Type 1 and 2 diabetes are both chronic health conditions that negatively influence how your body processes glucose or insulin. While the precise cause of diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes are unknown, it is known that dietary and lifestyle changes can improve diabetes management.
These five lifestyle changes can effectively improve the overall health and quality of life for those living with diabetes.
#1 Monitor Your Health
Thanks to modern technology, smartwatches can help you manage diabetes better by monitoring your health. While a standard smartwatch will help you track exercise, sleep health, stress, and heartbeat, you can find a smartwatch with blood sugar monitoring to track and manage your health and well-being better.
#2 Adopt A Strict Eating Routine
Adopting a strict eating routine is just as important as taking your prescribed medicine at the same time every day. Your glucose levels will rise and fall within a certain period after meals; waiting too long to eat can lead to hypoglycemia while eating too soon can lead to a dangerous spike.
So eating at routine intervals every day can help you avoid risky fluctuations in blood sugar. It’s still just as important to follow a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates.
#3 Opt For Healthy Foods In Healthy Portions
Healthy portion sizes are just as important as choosing healthy, balanced meals and eating at the same time every day. Overindulging in foods can cause blood sugar spikes as well, so it’s best to determine healthy portion sizes that keep you full between meals without impacting blood sugar levels negatively.
Using smaller plates and bowls, keeping a food journal, and reading food labels for calories, serving sizes, and carbs is a great way to control your portion sizes better.
#4 Develop An Exercise Routine
Regular exercise will make your body a bit more sensitive to insulin, which can improve diabetes management. However, some types of exercise are more suitable for those with diabetes than others. Walking, cycling, swimming, yoga, water aerobics, and dancing are all great options to improve your body’s ability to regulate insulin better.
#5 Keep Healthy Snacks In Reach
Healthy carb-based snacks are often crucial in managing diabetes, specifically type 1 diabetes. Lightly snacking on the right foods will help keep blood sugar levels are normal as possible between meals. At the same time, unhealthy snacks can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes.
The best kinds of snacks include avocado, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, fruit, popcorn, and trail mix. There are also tons of other tasty snack ideas that will help you regulate insulin throughout the day.
#6 Properly Store And Keep Stock Of Insulin
If you rely on insulin or any other medication to manage this health condition, keep stock of your prescription and store it properly. You can consider relying on a medicine refill service with your local pharmacy to prevent running out.
#7 Kick Unhealthy Habits
Smoking, alcohol, fizzy sodas, processed foods, and most convenience meals are all harmful lifestyle habits that can negatively impact your health, even more so if you are living with a health condition like diabetes. Nevertheless, kicking these unhealthy habits can enhance overall health in anyone.
