It takes some effort to control diabetes. You have to stick to an appropriate diet, stay active, and follow a strict medication plan. Once you determine the best way to incorporate all these elements into your daily routine, life with diabetes will become much easier.
Let’s go through each area of importance so you can develop a routine that suits your lifestyle.
1) Medications
Not all diabetics need medication, but if you do, your first priority is to note when it must be taken. It’s imperative that you take it as prescribed. If your type of diabetes can cause sudden changes in your glucose levels, be sure to pack the emergency medications and keep them with you at all times.
When developing your plan, coordinate your diabetes medication with your regular meals and your daily activities. This will help you to keep everything regulated.
You might want to ask your doctor if it’s necessary for you to adjust your medication before exercise, because exercise can change your body’s glucose needs.
2) Meals
While it’s important that everyone eat regular meals, it’s even more important for someone with diabetes. Schedule a meal plan that best fits your lifestyle. If you prefer to eat early dinners, for example, you might benefit by adding a mid-evening snack to hold you overnight. Avoid skipping meals or eating snacks throughout the day that interfere with your regular mealtimes.
A registered dietician can help you to design a healthy, nutritious meal plan that is suitable for diabetics and fits your tastes. If you like a glass of wine now and then, limit it to one glass and be sure to have it with your meal or a snack, as alcohol can cause hypoglycemia.
3) Physical Exercise
Make sure you include some physical activity in your daily routine. Diabetes is one of many diseases that can be alleviated with regular exercise. As mentioned, it might be necessary to adjust your medical dosage prior to participating in sports or strenuous exercise. Eat a snack beforehand, especially if you’re going to be doing more than your regular exercise, like shovelling snow, working in your garden, or moving furniture.
4) Diabetes Management
Of prime importance is your diabetes management plan. Your goal is to keep your blood glucose as normal as possible, to avoid the long-term complications can result from uncontrolled blood sugar. This means testing your blood glucose levels as recommended by your physician. Schedule these tests into your routine.
5) Support System
Almost as important as the other four elements is support. Diabetes can trigger questions, concerns, and a sense of isolation. If you do not have adequate support, you can join one of many valuable community support groups. Not only will you receive support and answers from people experiencing similar issues, you’ll discover some of the great recipes and tips that other diabetics in the group have to share.