Okay, you have Diabetes. So the question is: now what do you do? How do you live with Diabetes? The question is not as grim as it sounds! There are many ways to live a full life with Diabetes, and three of the most important are:
1. Exercise!
Studies have shown that people with pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes through changes to their lifestyle that include weight loss and regular physical activity. Experts recommend that people with pre-diabetes reduce their weight by 5 to 10 percent and participate in some type of moderate physical activity for 30 minutes daily, at least 5 times per week. For some people with pre-diabetes, intervening early can actually turn back the clock and return elevated blood glucose levels to the normal range. If early action is taken to manage blood glucose, the onset of type 2 diabetes can be delayed or even prevented.
An exercise program that combines walking, fat-burning, strength-straining and core flexibility workouts can help you lose weight, get healthy, and feel great. Many people with pre-diabetes and diabetes can keep their blood sugar levels in check with proper exercise, and specifically by trimming down on belly fat. There are many great exercises like my “Can Can Move” and “Table Top Crunch,” which you can view at my “Ten Best Exercises to Lose Belly Fat” page.
2. Have a Healthy Diet!
Some of the mild forms of diabetes can be controlled simply through your diet. However, this takes more than counting calories. Understanding how sugars and starchy carbohydrates impact your blood sugar levels is important to monitor. When we eat carbohydrates — grains, cereals, pastas, fruit and, yes, anything containing sugar — our digestive systems start to break them down into glucose, the simple sugar found in our body’s tissues. Glucose rushes through the bloodstream, which signals insulin the hormone produced in the pancreas, to kick in. Insulin’s job is to sweep in and distribute that glucose to various cells in our organs, muscles and brain. Those cells, in turn, turn the glucose into energy. The more often we put our bodies through this roller coaster, the more insulin we have to produce to keep blood sugar balanced. That issue is what’s known as insulin resistance and can eventually lead to pre-diabetes and diabetes.
So, start by cutting back on sugar and starches in your life, including “white” foods, such as white rice and potatoes. These are known as High Glycemic Foods, and include certain types of fruit as well as most cereals and sugars. Make sure you keep track of the food you eat, and you can help manage your blood sugar levels.
3. Keep track of your blood glucose (blood sugar) level.
There are many types of Diabetes Test Strips that can help you make sure your blood sugar levels are good, and all of them are easy to use. It’s very important to monitor yourself so that you can keep living a healthy life.
By using these three methods, your Diabetes can be controlled and you can live a healthy and active life.
