First off, kudos to you on taking the initiative to control your diabetes. These are the most effective and crucial steps you can take:
1.) Diet.
Consume a diet plentiful in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables ( Aim to eat 1 to 2 cups five times a day), lean protein (turkey, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, egg whites), low-fat dairy (skim or 1% milk, low-fat yogurt, reduced fat cheese), and heart healthy fats like olive, canola or walnut oil (Remember, just because it's heart healthy doesn't mean you can go to town on it. These are calorie dense foods, and I still encourage you to have them, but be mindful of how much you eat. Read labels to help you figure out serving sizes.)
2.) Sweat.
Ideally, you should exercise for 60 minutes between 4-6 times a week. Is this always feasible? No. And yes. Your mind tells you that you can't commit to one hour of physical activity every day. Really, no matter how busy you are, you should try to move as much as you can. If this means parking the car a few spots farther then where you normally do to get some more leg work in, then do it. If it means to press through a couple flights of stairs to get to your office, then do it. It's okay if you can't do the full 60 minutes, doing more activity then you did before is already benefiting your body. If you can set aside 30 minutes for aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, biking, roller skating) then you're already making a difference. If you're a novice, work your way up to the thirty minutes. Start small, and continue to engage in any type of physical activity that gets your heart beating. You'll gradually become stronger.
3.) Test.
No need to lecture on this one. How else will you know where your blood glucose level is at? Are you psychic? Probably not. Yes, you do have to prick your precious finger with a needle. Many diabetic patients skip this and suddenly their glucose level spins out of control. Just do it. For yourself.
4.) Check-ups
Be sure you're visiting your physician regularly. The routine exams and blood work completed by your doctor cannot be compared to a simple self-test at home. It's necessary, and if you visit your physician regularly you could catch problems early, and prevent any potential health risk from going haywire.
Should you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at verveisserved@gmail.com
Best wishes,
Priyanka
Did you know that exercising too much can actually make a diabetic person's insulin level shoot up and then they can have a hard time getting it down? My husbands doctor recommended exercising 10-15 mins at a time a few times a day to avoid this from happening. and then after a while increasing both the time and intensity of the work out. and that it is very important to monitor your blood sugar level all the time.
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