How to Manage Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease experienced by many people in the modern world. According to a 2021 survey conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1 in 5 Australians aged 80-84 are living with diabetes. With the growing number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, it has now become a public concern in Australia.
Diabetes, especially type 2, is mostly driven by not-so-good lifestyle habits. These could be people’s diet, lack of exercise and sleep, and inability to manage stress. By monitoring lifestyle habits, diabetic symptoms can immensely be improved and prevented.
Observe the following 4 key healthy habits that can help manage diabetes.
1. Plan Your Diet
Meal prepping and planning your meals is a great way to gain control over what you eat. Having everything planned out, there is less chance that you would react to hunger and appetite, and make poor food choices.
Plan to have three meals a day, each meal containing protein and fibre-rich foods like vegetables, whole grains and fruit. Make sure meals are spread apart for at least 3-4 hours in between to prevent insulin resistance from occurring.
Also, assess your pantry and refrigerator. Remove any unhealthy, highly processed foods that contain sugar, fat and salt. On your next grocery shopping, read labels and buy foods that are plant-based, low in fat and have lean protein.
2. Stay on top of your Numbers
When you have diabetes, you need to know the effects of food, exercise and medications. Therefore, using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to check and monitor your blood sugar a certain activity can help you stay on top of your illness. In Australia, CGM and flash glucose monitoring (Flash GM) products are available for subsidy when you are registered with the National Diabetes Services Scheme. Call the NDSS Helpline for more information: 1800 637 700.
Regular check-in with weighing can be another way of seeing how you are doing with diabetes. Whether you do it every morning or every week, weighing can be a simple way to assess the progress and help plan your diet. But be mindful – lose weight slowly. This is because rapid weight loss may lead to loss in muscles and metabolically active tissues.
3. Be Active
According to Diabetes Australia, at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity everyday is recommended to people with diabetes. This means activities that will get you “lightly puffing” will be enough to make your heartbeat a little faster and improve your diabetic symptoms.
On top of health benefits, exercise relieves stress. Scientific research has found that stress and anxiety can raise blood sugar levels may rise due to stress-induced hormones. This can later cause insulin resistance and lead to diabetes. Therefore, staying active and finding an enjoyable activity to relieve your thoughts can help maintain your stress.
4. Focus on Better Sleep
Keeping a regular sleep pattern and having enough sleep is crucial in managing your worries. Poor sleep can increase stress and lead to extra eating. Therefore, set aside eight hours of sleep everyday, and avoid daytime naps for quality sleep overnight.
If you are overweight, there may be a chance that you are suffering from sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. With this condition, you may feel tired even after a full night’s sleep. Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that increases the chance of stroke. If you are concerned that you may have one, consult with a health professional to evaluate your sleep patterns.
Finally, seek the help and support from a medical specialist and support services. The more you receive guidance, the better chance you will have in improving your lifestyle and overcoming diabetes.
Living Waters Aged Care offers compassionate and personalised care to elders who experience difficulties with diabetes and other needs.
Please contact us now to receive the support.
