Coping with Diabetes in Everyday Life

Diabetes management is a challenging task. There are so many things (food, exercise, stress and medications) that you need to keep in mind in order to ensure that your blood sugar levels remain within a healthy range.

Diabetes is a condition which has no cure, but it can be managed. Self-care and willingness to take responsibility can help a diabetic lead a normal life. There is a need for dedication towards daily preventive maintenance and, also for health modifications such as losing extra pounds, kicking the habit of smoking  and moderating alcohol intake.

If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you will have to pay attention to the following aspects of your lifestyle and health so that the condition doesn't stop you from leading a normal life.

Eat healthy

You need to plan your food to teach your body about what to expect when your sugar levels are high and what ideally your sugar levels should be. Eat a healthy, well-rounded diet. Make sure your diet is low in fat, salt and sugar. Moreover, cutting back on carbohydrates will help manage blood sugar levels. You can eat sugary foods, but in moderation. Speak to your doctor about a diet that you can follow; discuss with him the foods you like and dislike.

Stay active

Maintaining a healthy weight and good overall health are requisite to manage diabetes. Do moderate physical training for 15 minutes every day. Household chores, playing with your kids and gardening are some of the easy ways that will keep you active.

Maintain a healthy weight

If you weigh more as per BMI index, you must try to lose weight. Doing so helps control your blood glucose levels, and also maintains blood pressure and cholesterol levels in a healthy range.

Don’t smoke

If you are a smoker, you are at greater risk of diabetes complications. Stop smoking to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Care for Your Feet and Eyes

In addition to lifestyle and dietary modifications, you need to check your feet every day. Foot problems are quite common in diabetics. Nerve damage, circulation problems and infections can lead to serious foot problems. Likewise, having regular eye tests is necessary to manage diabetes.

Take Your Medication

For some patients, lifestyle changes and physical activity aren't sufficient to manage diabetes. Oral diabetes medicines are prescribed to them to lower glucose production or inducing the pancreas to increase insulin output. You need to be consistent with the meds to take care of your condition.

Go for Regular checkups

Diabetics need to go for regular checkups, at least every three months. Regular checkups are an important part of managing your diabetes.

With a few lifestyle modifications and precautions, you can live a life as non-diabetics do. The quality of a diabetic’s life depends on how much responsibility they take for their own care. With better management, you will be able to minimise your risk of several diabetes-related complications. Learning to manage your diabetes takes time. You may find it difficult to cope with it at first, but with patience and effort you can help yourself.

Image source: Getty Images

Read more articles on Diabetes Treatment.