“You have diabetes.”
It was as though the doctor had just given me a death sentence. I knew what happened to diabetics: they went blind, had their feet amputated, and had their kidneys fail. My life was over!
This is how many diabetics feel. They’re scared. They feel hopeless. They’ve heard the horror stories.
But have they also heard the success stories? Do they know that people with diabetes can live full, productive, happy lives by managing their diabetes?
The following three tips will help diabetics manage their diabetes and live those fulfilling lives they thought were no longer possible:
- Deal with your diagnosis.
When diabetics get the dreaded diabetes diagnosis, hope is often lost and replaced with depression and anxiety. There may be insulin to take and daily diabetic personal health assessments to make. Each day, feet must be checked for cuts, sores, blisters, swelling, and redness; each day, blood sugar and blood pressure must be taken and tracked. The new routine is stressful, but necessary for successfully managing the disease,
Through seeking out support of family, friends, and professionals and developing hobbies to bring added joy and purpose while faithfully following the daily regimen, the stress of dealing with a diabetes diagnosis can be lightened.
- Make wise food choices.
Managing their diet is the number one thing diabetics can do to keep their diabetes under control. Meal planning, focusing on the five food groups in the food pyramid, and sticking to regular mealtimes is essential. Diabetics should consume foods that are low in fat and calories. Menus should include healthy carbs (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc.), fiber-rich foods, heart-healthy fish at least twice a week, and good fats (avocados, nuts, olives, etc.).
Learning to read food labels will be one of the most helpful tools diabetics can use to manage their diets and make wise food choices. Three things to pay particular attention to are serving sizes, carbohydrates, and fiber contents of foods. Without being aware of serving sizes, it’s easy to go over the recommended diabetic guidelines and find that your blood sugar is spiking.
Counting carbohydrates is key since carbohydrates break down into glucose. If a diabetic eats too many carbs, they may need to take large doses of insulin to offset the resulting glucose spike. Controlling carbohydrates will have the greatest impact on blood sugar control for a diabetic. But what about foods that don’t have labels? For instance, how can a diabetic know how many carbs in a banana that is ripe or other fruits and vegetables–or even if they are the best carbohydrates for their diet? Getting a copy of the glycemic index can be helpful in those situations.
Fiber is also important for diabetics since it improves insulin ability to work and actually helps lower blood sugar. Good choices for fiber include lentils, beans, artichokes, popcorn, and avocados.
Diabetics may feel limited by their diets, but in reality, a diabetic diet is one of the most healthy diets around. And simple meal planning, label reading, and sticking to to a meal plan can go a long way toward managing the disease and keeping the diabetic healthy.
- Don’t be sedentary.
Exercise is vital for diabetics. In fact, for more than 24 hours after a workout, the body is more sensitive to insulin, helping blood sugar levels stay lower or more balanced. When exercising, however, it’s important to check blood glucose levels before and after workouts to see how the body reacts to different types and levels of exertion; once blood sugar patterns are discovered, it’s important to set up routines to maximize benefits and prevent glucose levels from spiking or dropping.
Diabetes isn’t a death sentence. Many diabetics are living happy and well with few side effects once they learn to deal with the emotional aspects of their diagnosis, commit to making wise food choices, and make exercise a part of their lives. For those diabetics who follow these three tips, life is hopeful and fulfilling.
