Dr. Rishad Ahmed

Diabetes is very restrictive - living with the disease however does not imply that you stop enjoying. By bringing about certain changes in your lifestyle, you can still live your life to the fullest. For better management of your disease, these are some of the changes that you can make to improve your blood sugar levels and keep your condition under control.

1. Stay fit with physical activity: The first lifestyle change you can make is to increase your level of physical activity. This can help you in burning extra calories, thereby keeping your blood sugar levels in check. Spending 30 minutes a day exercising is ideal. If you’re not fond of exercising or don’t have the time for it, even performing simple activities like walking, vacuuming or doing your laundry can help to lower glucose levels while burning calories.

2. Maintain a healthy BMI: Likewise, try to lose those extra kilos that may be weighing you down and increasing your sugar levels. You don’t have to lose all the weight in one go, you can do so little by little. To lose weight gradually and consequently achieve a healthy BMI, you must have more of fruit and vegetables and less of sugary items and processed food along with exercising regularly.

3. Make the right food choices: When it comes to food, you should consume whole grain foods instead of refined carbohydrate alternatives. Make every meal a balanced one with starches, fats and proteins included in the right amount. Furthermore, avoid beverages that come with high sucrose or fructose content, as they don’t offer much in terms of nutrition, and instead just add to your calorie count. Some of the foods you can include in your diet are bitter gourd, cinnamon, green tea, amla, jamun etc.

4. Have a fixed quantity of food: Apart from knowing the right foods to eat and the balance that you need to maintain between the different types, it is also important to know about portion sizes and carbohydrate count. This is because among the different food classes, it’s chiefly carbohydrates that influence your blood glucose levels. So, you need to keep track of the amount of carbohydrates that you’ve consumed in order to arrive at the right insulin dosage.
In addition to keeping count of your carbohydrate consumption, understanding the right portion sizes for the different types of food is also extremely vital for better management of your ailment. Measuring cups and spoons should be employed to arrive at the right quantities of food.

5. Eat your meals at fixed timings: As a diabetic, you should not go longer than 5 hours without eating as it can cause your blood sugar levels to fall dramatically, making you feel weak and faint. Instead you should have your meals at fixed hours, spacing them out at regular intervals. This will ensure your blood sugar levels are always at an optimum point.

6. Control your stress: Stress is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. When you’re under stress, your body produces stress hormones (cortisol) that can cause your blood sugar levels (and even blood pressure)to rise. So, preventing or controlling stress becomes necessary to keep your diabetes under control.