levels of sugar like a wine cooler.

Exercise

It’s time to get active if you aren’t already. There are things you can do such as biking, walking, or swimming to get moving. Living with type 2 diabetes means you should do about 30 minutes of activity that makes you breathe harder or sweat.

Being active helps control your blood sugar and helps lower your risk for heart disease. It can also help you lose weight and manage stress.

Medication

Your doctor will prescribe diabetes medication, like Invokana, if you can’t manage your blood sugar levels with diet and exercise alone. The effectiveness of your medication is all about timing and the proper dosage.

Make sure you store your insulin properly, so it can be effective. Insulin is sensitive to extreme temperatures.

Report any problems to your doctor. If your blood sugar is still too high or low with medication, you may need to adjust your dosage, so be sure to discuss it with your doctor.

Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medication to make sure there is no interaction that affects your blood sugar.

Go to the Doctor for Regular Checkups

It’s vital to visit your doctor at least twice a year for regular follow-ups. Diabetes increases your risk of other medical conditions such as heart disease, so you need to monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol.

You should also get an annual eye exam to check for any early signs of glaucoma. If you have any issues with your feet, make sure to see a doctor as well.

Start Living Well With Diabetes

You can start living well with diabetes. Be sure to watch your diet, exercise daily, take your medication if necessary, and watch your alcohol. Visit your doctor regularly to make any needed adjustments.

Looking for more advice to help you live well? If so, check out more articles in our Health & Fitness section.