Let’s be honest: Managing diabetes can sometimes feel like a full-time job, especially if you’re doing it correctly.
That being said, it’s important to manage diabetes so you can keep your blood sugar levels within range to decrease damage to your body. Here are the most important things you can do on a daily basis to manage diabetes:
1. Go green
Here are some small dietary changes that will make big differences:
- Make half of your plate non-starchy vegetables. By increasing vegetables, you will be getting more fiber, less calories, less carbohydrates, and better nutrition! They can be fresh, frozen or canned.
- Choose water or sugar free drinks. If you haven’t already, give up your juice and regular soda. Cutting out juice and soda will greatly improve your blood sugars. Water is best, but diet drinks are OK, too.
- Eat three meals every day. Eating only once or twice daily is hard on your body and makes diabetes more difficult to manage and to keep blood sugars in desired ranges.
2. Test your blood sugars
Everyone that has diabetes should have a glucometer, which is covered by your insurance. But what do your numbers mean?
The desired range for fasting blood sugar – that is, in the morning before eating – is 80 to130. The desired range for blood sugar two hours after the start of the meal is below 140 to 180. If you aren’t meeting your goals, a diabetes educator can help you get there. Also, your healthcare provider can help by prescribing new medication or switching up your medications.
3. Take your diabetes medications
It is extremely important to take the medications that you are prescribed for diabetes to help keep your blood sugars in the desired ranges.
If you aren’t taking your meds correctly or consistently – or if you don’t like the way a medication makes you feel – tell your healthcare provider. There are many different classifications of medications that work differently in the body to affect how the body manages blood sugar. There will be some that will be a perfect fit for you. Also, a diabetes educator can help explain how to take your meds correctly, especially insulin.
4. Get moving
Remember, some activity is always better than none. The American Diabetes Association recommendation for physical activity is 150 minutes a week. You can get there! Just start with small steps. Add movement into your day however it will fit: multiple short sessions of walking, parking further in the parking lot, taking the stairs, a 10-minute walk at lunchtime, taking your dog for a walk, finding a friend to have an activity challenge with, do an exercise class on your home TV.
Being active and eating healthy are two ways that can help you to cope with diabetes. It’s common to experience emotional highs and lows living with diabetes. To cope is to deal with or overcome a problem. Other healthy coping methods you can use to get through rough times include finding a hobby, joining a support group, meditating or praying, writing in a journal, spending time in nature or spending time with loved ones.
5. Reach out
It’s also important to remember that you’re not alone in this. There are numerous resources at your disposal as you work to manage your diabetes, including healthy recipes at Diabetes Food Hub, a Healthy Living newsletter from Diabetes.org or by reaching out to the Diabetes Education team here at St. Tammany Health System.
Jennifer Gagliano RDN CDCES is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and a certified diabetes care and education specialist at St. Tammany Health System.