Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common health problems that America faces today, and it occurs when your body can no longer properly use insulin. An estimated 29.1 million people in America have diabetes; however, around 8.1 million people may be undiagnosed or unaware of their condition. When it comes to tackling diabetes or even trying to avoid being diagnosed with it, one must prolong a constant effort in trying to maintain their blood sugar level. This is not the easiest task in the world, but with dedication and guidance it can be done! Here are a few simple ways in which you can better control your blood sugar levels and help maintain or prevent the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes.

One way is by maintaining a healthy diet. This is often the hardest and often one of the more confusing parts. Drastically changing one’s diet from rich carbohydrates to only salad can sometimes be harmful to one’s health as your body is not ready for such a sudden change. Instead, the goal is to achieve a healthy balance: which includes a combination of healthy carbohydrates (sugars from fruits or whole grains), fiber-rich foods (vegetables and legumes) and healthy fats (monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats that come from avocados and most nuts). There is no need to completely cut out sugar from your life, but moderation is key. While it may be okay to have a slice of cake at your friend’s birthday party, it is better to avoid eating all the cream roses which are highly concentrated in fat and sugar! It is best to work with your doctor or a nutritionist to work out a diet plan that you think will work best for you.

Similar to your diet is maintaining consistent eating habits. You might think eating less will help control your sugar level, but that is not always correct. Skipping meals, especially important ones like breakfast, actually contributes to raising your blood sugar levels and even worse, it could contribute to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When one doesn’t eat meals for several hours, the body uses glucose produced from the liver. Since the liver of a diabetic patient cannot sense the amount of sugar concentration in the blood, it continues to produce more until there is an excess of sugar in the blood. Only eating some amount of carbohydrate usually signals the liver to stop producing the massive amounts of glucose.

Another way is by having an active lifestyle. Maintaining an active lifestyle and regularly working out definitely helps control your blood sugar level. Doctors recommend exercising for about 30 minutes at least three times a week. Not only does it help regulate blood sugar levels and help the insulin in your body to work better, but it also helps boost cardiovascular health and maintains blood pressure. Exercise does not always mean going to the gym and working out on various machines. In fact, it is better to take part in various fun activities like either swimming or dancing, which are also considered as exercise. Keeping active definitely helps control blood sugar levels in addition to providing numerous other benefits.

Finally, know the ABC’s of diabetes. Knowing your ABC’s about diabetes is very important in order to maintain a proper lifestyle, especially if you are struggling with diabetes. Patients must coordinate with their health provider team and learn about the various components that must be kept in check in order to maintain blood sugar levels. The first component is the A1C test, which is a test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. This is important because it is necessary to know your sugar levels over time and the rate by how much it is growing. The second component is blood pressure. It is essential to have normal blood pressure (below 140/90) in order to avoid further complications in addition to diabetes. The final component is cholesterol. It is important to maintain healthy cholesterol levels in order to avoid other common complications like heart attacks or strokes. Thus, it is important to be informed about your body statistics in order to prevent diabetes, as well as other diseases.

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-diet/art-20044295

https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/statistics#3

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/five-ways-to-control-type-2-diabetes#2