Living with Type 2 diabetes? You’re not alone, and the good news is, it is completely manageable with the right self-care.
Type 2 diabetes arises when the secretion of insulin is insufficient in helping cells utilise an appropriate quantity of glucose in the blood.
Here we have shared some simple & effective self-care tips for type 2 diabetes to help you keep your blood sugar levels under control and feel your best every day. Let’s jump in!
6 Self-Care Tips for Type 2 Diabetes
Below are helpful tips for type 2 diabetes self-care to manage your health, control blood sugar, and live better:
1. Follow a Healthy Diet Regime
Eating on time and eating right are the crucial steps for self-care in diabetes. Diabetic people feel hungry more frequently in comparison to others.
Non-starchy vegetables contain a lower portion of carbohydrates and calories. Thus, to satiate their hunge,r one can eat larger portions of Non-starchy vegetables without worrying about gaining weight.
Non-starchy vegetables are:
- Alfalfa Sprouts
- Ayurvedic Herbs
- Bamboo Shoots
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Celery
- Green Beans
- Neem leaves
Whole foods such as:
- Brown rice
- Barley
- Oats
- Legumes
- Quinoa
- Bulgur wheat
- Farro
Must try these 7 Drink Juices for People with Diabetes and avoid avoid eating highly processed food as much as possible. Try to switch to minimally processed food.
2. Be Physically Active
Keeping your body moving is one of the diabetes tips. Make exercise a regular habit and not an occasional thing. Physical activity is vital for diabetics. It increases insulin sensitivity, which aids in keeping it in check.
One should work out for at least 150 minutes per week. To break it down, for optimum outcomes, one should exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.
Take small steps. If you have never taken part in any type of physical activity before, then there is a 100% chance that you will find it overwhelming at first because your body is not used to working out.
Rather than just diving into full-fledged exercising mode, start moderately. Warm up a little, and stretch a little; this will make the body more adaptable.
Moderate Intensity Exercise to Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels:
- Brisk Walking
- Cycling
- Yoga for diabetes
- Dancing
- Swimming
- Playing sports such as tennis
3. Tap into the Power of Community
People often neglect this aspect when talking about self-care in diabetes, as the “Power of Community”. Human beings crave social connection. As per recent research, people with Type 2 diabetes are more at risk of developing depression.
Connect with family and friends. Interact with your doctor, discuss your concerns, and participate in therapeutic and enjoyable activities.
4. Managing Stress
Excessive stress can hinder a person’s ability to go about day-to-day normal activities. Needless to say, it also affects physical health. Recent research shows that hormones released during stress, cortisol, impact blood sugar levels.
Cortisol may increase the amount of blood sugar in the body, which may lead to Cushing’s syndrome. Prolonged and constant stress may result in people neglecting their diabetes care.
When under stress, people tend to skip meals, feel loss of appetite, end up overeating, or forget to take medicine on time. This can be harmful to the diabetic person. Practicing discipline while eating and taking medication on time are key components of self-care in diabetes. Stress management helps in restoring the balance of mind and soul.
Practice the 4 A’s of stress management:
A1. Avoid
- Take Control and make the necessary changes to overcome it.
- Avoid people who stress you out
- Make an agenda for the day
- Learn to say “no”
A2. Alter
- Speak up respectfully to avoid resentment.
- Manage your time to reduce stress.
- Be assertive and tackle issues early
A3. Adapt
- Pause and ground yourself with mindfulness.
- Let go of perfection; aim for realistic goals.
- Focus on positives, not potential negatives
A4. Accept
- Control what you can, let go of the rest.
- See challenges as chances to grow.
- Replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
5. Healthy Sleep Pattern
A person should have at least 6-8 hours of good night’s sleep to function properly be it in academics or sports. Sleep deprivation can have the following negative effects:
- Rise in Insulin resistance
- Increase in blood pressure
- Increases the risk of a heart attack
- Overweight
- Depression
- Anxiety
For a healthy body and mind, it is necessary to get at least 6-8 hours of good night’s sleep irrespective of the fact whether you have diabetes or not.
6. Daily Monitoring of Your
Regular monitoring is a crucial step in Type 2 diabetes self-care. Diabetes can give rise to the following comorbidities:
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
- Sleep Disorders
- Dyslipidemia
- Stroke
- Blindness
Regular checkups play a significant role in managing diabetes. Regular blood tests, such as blood glucose and an Hba1c test, help diagnose elevated blood sugar levels.
Detection of early signs of other diabetes-related comorbidities even before symptoms start showing, is possible and thus allows doctors to address those complications at an early stage.
You can take help from Age-Specific Blood Sugar Charts to Know What’s Healthy for Every Stage of Life.
Conclusion
Diabetes does not have a cure at present, but that does not mean that it’s not manageable. With proper type 2 diabetes self-care and consideration, diabetic people can live a healthy life.
All you need to do is have faith in yourself to work that extra mile to achieve good health. Practicing consistent self-care in diabetes, such as monitoring blood sugar levels, eating a balanced diet, and staying active, plays a crucial role in managing the condition. There are many effective tips for type 2 diabetes that focus on lifestyle changes and healthy habits.
