How to keep an eye on diabetes with everyday challenges

Fruits, Dumbbell & Glucometer

Taking care of work, family, and managing diabetes efficiently at the same time in a busy routine is challenging. We live a busy life juggling between works, and catering to family needs and responsibilities. It’s quite a task. However, at the end of the day, only you need to take care of your health. Having diabetes, you have to always take extra measures to stay healthy. This means learning how to control diabetes at home and at work.

Here’s how to manage your diabetes while living a busy life

Learn more about diabetes, talk to your health care team that includes your diabetes doctor, dietician, dentist, eye doctor, and foot doctor. Ask your diabetes doctor to educate you on –

  • HbA1c goals
  • Your blood pressure control
  • What level should your total cholesterol be
  • Other health problems because of diabetes
  • How hard or manageable is your diabetes to control

Learn more on controlling diabetes at home. Enquire Now.

Take diabetes seriously to avoid complications. Once your blood sugar levels are normal, you are more likely to –

  • Have more energy
  • Feel less thirsty or tired
  • Use the washroom less often
  • Heal wounds faster
  • Have fewer bladder or skin infections

And, you are less likely to –

  • Get a heart attack or stroke
  • Get eye problems that lead to vision loss
  • Get tingling sensation or pain that leads to nerve damage in hands and feet
  • Get kidney disease
  • Get gum or teeth problems

Eat clean, eat better!

  • With the help of your health care team, make a diabetes meal plan
  • Eat foods that are lower in saturated fat, trans fat, calories, salt, and sugar
  • Eat fiber-rich foods,  whole grain cereals, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole wheat crackers
  • Eat plenty of fruits, fresh vegetables, low fat cheese, and skim milk
  • Swap sodas and juices with water

Be more active!

  • Walk 10-20 minutes a day, thrice a week – this will get you started
  • Work on your muscle strengthening thrice a week, take up yoga classes
  • Try gardening and doing more of household work when you cannot go for a workout
  • Maintain healthy weight with the help of exercise and your diabetes diet plan

Cope with diabetes better. Learn to lower your stress as it can raise your blood sugar levels – try deep breathing, listening to music, meditating, or anything that makes you feel better and stress-free

Here’s a checklist to manage diabetes every day with the help of your diabetes doctor –

  • Never miss out on even a single dosage of your diabetes medication
  • Let your diabetes doctor know about any side effects of a medicine prescribed
  • Ask your diabetes doctor if there is any need for you to take aspirin in order to prevent stroke or heart attack
  • Check and maintain your feet every day for any cuts or blisters, swelling or red spots, or if the sores do not heal within a day – report the same to your diabetes doctor
  • Brush and floss your teeth every day to keep your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy
  • Quit smoking!
  • Maintain your blood sugar and keep a track of it for a few times every week
  • Maintain a record of your blood pressure to discuss the same with your diabetes doctor when required
  • For every single visit to your diabetes doctor, get your weight, feet, and blood pressure checked and review your diabetes meal plan

Be it home or your office, you need to take care of your diabetes so that it does not come in the way to your life’s goals. Learn more on how to control diabetes at home. Enquire Now.