Diabetes Tips and Tricks

Learn these Helpful Diabetes Tips and Tricks from www.BetterHealthKare.com

Staying ahead of the various effects that influence diabetes can be challenging.  For most people, it involves weight control, monitoring blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. By looking at people’s efforts to manage diabetes over the years, researchers have identified some common trends that provide insight into certain diabetes tips and tricks that really help to make living with diabetes less daunting for some. These Diabetes tips and tricks typically involve managing diabetes with diet, exercise and other lifestyle adjustments that help to control this condition. 

Although at first, they may not seem like simple tips for diabetes management, they have been shown to prevent diabetes burnout.  Diabetes burnout describes the frustration that often accompany efforts to manage this disease. People that have been able to habituate these simple tips for diabetes into their everyday lives agree that overtime; they become almost effortless.

Top Diabetes Tips and Tricks

1. Managing diabetes with the help of a nutritionist. Because diabetes is a metabolic disorder, food has a direct impact on metabolic processes.  But diet is often the most difficult adjustment most people say they have to make. And, with so many books and information on the subject available today, it can not only be confusing but also heighten the stress of this diagnosis. As such, the most important tip for managing diabetes is to see a qualified nutritionist.

A nutritionist can help you to create an eating plan that can immediately begin to normalize body functions impacted by a diabetic condition without leaving you feeling deprived. They can also help you to anticipate pitfalls, facilitate maintenance and track your progress. Working one-on-one with a nutritionist will help to design a plan that is tailored to your needs and food preferences. The nutritionists will also consider issues such as allergies and weight in order to evaluate and gradually adjust what you eat on a regular basis.

By making even the smallest dietary shift, it is possible to minimize the devastating impact of diabetes on the heart, blood vessels, vision, kidneys and the nervous system.

1. Get friends and family on-board. Sharing this diagnosis with family and friends sooner rather than later is a simple tip for diabetes management that is often overlooked. Since diabetes inevitably changes eating habits; family and friends often play a significant role in helping to keep you on track. This is even more important if you are responsible for preparing foods for a large family. Also, not understanding your decision for refuse certain foods can create unnecessary tension or cause you to take self-sabotaging actions that can derail your efforts to manage your diabetic symptoms.  Getting family and friends onboard early will help to reduce temptations and ease the transition to a more diabetic friendly lifestyle.
2. Food shopping tricks – keep it simple. Whether you are dining in a restaurant or shopping in a supermarket, the decisions you make will ultimately affect your health. With a good dietary plan in hand, is eliminates the guesswork and the lure of potentially harmful decisions.  This does not mean that you cannot explore new products or cuisines. Knowing your dietary parameters frees you up to better understand and weight the benefits or disadvantage of the contents of foods you may like to try.
3. Exercise is important but doesn’t have to be grueling. Although physical activity is recognized by the American Diabetes Association as key component in diabetes management, it should be addressed on an individual basis. For instance, if you have not been exercising on a regular basis, it is important to start small and increase activities progressively. Although it may take some conscious effort to find time in your day to exercise, the benefits cannot be overstated.  Starting small may mean, deciding to stretch or take a five-minute walk after lunch each day. It may also be helpful to solicit the help of a family member or friend to keep you accountable to this simple schedule.

Once that simple exercise activity has become a habit has become habitual, gradually expand your exercise routine. Keep in mind that you get the same benefits if you need to break up your exercise into small intervals of 10 or 15 minutes between morning and evening hours.  Also, remember to exercise with the knowledge of your healthcare professional and within capability parameters.

1. “Be prepared” is a simple tip for diabetics from the Mayo Clinic They suggest always having a small snack or glucose tablet on hand in case blood sugar levels drop too low.  This is especially important during exercise activities.

There are so many facets to a diabetes diagnosis that it is impossible to highlight all the essential diabetes tips and tricks that have successfully helped people to manage this condition.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suggest that the four stages necessary to change health behavior include contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Think about what aspect of your life needs to be adjusted for better diabetes management, get all the help you need to prepare for this new lifestyle, take necessary action to incorporate these changes into your life and adjust the plan relative to diet, exercise and medication as needed.

Sources:

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-management/ART-20047963
2. http://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/type-2-diabetes-roundtable/treatment/
3. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/physical-activity-is-important.html