Whether you are newly diagnosed or due for a re-cap on the basics, these 5 essentials of diabetes management help you take a step back and ask yourself whether the basics are being met.
Read up on diabetes
Knowledge is one of the best ways to beat diabetes. Diabetes is able to affect our whole body so there can be a lot to take in and sometimes when we absorb the information in small occasional chunks, it can leave us quite confused.
Thankfully, there are some great books available which break down what we need to know in a really well structured way.
As well as providing a solid foundation for understanding diabetes, books can be a cost effective way to improve our diabetes management.
A quality book on diabetes will often cost no more than a tub of test strips
Every one with diabetes should aim to get hold of at least one really good book on the subject.
Test and record your blood sugars
Once you have read up on diabetes, the next stage is to take your understanding forward on a personal level – how diabetes affects you
Testing will not only let you see how you’re doing on a regular basis, but it should also help you understand your diabetes and inform your decision making.
This could include helping to choose a suitable diet, knowing how activity affects you and how stressful days and illness need to be managed.
Furthermore, the more detail you record, the better prepared you will be for doctor’s appointments.
- Blood glucose levels
- Free blood glucose diary
Some people, particularly those with type 2 diabetes, have experienced difficulty with being prescribed blood glucose testing strips. Read more on availability of test strips
Pick a good diet for your diabetes
A good diet will help in a myriad of ways. It can help improve:
- Blood sugar levels
- Improve blood pressure and cholesterol
- Reduce tiredness
- Improve digestion and
- Can significantly improve clarity of thought
Diet can be one of the most confusing aspects for people with diabetes as so much information is contradictory.
Even with the conflicting information out there, there are some common themes that run through, such as eating foods with plenty of fibre and a low glycaemic index
Vegetables and unsalted nuts fit the criteria well. Fish is a good pick and good quality lean meats are generally well regarded.
Include some activity each day
Just a little activity each day can help to improve our health and it can also help us to feel more energetic through the day.
Activity needn’t mean taking out a gym subscriptio, a 20 minute walk or even 15 minutes of press ups and/or aerobics in your own living room will get the heart pumping.
The effect of regular activity is also known to help increase insulin sensitivity, which can be useful for all types of diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes.
Talk about your diabetes
With diabetes able to affect so many parts of our life, there are frequently times when need someone to talk things over with.
Sometimes simply talking about our diabetes can help us to understand it better.
The Diabetes Forum is great way to connect with other people with diabetes. Put together, our forum members contribute well over 100,000 years of diabetes experience!
- Visit the Diabetes Forum
