Managing Diabetes – The building blocks

The insiders guide to managing diabetes explores this very crucial topic for diabetics. We all know that diabetes is an incurable disease and our only option to avoiding Nasty Long term complications is to creating a successful formula to managing the disease, while this is simply not easy and requires a lot of work, it is doable for those dedicated few who understand the stakes involved and choose to pursue a path to a brighter long term health.

If you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes then you are probably wondering this same question, of the many that are swirling around in your mind. Where to start and what to do is covered in this tutorial.

There are three building blocks to successful endeavor into managing diabetes.

Managing Diabetes -The Diabetic Diet - Managing diabetes through diet requires one to pay close attention to what they eat on a daily basis. A diet low in carbohydrates and fats is usually recommended. An ideal rule of thumb to follow here is MODERATION. You do not have to follow a specific diet and you can still eat some of your favorite meals, just remember to pay close attention to serving sizes.

a serving is the size of a closed fist.

Keeping a food diary is important for it will paint an accurate picture of not only what you are consuming but also how much. Your body reacts differently to different foods so doing some experimenting with a certain food before adding it to your diet is crucial. Learning to read labels correctly will also help in creating an effective diabetic diet.

Diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar and stopping or eliminating sugar from your diet alone will not prevent or stop your diabetic symptoms.

Managing Diabetes – The Diabetes Exercise program – The second pillar when managing diabetes is exercise. The value of exercise is crucial when it comes to managing diabetes. Exercise will help lower your blood glucose levels and improve your overall health. when setting up your exercise program, there are a few factors to keep in mind.

1. Always consult a physician before starting a diabetes exercise program
2. Choose an aerobic exercise that makes the heart and lungs work harder for an extended period of time.
3. Make exercise more fun by working out with family and friends
4. make a list of why you are managing diabetes and refer to it often to keep you motivated.
5. always check your blood sugar before and after each work out

Managing Diabetes – Oral Medications vs Insulin

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetics take Insulin as part of their daily regimen. For those who take insulin, Insulin, it doesn’t mean that their diabetes is worse than those taking oral medications, it just means that managing their diabetes requires everything at their disposal to get control of the disease and in this case Insulin works better.

Here are a few of the most common Insulin myths debunnked

1. Taking Insulin means that you have failed or that your diabetes is getting worse.

2. Insulin will make me gain weight.

3. Injecting is painful and will interfere with my daily life and diabetes management .

4. Insulin is dangerous and addictive.

5. Insulin is a last resort if diet and exercise alone do not work.

Managing Diabetes- Practical Tips and Tricks

As stated earlier, managing diabetes is going to be a challenging task and many diabetics have ultimately decided against fighting the disease, which is both sad and dangerous for their overall health now and in the future. The practical nature of managing this disease means you have to adjust your lifestyle to certain levels and many diabetics are unwilling to do it.

Here are a few basic and practical fundamentals to guide you through this process. I have used them for the last 13 years and they are still relevant today as well.

1. Commit to a pro- You will need to commit to a health care team that will guide you and keep you motivated to reach your goals, but the equation does not just stop at that, you also have to make sure that you have the right team whose ideals and goals mesh with your own, it will save you a ton of time and effort. Numerous times I have heard many diabetics in the DOC complain that they are thrust into the diabetes world with an Endocrinologist who has no idea what their need are.

2. Lifestyle Changes – You will be required to make some changes to your lifestyle, that is a given, how many changes and at what severity will depend on your overall health. If you smoke or drink alcohol then you definitely have to give those up for your health. Diet changes have been discussed above.

3. Weight Loss – It is essential that you maintain an ideal weight, if you are over weight, then loosing a few pound will go a long way into making your diabetes management easier

4. Diabetes Exercise – We have covered this point above but it is important to add exercise to your diabetes management.

5. Diabetes Support Groups – You can do this alone, actually you can but it is much easier when you are in group of diabetics going through same thing you are going through. As stated earlier, managing diabetes can be quite challenging and many of us will stumble at one point or another and this leads to frustration. Depression is always a negative side effect that afflicts many diabetics, you will need some support to get you through these tough times. There is tons of support out their, from family to local support groups, and the diabetes online community, go out share make some friends and be successful. A good place to find information on diabetes support groups is the ADA or calling 211 united ways collaborative support line.

I have been a diabetic for 13 years now and I have been through it all when managing my diabetes and while I cannot say I am 100% successful in it, I have been able to use the tips and tricks outlined above to help me along the way, maybe it can help you as well.

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