Hearing the words you have diabetes scares some, upsets others, and overwhelms most. Yes, it’s serious, and yes, you’ll need to make some adjustments. But diabetes is a disease you can control, says Kim DeCoste, RN, CDE, a spokesperson for the American Association of Diabetes Educators. “An important first step for the newly diagnosed is to realize that you can be a healthy person living with diabetes. A few lifestyle changes can help you manage your blood sugar and feel better day to day. You can lead a very normal, healthy life.”
Here, six expert-recommended tips to help set you on a path for success:
1. Ignore the horror stories. Tell people you have diabetes and inevitably you hear about so-and-so’s great aunt who had her leg amputated or the friend of a friend who almost went blind. True, these are real complications, but our knowledge about preventing them is so much better today, says Robert Henry, MD, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association. Get your information from a reliable source: A good primary care physician or certified diabetes educator will help you best understand the disease, without overloading you with too much at once. You can also do some research on your own—visit the ADA at diabetes.org, or call (800) DIABETES.
2. Walk a little more. It’s an easy way to boost physical activity, which lowers blood sugar for two reasons: Research shows that your body uses insulin more efficiently when you exercise, and working out helps you lose weight. Start with the old standards, says Henry: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park in the farthest spot in the lot, get off the bus a stop early. Eventually work up to 30 minutes 5 days a week. For people with type 2, establishing a regular fitness routine may reduce or even eliminate the need for glucose-lowering diabetes medications. (Check out these 14 walking workouts to find the right fit for you.)
3. Get your pressure and cholesterol numbers. Of course blood sugar levels are important, but they shouldn’t be your only focus. Diabetes doubles your risk of heart disease or stroke—and high blood pressure and cholesterol contribute to both. For most people, 130/80 is good for blood pressure; for cholesterol, the goal is less than 100 for “bad” LDL, above 40 for “good” HDL.
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article courtesy of Prevention.com
