Lifestyle Changes After Diabetes Diagnosis
A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes can be scary, as many equate it with a lifetime of medication, monitoring blood sugar, and potential suffering.
And while poor lifestyle choices are often a contributing factor of type 2 diabetes, it isn’t all downhill after a diagnosis.
Center’s Health Care has five lifestyle changes you can adopt to improve your condition or even possibly reverse it.
- Drop Some Weight
Losing weight will help your natural insulin production, as your body has to work harder to produce the hormone if there’s more body weight. Doctors say even a 5 to 10% decrease in body weight can make a big difference, so that’s an attainable goal.
- Drink More Water
Water, herbal tea, and decaffeinated coffee (caffeine dehydrates the body) can all help lower blood sugar levels by a simple concept—more hydration waters down blood sugar levels. Divide your body weight in half and try to drink that amount (in ounces) each day.
- Boost Your Exercise
Similar to losing weight, a little exercise can make a big difference. Experts say work in 10 minutes of strength-training, 10 minutes of cardio, and 10 minutes of stretching into your day—and it all doesn’t have to be done at once.
- Get Your Fill of Protein
Protein can help maintain muscle mass (which is a problem for diabetics) and also helps regulate blood sugar. Fish, white meat, and lean beef are great options, and opt for snacks like almonds and peanut butter to get a protein boost in between meals.
- Consult a Dietician
Avoiding carbs entirely isn’t the best thing to do when you’re diabetic because that can bring on nutritional deficiencies and low blood sugar. After a diagnosis, it’s best to make an appointment with a registered dietician to work on a plan to optimize what you eat and to also set weight-loss goals (if needed) that were discussed above.
