(From the 2011 Diabetes Today Edition)
What’s next?
Don’t let it control you.
Diabetes is a life-long complicated disease requiring time and effort to manage and control effectively. Before diabetes you lived your life as you chose and would like to continue that way, however you have to remember that diabetes is always going to be present in your life 24/7, 365 days – or 366 days in 2012. Whatever steps you choose at this point, remember that poorly managed and uncontrolled diabetes leads to serious long term complications. Diabetes is always lurking around the corners, therefore time and knowledge should be invested in effectively managing it to gain control.
Diabetes self-management is recognized as the cornerstone of diabetes care. It involves people afflicted and affected by diabetes acquiring the knowledge and skills to make effective day to day decisions. Managing diabetes and preventing, delaying or halting long term complications will always be critical and simple lifestyle changes will improve the way you feel today, and help ensure a healthier and happier future.
The following steps can have a dramatic impact on your blood glucose/sugar levels and the progression of type 2 diabetes:
Education: The most basic tool is to learn the facts about diabetes and its management. Learning about what causes diabetes and how to manage and control it is a very important step.
Improve your nutrition: Keeping close tabs on what and how you eat is a major way to manage type 2 diabetes. Healthy Nutrition for people with type 2 diabetes includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Focus on eating fruits and non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, christophene, spinach and lettuce, and having smaller portions of starchy foods, meat, and dairy products.
Lose Weight: If overweight, losing just 10 to 15 pounds can lower your glucose/sugar levels, can improve blood glucose/sugar levels and help keep type 2 diabetes controlled.
Exercise Regularly: Even without losing a pound, exercise can help keep type 2 diabetes under control. Physical activity, such as walking, causes muscle contractions pushing glucose/sugar from your blood into your cells resulting in better blood glucose/sugar levels.
Reduce Stress: Stress can make blood glucose/sugar levels harder to control. Try relaxation techniques to chase away stress. Some stress busters include yoga, tai chi, meditation, massage, going to the beach, sea bathing and soothing music.
Monitoring: learn how to check your blood glucose/sugar and what the numbers mean. Know your A1c, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Check your feet daily, and have your eyes and other laboratory tests at recommended times.
Medication: always take your medications (pills and or insulin) as ordered by your doctor and discuss any problems you are having with your medication regime.
Get regular medical checks: regular checkups can help identify signs of complications, so that you and your doctor can take steps to prevent them.
The Diabetes Association of Barbados is ready to provide you with diabetes self-management education and counseling to help you manage and control your diabetes.
Contact Us Today: 246-427-9338. Join Us Today
Noreen Merritt
Former President
Diabetes Association of Barbados
