Keeping blood sugar levels under control is very crucial.
But at the same time, it is the most challenging thing.
You may be thinking why diabetes management is a big deal.
Well, this is essential because many things can spontaneously increase your blood sugar level.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t go ahead in the direction of diabetes management.
The best way to deal with any problem is always to start with small steps.
And in this case for instance start with consuming regular exercise, consuming apple cider vinegar, and cutting down your sugar intake.
Indeed diabetes is a chronic disease. This means that one has to deal with this ailment for a long period.
Now the question is why diabetes occurs.
Well, this chronic disease occurs essentially because of two reasons:
- Either when the pancreas doesn’t produce the required amount of insulin
- Or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin produced in the body.
Here are a few statistics which will explain how grim the situation is.
In the year 2014, approximately 8.5% of adults who are aged 18 years or older were suffering from this chronic disease.
If we study the data for the year 2019, this chronic disease “diabetes” was the reason for 1.5 million deaths.
Surprisingly and unfortunately, 48% of the deaths occurred before the age of 70 years of age.
Hence, this data explains well the importance of diabetes management.
Now when it comes to diabetes management, it is very important to know the disease for better control.
Let us understand it in 3 points:
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TYPE 2 DIABETES:
This type of diabetes happens when the body becomes reluctant to take insulin. In other words, this type of diabetes is a result of the body’s ineffective use of insulin.
If we go with the statistics, more than 95% people with diabetes suffer from this type of diabetes.
The basic reason behind this type of diabetes is excess body weight.
Secondly, physical inactivity is also a reason.
Few years back, this type of diabetes was only diagnosed in adults but now the cases in children have also been diagnosed.
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TYPE 1 DIABETES:
This type of diabetes happens when the body is not able to produce the required amount of insulin in the body.
This can be simply categorized as a state of deficient insulin production.
Such cases require the administration of insulin regularly when it comes to diabetes management.
If we study statistics, there are approximately 9 million people in the world suffering from this type of diabetes. Surprisingly, most of them are living in high-income countries.
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GESTATIONAL DIABETES:
Gestational diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose increases above the normal level but is below those diagnostic of diabetes.
It is crucial to note that this type of diabetes occurs in women during pregnancy.
Women suffering from this type of diabetes are at increased risk of pregnancy complications.
In such cases, the child is also prone to Type 2 Diabetes in the future.
DIABETES MANAGEMENT: FEW ACTIONABLE TIPS:
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INCLUDE REGULAR EXERCISE IN YOUR SCHEDULE:
Do you have a time slot for exercise in your timetable?
Well, in today’s world, when most of the job comes with long sitting hours, it is necessary to fix a time for exercise.
Apart from keeping you physically fit, regular exercise also helps you with diabetes management.
Regular exercise improves your insulin sensitivity. This means a good way to deal with diabetes.
If you were not active till now, don’t worry start from today.
Take it easy in the beginning. Start with 3-4 sessions in the week. Later on, increase it to 6 or 7 sessions every week.
It is recommended to have one session of at least 30 minutes duration. This duration works best for the body.
Now you need to spend much when it comes to exercise. Need not sign up for gym memberships.
Just begin with small steps like taking stairs instead of lifts or just going for a brisk walk in the garden or parking outside.
The minor addition of exercise in the routine will put a great impact on the body positively.
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START WITH CONSUMING A WELL-BALANCED DIET:
“HAVE A BALANCED DIET”
Now, this is the sentence which we have been listening to since our childhood from our parents.
But now is the time to step ahead and take action.
It is the correct time to start implementing the principles of a balanced diet.
Now if you are wondering that it is very difficult to decide what to eat and all that stuff, here are a few suggestions.
Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables. For example:
- Asparagus
- Carrot
- Squash
- Tomatoes
Try to add these food items as well:
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Nuts
- Beans
- Low-fat dairy products.
It is time to switch to whole wheat which generally includes:
- Brown rice
- Millet
- Whole oats
- Whole wheat
- Bulgur
When diabetes management is concerned, it is advised to not skip a meal in the day. Eat three times a day and maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
This simple addition of healthy food and reduction of unhealthy processed items will help you in dealing with this chronic disease.
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WORK ON REDUCING YOUR STRESS:
If you are stressed, your body is going to become less sensitive towards insulin.
This means that this is against the flow of dealing with and managing diabetes.
Many studies show that blood sugar levels increase especially for type 1 diabetes when one is under stress or any mental pressure.
So what is the solution?
It is as simple as eliminating the activities that lead to an increase in mental pressure and stress.
Stress in the short term may not look like something dangerous, but in the long term, it is the worst which one can give to the body!
So, avoid the thing which puts you under the condition of stress.
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IT IS THE TIME TO QUIT SMOKING AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION:
Diabetes management is not possible without quitting smoking and regulating alcohol consumption.
Regulating these habits initially and then getting rid of them is the best strategy which you can opt for dealing with diabetes.
Apart from giving you this chronic disease, smoking and alcohol consumption can also put lots of strain on other normal functioning of the body. For instance:
- Chronic heart and kidney diseases.
- Poor blood flow
- Diseases related to vision
- Nerve damage
So, this is the correct time to say no to such habits which puts strain on the body!
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
In this world, there are millions of detected and undetected cases of diabetes. Hence diabetes management is crucial at the same time as the biggest challenge.
But this doesn’t mean that one can’t do anything with this.
There are a few minor steps that can help you in dealing with this chronic disease.
- Including regular exercise in the schedule
- Leading a stress-free life
- Eating healthy
- Quitting smoking and alcohol consumption!
