When you have diabetes, a primary goal is to keep
it under control. Here are some simple things you can
do each day to help achieve that goal.
Exercise
Regular physical activityhelps you feel better. It
also improves your sensitivity toinsulin, which
means it works better in your body. Because it
does, your blood sugar
levelscan become more stable.
Exercise can also help ease stress.
If you aren't active now, start slow. Then build up how
much
of activity each week. Try to make each period last for at
least 30 minutes. And you don't have to work out at
the gym to be active. Take the stairs instead of an elevator,
or park at the far end of the lot. Both add
daily routine.
Have a
you do, and when will you do them? For example, you
might plan to walk 30 minutes on most days on your lunch
break.
Change your activities often enough so you don't get
bored. You can do
And resistance exercises like working out with weights
offer another option. Whatever you do, don't forget to
stretch before and after each workout session.
It's important to realize that exercise lowers your
sugar. Talk to your doctor about whether you need to
adjust your meds or insulin dose to keep your levels high
enough.
Well-Balanced Diet for Diabetes
Having
Try to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables such as:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Cucumber
- Salad
- Squash
- Tomato
- Beans
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Lean meat
- Low-fat or non-fat dairy products
- Nuts
- Poultry or
- Sweet potatoes
You can also get
Stick to whole-grain foods. If you eat cereals, check the ingredients and make sure the
Examples of whole grains include:
- Brown rice
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Millet
- Popcorn
- Quinoa
- Sorghum
- Whole oats
- Whole wheat
Reduce Stress
If you're
Stress
sensitive to insulin. When you're
adopts a
sure you have enough
Studies of people with
levels go up for most people under mental
down for others. If you havediabetes and you're
feeling the pressure, your glucose will go up.
If something has you troubled, try to make changes that
can help you
friends
positive ones. Do whatever works for you.
Support groups,
Quit Smoking
Beat the habit. It'll give you better control of your blood
sugar levels.
If you smoke, you're also more likely to have serious health
problems as well as a higher chance of complications from
diabetes. Those can include:
- Heart
- Poor
- to infections,
- Retinopathy, an
- Peripheral neuropathy
- and legs that causes weakness, numbness, poor coordination
Cut Back on Alcohol
If you're on insulin or oral diabetes meds like sulfonylurea
or meglitinides, drinking
dangerous levels. When you drink, your
to remove the alcohol from your blood instead of regulating
your blood sugar.
Drunkenness and
cause
confuse the symptoms of too much alcohol and low blood
sugar. A woman should have no more than one drink a
day. For men, the limit is two drinks per day. One drink is
12 ounces of beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or an ounce
and a half of liquor like vodka. With mixed drinks, choose
no-calorie mixers like club soda or diet soda
Try switching to a light beer or wine spritzer. You can also
sip more slowly or switch to
drink.
If you cut back on the drinks, you may eat better. Alcohol
can lower your
