People who suffer from type II diabetes have many lifestyle changes they can implement to control the disease. Diet and exercise play a crucial role in controlling weight and insulin. Of course, medication will also control diabetes. The following suggestions all help control diabetes for most people.
Checking your blood sugar level on a daily basis is important to see how your body is reacting. Monitoring your blood sugar level with a meter assures you will have the most accurate results. Remember to log your results as they are important feedback. Also, it is essential to share them with your doctor in order to monitor progress.
This brings us to the second suggestion of keeping all your regular doctor visits. Your doctor can assist you in monitoring you diet and meal frequency. Another point it can assist you in is evaluating how well your medication is working and making adjustments accordingly.
Maintaining your diet is a very important key to keeping your blood glucose level stabilized. When you have diabetes, skipping meals is not an option. The main reason is this could push your blood glucose levels higher. Furthermore, skipping meals leads to overeating, which usually results in weight gain. Always eat on your regular schedule.
Another important tip for controlling diabetes is to exercise regularly. In numerous research studies participants who exercised were able to control their diabetes. It didn’t matter whether the exercise was aerobic or resistant weight training. According to the researchers the most benefit came from a combination of both types of exercises.
Include more whole grain foods in your diet. Doctors recommend whole grain foods for reducing diabetes and maintaining stable blood sugar levels. It is believed that the fiber in whole grain slows digestion, thereby causing a more controlled insulin release in your body.
We all know that losing weight is healthy for you, but when you have diabetes it is of paramount importance to maintain a healthy body weight. Studies show a direct link between substantial weight loss and diabetes control. In many cases people who were previously on medication for the type II diabetes were able to get off the medication by losing weight and keeping it off.
Many successful diabetic patients find having goals helps a lot. For example, the American Diabetes Association recommends a ninety day blood glucose level below 7%. When monitoring your blood glucose levels you can make adjustments to meet your goal of below 7%. One thing to remember is to have realistic goals. If your current blood glucose levels are very high, it would be unrealistic to expect them to fall below 7% by next week. It is important to have small goals, such as daily or weekly goals. Small improvements by meeting these goals will show up as substantial improvements long term.
Having diabetes and being able to control it is a full time job. To a certain extent diabetes is a reflection of the choices we make. By implementing these tips into your daily life you should be able to control your diabetes.