In 2021 alone, approximately 537 million adults, ranging from 20 to 79 years were living with diabetes. While being this common worldwide, it is not a life-threatening disease and someone with diabetes can also live a long healthy life as long as taken care of.
There are certain types
of people who might be at greater risk of developing diabetes.
● Anyone with a BMI
higher than 25 (23 for Asian Americans) irrespective of their age with
additional risk factors including abnormally high cholesterol levels, high
blood pressure, a somewhat inactive lifestyle, history of PCOS or heart
disease, and someone who has close relative suffering from diabetes.
● Anyone who is diagnosed
with prediabetes must get tested annually.
● Women with a history of
gestational diabetes are suggested to get screened for diabetes once every
three years even though diabetes should ideally go away after giving birth.
● Anyone over the age of
45 must get an initial blood sugar screening, and following a normal result get
screened once every three years after that.
How to diagnose diabetes?
There are three
symptoms that if present could be used as a diagnosis for diabetes in
undiagnosed cases:
● Increased thirst
(caused by high blood sugar levels)
● Increased urination
(need to urinate more than usual throughout the day, more frequently at night)
● Increased hunger
While these symptoms
can be used to determine the possibility of diabetes, always go to a medical
professional and get it checked so you can start with the treatment without
wasting any time.
If left undiagnosed and
uncontrolled with severely high or severely low glucose levels, it can bring
devastating harm to your body. It can cause stroke, heart attack, heart
failure, kidney failure to name a few. Worst case scenario, these complications
can lead to your death. Depending on the severity of the case, one must always
follow a diet plan for a diabetic patient.
What are some changes that can help you control
diabetes?
Taking Notes
● You can start to keep a
detailed daily log to help you track what affects your glucose levels. That log
can include insulin and other medications, food (focusing on carbs in
particular), physical activity, stress, illnesses.
● After maybe a week, try
to look for any visible patterns.
● If you are aiming for
weight loss, write down everything you eat or drink for a week or two,
including portion size.
Don’t forget to
exercise
● If you aren’t an active
person by nature, then start slow, eventually building up how much exercise you
get done over time. Aim for 4 to 7 types of activities each week. Try to make
each period last for a minimum of 30 minutes. You don’t even have to work out
at the gym to be physically active. If going to the gym is too much hassle or
inconvenient for you, then you can even take the stairs instead of an elevator,
or park at the far end of the lot and walk or jog all the way. Both contribute
as some form of exercise to your daily routine.
● Exercise can also help
ease stress.
● Change your activities
often enough so you don’t get bored. You can do simple activities like walking
or jogging, and resistance exercises like working out with weights offer
another option. Whatever you do, always remember to stretch before and after
each (workout) session.
● Keep in mind that
exercise lowers your blood sugar. Consult with your doctor if you need to
adjust your medicines or insulin dosage to keep your energy levels high enough.
● Regular physical
activity helps you feel better. It also helps improve your sensitivity towards
insulin, indicating that it works better in your body, and because of that,
your blood sugar levels can also become more stable.
● Have a realistic goal
and make a workout plan keeping your capability and energy levels in mind.
Reducing stress helps
Stress can affect your
inclination to exercise, resulting in poor diabetes management by not keeping
an eye on it as closely as required.
Stress can contribute
to raising your blood sugar and making you less sensitive to insulin. When in
stress, your body adapts to a “fight or flight” response, meaning it will make
sure you have enough sugar and fat available for energy.
For people with type 1
diabetes, their blood sugar levels go up when experiencing any kind of mental
stress whereas it does down for others in the same situation. in type 2
diabetic people their glucose will go up when under pressure.
If there is a known
factor that is constantly bothering you, try making changes that can help you
relax. Do whatever works for you, be it exercise, spending time with friends,
meditating, or simply replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.
Quit
smoking if you haven’t already
Quitting smoking will
give you better control of your blood sugar levels. If you continue with this
habit, you will be more likely to have serious health issues as well as a
higher chance for complications that come along with diabetes, including:
● Poor blood flow to the
legs and feet, which could lead to infections, ulcers, and amputation of your
toes or feet
● Retinopathy, an eye
disease that causes blindness
● Heart and kidney
disease
● Nerve damage in the
arms and legs causing weakness, numbness, pain, and poor coordination
A
well-balanced diet is a must
● Having diabetes doesn’t
mean that you have to stop yourself from enjoying a range of different foods.
● Try to include
non-starchy vegetables constituting half your plate. It can include asparagus,
broccoli, carrot, cucumber, salad greens, squash, and tomatoes.
● Also, make sure to
include items like beans, berries, citrus fruits, low-fat or non-fat dairy
products, nuts, poultry or fish, and sweet potatoes. Another source of proteins
for vegetarians is tofu
● Stick to whole-grain foods
like brown rice, millet, popcorn, whole oats oatmeal, and whole wheat to name a
few
● Try to eat three evenly
spaced out meals on a daily basis. You must also aim to consume the same amount
of carbohydrates for each meal.
Although you might be
prone to getting diabetes due to your genetics, you can postpone it or
completely stay away from it as long as you choose to eat cautiously and
exercise regularly. Since diabetes is a disease that needs constant attention
if developed, it is always better to be diabetes-free, instead of being
conscious of your physical activity level or what you consume. Following a
diabetic diet chart is important for patients in general, even more so for
people with a severe level of diabetes.
Comments
Post a Comment