Staying on top of our diabetes management is more challenging than one may think. With work, family and life responsibilities, it can be hard to remember to put in the time and energy that your diabetes deserves. With just a few tweaks to our everyday routine, we can easily improve our blood sugars and the way we feel, too!
Here are 5 ways to improve your A1c with type 2 diabetes:
1. Get Moving
It doesn’t matter if you are a heavy weight lifter or someone who walks around the block with a friend. Just staying active is enough to help get your blood sugars under control. Find something you love and do it often.
2. Mind Your Meds
Don’t forget to take your medication and aim for the same times each day. Try and be in tune to any changes in your blood sugar and how you feel so you can work with your doctor to find the right medications and doses that work best for you. And do not think that increasing your medication or going on insulin is a bad thing! Sometimes it is the answer we’ve been looking for and will help us to tighten our control.
3. Lower Your Carb Intake
You don’t need to be a low-carb fanatic to know that eliminating some carbs from your diet will help minimize spikes in your blood sugar. Making this change to some degree will allow you to replace those foods with more protein and healthy fats, and the reward is great blood sugars and a great figure to boot!
4. Make Checking Your Blood Sugar a Priority
A lot of us don’t check our blood sugar as often as we should. Testing our blood sugar frequently can help us to notice trends and troubleshoot when we see spikes. It can also help us to see what foods we should or shouldn’t stay away from. Also, make sure you test when you wake up and try to test in the middle of the night from time to time to see where you are. If you find your blood sugar is high at these times, you may need to increase your medication or start on/increase your insulin.
5. Be Diligent
Diabetes is a very fluid disease but there is a lot you can do to maintain good health. You must do your part though, it won’t happen without your help! Make sure you see all your doctors annually, eat well and exercise regularly, and do everything you can to take control of your diabetes. Being responsible and accountable are your best weapons.
By making small tweaks to our everyday routine, we can take back control of our numbers and our health.