Living with Diabetes can be stressful but, learning to manage it better can make living with diabetes easier.
Here are a few tips which will help to manage diabetes mellitus better –
- Diet for Diabetes
What you eat has a major impact on the blood sugar levels. Apart from avoiding simple carbohydrates such as refined & its products, sugar, honey, jaggery one should focus on the intake of healthy fats such as nuts and seeds.
Nuts and Seeds like, almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds help regulate the insulin levels in the body. They also contain magnesium which is an important mineral in regulating blood sugar levels for diabetics and those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Fruits & Vegetables are high in fiber and they help manage the blood sugar better. Best fruits for diabetics are apples, pear, peach, plum, guava, pomegranate, etc, while the fruits to be avoided are banana, chickoo, jackfruit, custard apple, mango, etc. Incorporating whole fruits as a part of mid-meals in the diet is the best way to prevent from low sugar levels.
Vegetables such as leafy vegetables, gourd vegetables, should be preferred in the meals for diabetics as they are high in fiber and roots and tubers should be avoided.
- Be active to lower blood sugar
Exercise plays a crucial role in diabetes management, it helps to control blood glucose levels, as the muscles use glycogen while exercising without insulin. Exercise helps in reducing insulin resistance as the calories are burned due to which the cells can utilize glucose more effectively.
People with diabetes have a risk of developing heart disease and regular exercise helps in preventing the built of plaque and deranged lipid levels.
- Blood Glucose Monitoring
Monitoring blood sugar is as important as the other factors helping to manage blood sugar. Monitoring blood sugar on a time-to-time basis helps to manage the fluctuations of sugar levels both high and low which further reduces the risk of long-term complications like heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputation. It helps to understand the effect of diet, exercise, and medications. It also helps to make decisions for the diabetes care plan
- Sleep
Sound sleep is one of the most important factors in management of diabetes mellitus. Lack of sleep increases insulin resistance, which in turn affects the satiety and feeling of fullness. It makes you hungrier the next day and also leads to the consumption of calorically dense foods that are more likely high on carbs and sugar and likely increase the sugar levels after eating.
- Stress Management
When you are stressed the body prepares itself by ensuring that there is enough sugar / glucose available to fight the stress. Diabetics with type 2 diabetes mellitus have low blood sugar levels due to medications are common cause of stress. In response to the drop in the blood sugar levels the body releases certain hormones, and the response of these hormones may last for a few hours and it may be difficult for the body to control the blood sugar levels. This may lead to cause an increase in the dosage of medication or insulin to help manage it better.
Hence stress management in diabetes is important. Focus on meditation, yoga, deep breathing to help manage stress better
Keeping a check on the above factors will help to manage your blood sugars better. Always, consult a certified Dietitian / Nutritionist before opting for any fad diets/crash diets or making any dietary changes.
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