Living as a Diabetic
Around 29 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose levels are too high. For some people, they have to manage these levels every day for their whole lives. Diabetes has 2 major types: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. There are a few main differences between type 1 and 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the body. Type 2 diabetes can be categorized as the body not being able to respond to insulin, and eventually producing insulin becomes a strain.
Diet Plan
Regardless of the type of diabetes, changing your diet usually helps control your blood sugar levels. It is important to be able to have a healthy consistent diet full of healthy eating in moderate amounts. A healthy diet for diabete(s) will include carbohydrates, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Foods that contain a high amount of fiber is also good for diabetic meal plans. Fruits like pears, berries, and figs all contain high amounts of fiber. You will want to avoid foods with high levels of carbs, sodium, fat, and calories. Try to stay away from nachos, fried food, french fries, cookies, and so on.
Workouts & Activities
With diabetes its also important to stay active because it will help you lower your blood sugar levels and maintain weight loss. People with diabetes should try to keep a moderately active lifestyle. A suggested 30 minutes a day of quick workouts will give you the movement you need. Hiking, running, and biking are great activities to do with diabetes to stay active. Doctors can’t stress enough that with diabetes you need to move as much as you can. Try to find a group of fellow diabetics who work together on diabetes prevention. Some YMCA’s around the country host a program like this, and there are plenty of other local groups, which can be found by searching.
Help Managing Your Diabetes
Some items that diabetes should carry with them is their insulin ( if you take it), your glucose monitoring supplies, and healthy snacks for when you’re a little hungry. If you seek help managing your diabetes, it is important for you to contact your doctor in order to understand what you can do to live the healthiest lifestyle with diabetes. You can find a local office here. Find your local support group at https://www.defeatdiabetes.org/get-healthy/diabetes-support-groups/.