Dr. Vijay Viswanathan

Diabetes is a very common lifestyle disease, which happens when your body is not able to produce the insulin hormone or does not know how to use it in the right way. In such a scenario the glucose remains in the blood, and causes your blood sugar level to shoot up. It is a common knowledge that diabetes is a home for other diseases. Therefore managing it or preventing it is of utmost importance and in order to the same, one has to focus on the overall health and fitness of your body. 

But managing diabetes is a challenge that most patients face every day. This is because there are so many aspects to be kept in mind right from workout to food to stress and general health, all of which work together to help you maintain the right blood sugar levels.

Here goes a holistic approach to aid you manage diabetes: 

1. Keep a record of the food you consume: When you are learning to control the level of blood sugar in your body, it would be very helpful if you maintain a journal of what food items you are eating every day. This will make it easier for you to monitor your diet and even if you indulge in some delicious savory, you can easily bring about a balance by eating the right amount of healthy fruits & vegetables for the following days.
2. Exercise daily: Make exercise a part of your daily routine and empower yourself to fight diabetes. Types of exercises you can follow are brisk walking, basic weight training to boost your strength, swimming and yoga. Yoga postures which are highly beneficial in managing diabetes are Pranayam (deep breathing exercises), vajrasana, chakrasana, etc. which either enhance the insulin secretion or glucose utilisation.
3. Be careful about your feet: Diabetes can lead to neuropathy and in the worst case, it may cause injuries in feet that go in-noticed because low pain sensation. Therefore, proper foot care is critical. You should wash your feet regularly with cold water and pat dry with a clean, dry towel & do make it a point to inspect the feet in front of a mirror. If there is a nerve damage along with numbness, you may notice blisters, sores, bruising, swelling, calluses or skin breakage. Thus, you will have to be very careful while inspecting your feet every day.
4. Get rid of extra belly fat to reduce insulin resistance: It is a vicious circle, as extra belly fat can eventually lead to insulin resistance and insulin resistance can eventually lead to weight gain, but in order to manage and control diabetes it is important that this chain must be broken. Therefore, daily exercise of minimum 20 - 30 mins is very much required. to help you get rid of belly fat and control diabetes. 
5. Control Blood Pressure & Cholesterol if high: Diabetes is a host of diseases and diabetic people will eventually suffer from high blood pressure and cholesterol problem. Diabetes is a major reason of artery damage, which in turn leads to high blood pressure. In order to, maintain a healthy heart and to prevent yourself against any cardiovascular diseases it is important that you keep you cholesterol and blood pressure in check. 
6. Get the right treatment for sleep apnea and sleepiness during the day: Sleep apnea refers to a condition that causes breathing interruptions numerous times in a day. It is triggered by faulty signals coming from your brain or due to blocking of the airway by soft tissues present in your throat. People affected with sleep apnea are more likely to have this disorder, which leads to insulin resistance and may also be called a roadblock for controlling diabetes.
7. Brush and floss on a daily basis: When you are not able to control your diabetes level, it can lead to high level of glucose in the blood. Also, it can increase the level of glucose in the saliva, which in turn paves the way for a surge in tooth decay. Also, having diabetes makes it difficult for an infection to heal and thus, if you develop a gum disease, it may become very hard for you to get rid of it. So, if you make a habit of brushing and flossing regularly, you would be able to maintain good oral hygiene and save your teeth and gums from developing any disease. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.