If you or a loved one has diabetes, then you know how much of a life-altering part that it can play. All of a sudden, you have health risks involved with the choices you make in your diet and exercise.
You now have to worry about getting the right medication in you, knowing when to take it, and try to keep as regular a schedule as possible. Thus, there is a huge need for you to get diabetes help and take back control of your life.
See below for several tips and ways to help your diabetes and get it back to a place where you can thrive.
1. Balance the “Big Three”
After you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, it becomes a part of you. You’ll be dealing with it for the rest of your life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take back control of it.
To do so, you need to focus on the “big three”, which is about your diet, exercise routines, and medications. Each of them will play a vital role in helping your diabetes.
As far as medication is concerned, your top priority is going to be insulin. Those of you with Type 1 diabetes, your pancreas can’t naturally produce insulin in your body. You can beat pharmacy prices by shopping online for insulin and any other necessary medications.
However, you also need to focus on eating right and exercising more often. Be sure to consult with your doctor to find where that balance lies. Many people have to figure it out through trial and error.
2. Consume More Cinnamon
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, cinnamon can help you take back control of your diabetes. Some of you might’ve heard this as an urban myth, but studies have shown there’s a connection between cinnamon and reduced blood sugar.
In doing so, cinnamon also helps prevent you from experiencing complex diabetes symptoms as a result of high blood sugar.
There are two ways to add more cinnamon to your diet. You can either add it naturally to your food or consume a cinnamon supplement. These are water-soluble pills you can either choose to take with food or just with water.
3. Prioritize Your Diet
While you’ll want to find a balance between the “big three” for your diabetes, many experts will agree that your diet is the number one priority. If you don’t make adjustments to it, it could land you in a world of hurt.
Not only can a bad diet lead to developing diabetes, but it can also lead to complications if the diet is too high in calories, fat, or cholesterol.
Instead, you’ll want to aim for a diet that’s low in fat, high in fiber, and low in cholesterol, sugar, and salt. You might think that’s impossible, but it’s much easier than it sounds!
A common rule of thumb is to make your diet more natural. Stay away from processed foods, as they tend to use a lot of sugar and salt to add taste.
Aim to eat more fruits and vegetables. Focus on consuming things like lentils, beans, brown rice, whole wheat products, and oatmeal as well. The sugars from the fruits will help you gain more natural energy.
Of course, if you don’t give yourself a cheat day or two, you won’t stick with this type of meal plan. Consult with your doctor to learn what they’d recommend you stay away from, even on your cheat days.
4. Think Through Different Insulin Delivery Methods
It might surprise you to find out that there are actually four different ways you can inject insulin into your body: syringes, insulin pumps, insulin pens, and jet injectors.
Syringes are the most commonly used method, as they offer needles that are long enough to help the insulin take effect quicker. The syringes come in different sizes to equal the dosage you need.
Insulin pens, as the name would imply, use a pen-like device to better control the insulin dosage amounts. They have cartridges that you place inside and allow you to inject the insulin, and dispose of the needle rather than the entire pen.
Jet injections are more for the people that don’t want to use needles. You place the jet injector up against your skin, push the control pad’s button, then a hard force of air will push the insulin in your skin. Just a warning, this causes bruising quite often.
Lastly, the insulin pump might be the perfect “Goldilocks” fit between a syringe and a jet injector. These are computerized devices that self-dose your insulin before each meal of the day and put in the body through a catheter in the patient’s abdomen.
5. Time Your Meals
The term “timing is everything” certainly applies here. To keep yourself functioning throughout the day without any setbacks, you need to accurately make time for your meals.
With diabetes, mealtimes are far less negotiable. You can’t let a business meeting stand in the way of getting a healthy meal in you. Adust each day according to the tasks you’ve set for that day.
Make sure that you find a way to get a meal with the right amount of protein, vegetables, and fruits. Keep the carbs as low as possible.
Give Yourself the Diabetes Help That You Need
While your family, friends, and doctors are willing to give you some diabetes help, it’s you that has to take control of the situation.
Set yourself up for success by prioritizing both the quality and the timing of your diet. Do the research and consult with your doctor if you aren’t sure where to start.
Be sure to browse our website for more articles on diabetes, as well as many other helpful topics.