Tips to Manage Diabetes Through Lifestyle

According to the CDC, there are well over 37 million adults in the United States of America dealing with diabetes. With such a staggering number, it’s a rising concern in both the medical field and the very lives of those afflicted. Consequently, there is a lot of research into how the lives of people with diabetes can be improved, and with the right lifestyle changes, you can help to manage your diabetes care.

How to improve diabetes management through lifestyle

There are several changes that the average person dealing with diabetes may be able to apply to their life for some positive results. However, as these are lifestyle changes, they all demand a degree of commitment for the ideal outcome. A few of the possible changes to make will be included below, along with some significant factors that affect diabetes in negative ways.

Eating habits

Eating habits can have a massive impact on your health in general. However, in regards to diabetes specifically, you should always pay attention to what you’re putting into your body as it can affect your blood glucose levels. It’s best to stick with healthy food like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, you need to make an effort to eat mostly nonfat dairy and lean meats — limiting foods that contain high amounts of sugar or fat. Finally, watch your carb intake as carbohydrates turn straight into sugar.

Get active

Living a sedentary lifestyle is not healthy in any regard, but it’s even more dangerous when you have diabetes. Getting active and keeping your body moving for at least 30 minutes a day is enough to make a difference. Physical activity can bring your blood sugar down by a significant margin and even decrease your chances of heart disease.

Easing stress

On this very note, stress can be easily cooled with regular exercise. When you’re stressed, not will it be even more difficult to manage your diabetes, but beyond the mental reaction, your blood sugar levels will actually increase as well. If you forget to exercise, try simple activities to achieve the same stress-relieving benefits. You attempt yoga, a walk outside or some hobbies.

Monitor your body & getting checkups

Less of a lifestyle change and more of a habit that you need to apply to your routine, you should also be checking up on your blood sugar levels — especially following alcohol or a large meal.

In addition, it’s best to ensure that you’re having the appropriate number of checkups with your doctor. Diabetes puts you at an increased risk of many health conditions, so it’s best to make consistent investigations into your well-being.

Following some positive additions to your lifestyle, you want to remove any negatives that could be weighing your progress down.

Smoking

It goes without saying that smoking is the furthest thing from healthy. More so than stress, living a sedentary lifestyle or some eating habits, smoking can very quickly leave long-lasting damage to your body. Smokers are more likely to have heart disease, eye disease, strokes, nerve damage and more.

Smoking can also make living an active, healthy lifestyle even more difficult.

Alcohol

Alcohol can be enjoyed in moderation. However, it’s highly advised that you do not overdo it. When you choose to drink, drink only small amounts. And do so knowing that drinking more may make your blood sugar levels more difficult to control. The American Diabetes Association has stated that if you’re a man with diabetes, you should not have anything more than two drinks a day. For women, you should keep it at one drink a day or less.

Diabetes management in the Triangle

With the correct application of these lifestyle changes, you can see lasting improvements in not only your quality of life but also your management of diabetes. In time, diabetes will have less and less of an impact on your daily life, allowing you more time than ever to enjoy yourself.

It’s important to take a proactive approach when it comes to your health, and a primary care provider can serve as your partner in managing your overall health and wellness as a patient with diabetes. We offer primary care as a part of our health care team. Contact us today to learn more!