It takes work to manage your type 2 diabetes. Staying healthy also means making healthy habits in the little things you do every day, including what you eat and how active you are.
Start by avoiding these common mistakes.
Five Ways to Control Type 2 Diabetes
About two years ago, when Anne Tierney learned she had type 2 diabetes, it galvanized her. “My diagnosis came as a shock,” says Tierney, who was then about 40 pounds overweight. “I used to eat chocolate all the time. The day I was diagnosed, I quit.” She also consulted a nutritionist and hired a personal trainer. “I knew I had to take action,” recalls Tierney, 51, director of corporate gifts for Halls Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo. Her action plan was in keeping with the latest research on...
1. Not Taking Control of Your Condition
Your medical team is essential. But you're not in the doctor's office every day.
“You are your own doctor 99.9% of the time,” says Andrew Ahmann, MD. He's director of the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center at Oregon Health & Science University.
You’re the one in charge, so it’s up to you to watch your diet, exercise, and take your medication on schedule.
You can make better decisions about how to track and manage your diabetes by understanding how the disease works. Sign up for a class or a support group on managing diabetes.
“Not enough patients seek them out, and not enough doctors send their patients to them," Ahmann says. "Not only do these resources offer essential information, but they also bring together people who have the same challenges, giving them a place to meet and talk with each other."
2. Expecting Too Much Too Soon
It's a big step to shift your eating and exercise habits. You need to give it time to see results and for it to feel permanent.
“Most people expect something dramatic is going to happen right away,” says UCLA endocrinologist Preethi Srikanthan, MD. “But it has taken them a decade or two to get to this point, and it will take a while for them to even get to that initial 5% to 10% reduction in weight.”
To make a lasting change, take small steps, Ahmann says. If you try to do more than you can handle, you might quit.
Before you start a new exercise program, talk with your doctor, especially if you aren’t active now. They can help you set goals and plan a routine that’s safe and effective.
3. Working Out Alone
“One error that people make when it comes to exercise is that they try to do it without help from other people,” Ahmann says.
Spouses, partners, friends, and family members make great exercise buddies. They also are terrific cheerleaders.
The same is true for your diet. It's easier to make changes when you have a friend or relative who's also on board.
4. Neglecting Other Problems
Constant stress and depression can really get to you. It's easy to feel too discouraged to deal with your diabetes. That can make matters worse.
“You need to recognize depression and work with it,” Srikanthan says.
Depression and stress can also have a bad effect on blood sugar levels. Constant stress may boost hormones that make it harder for insulin to do its job. Doing “anything to reduce stress will improve your blood sugar," Ahmann says.
Exercise helps relieve stress, and there’s evidence that meditation and massage will benefit blood sugar levels, he says.
source : Diabetes Mistakes: How to Wreck Your Blood Sugar
