Most people with Diabetes struggle to keep up with the “Dos and Don’ts” of managing their diabetes. This leads to a lot of stress and confusion on what’s acceptable and what’s not. Given the amount of internet information that flows in everyday it is difficult to keep up with recommendations. We have come up with a few must know facts to help you manage your diabetes. After all, we deal with these problems and questions on a daily basis.
As already discussed, there are 2 main types of diabetes (other types are less common and have specific causes). The most common one being type 2, makes up to 90% of the diabetes population. The good thing about this type is that it is heavily influenced by our lifestyle choices. However this can also be a negative in some people who resort to unhealthy choices. In this article we’ll focus more on these lifestyle choices, these tend to be related to Type 2 diabetes than type 1.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) “Standards of Medical care in Diabetes” lifestyle management is a fundamental aspect of diabetes care. The following is a list of Dos and Don’ts in no specific order:
Dos:
1. Plan your meals – Diet is one of the most important behavioral aspects of managing diabetes. Whether you have a prescribed diet or counting carbs you should always plan and know the types of foods you eat everyday. The best way to do this is to balance your meals with less carbs (25%), protein (25%) and 50% vegetables. Meal composition may vary from person to person based on caloric requirement but always maintain consistency in day-to-day carbohydrate intake.
Portion control (wiki images)
2. Meal Portion control – decrease the size of meals and have small but frequent meals. This will prevent high and low blood sugar levels and ensure a better glucose profile. People with fluctuating blood sugar levels have a higher risk of complications of diabetes than those with stable blood sugar levels.
3. Exercise – at least 30 minutes of cardio a day, 5 days a week. Also include muscle-strengthening exercises (weights/resistance training); this will help with metabolism of glucose and glycogen leading to improved insulin sensitivity.
4. Keep track of your meals, activity and blood sugar readings. This is the most crucial part of your individualized comprehensive care plan. This gives your doctor or certified Diabetic educator vital information needed to tailor your therapy for excellent control.
5. Join Support groups – The psychosocial impact of diabetes is often neglected but this ought to be given as much attention as possible. Depression is more prevalent in diabetes than non-diabetics, therefore if necessary see a psychologist or psychiatrist. There are a lot of support groups, both in the community you live in and online. However be careful with information provided by some online sources, always check with your doctor and/or specific medical bodies like American Diabetes association. I recommend using these groups mainly for psychosocial support and ways of dealing with the day-to-day challenges.
6. Always Learn more about Diabetes – This may be from Diabetes educational programs or classes offered by your certified diabetes educator or online diabetes prevention programs. One good example is the Joslin Diabetes Center that offers online fully interactive classes.
Don’ts
1. Don’t change or stop your medication(s) without letting your doctor know unless if there is an adverse reaction. Those medications might be the only thing keeping you away from an emergency room. Always consult with you doctor before you make any changes, even if you know a lot about diabetes.
2. Don’t spend most of your day sitting down. An average person spends more than 9 hours in a day sitting, thanks to modern convenience. If possible, avoid drive-through, parking too close to your office, calling someone who is 2 minutes away from you. This adds up to a sedentary lifestyle, and if you do the opposite you increase your exercise and also socialize at the same time (killing 2 birds with one stone!!).
3. Avoid Foods with high glycemic index – this includes foods such as sodas, processed foods, cake, candy, and general any food item that has a high content of simple sugar.
4. Avoid using unreliable sources for information. In this digital age there is a surge of online medical information. Most of it usually comes from non-evidence based sources. Do not fall into this trap of information overload. Knowledge is always good but has to be from a accredited sources. Every piece of information you get should always be discussed with your doctor.
5. Don’t overdo it!
Exercise – Don’t go from zero to 100 too fast. There may be physiologic consequences like muscle injury, heart problems and low blood sugar. Start slow and gradually increase the intensity.
Checking your blood sugar – ONLY once a day if you are on pills and/or only one shot of insulin (morning when you get up). And 3-4 times a day if you are on more than one shot of insulin a day (before each meal and before bedtime). Unless if you have symptoms of low blood sugar.
Article by M. July, MD