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 b
A little daily exercise can go a long way, especially for those with type 2 diabetes. “When I talk to patients with type 2 diabetes about exercise, I put it this way,” says diabetologist Dr Paresh Ved. “If you could do something that could lower your A1C, improve your stress level, improve your sleep, improve your health, and had no side effects, you do it?” The answer, he says, is usually yes.
Exercise can actually bring blood glucose levels down, according to the American Diabetes Association. When you work out, your muscles need to use the available insulin to take in glucose for energy, thus lowering the levels in the bloodstream.
Not only does this lower blood glucose levels temporarily, but sticking with a regular workout groove can lower your A1C over time. (Learn more about the A1C test for managing diabetes here.)
Adding exercise to your daily routine helps protect your heart, too, which is critical because diabetes increases your heart disease risk significantly. For example, regular exercise helps lower blood pressure, which makes it easier for the heart to pump oxygen-rich blood thro
There are many myths about diabetes which can make separating fact from fiction difficult. To cut through the confusion, we’ve broken down some of the common misconceptions:
Myth- Diabetes is not serious
Fact – There is no such thing as “mild” diabetes. All types of diabetes are serious and can lead to complications if not well managed. Diabetes can affect the quality of life and can reduce life expectancy.
Myth- All types of diabetes are the same
Fact – There are a number of types of diabetes. The most common are type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes Other forms of diabetes are less common. Each type of diabetes has different causes and may be managed in different ways but once someone has any type of diabetes except gestational diabetes, it needs to be managed every day. Gestational diabetes goes away after pregnancy, however, it does significantly increase someone’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. All types of diabetes are complex and serious.
Myth – Diabetes can be prevented
Fact
Type 2 Diabetes is a massive public health problem. Type 2 Diabetes is a chronic condition that gradually develops over a period of time and prevails during an individual’s lifetime. Around 1.5 million adults are estimated to develop Type 2 Diabetes by the Disease control and prevention centers.
Diabetes has a unique impact on the lives of people and it accounts for a lifelong care. However, lack of information about Diabetes can mislead people and affect them in the management of this chronic disease. There’s nothing that one should be panicking about when being detected with diabetes because with proper diagnosis and management activities, it can be kept under control. There are two major types of Diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, amongst which Type 2 is the most common form of Diabetes Mellitus. The utilization of Glucose for energy in the body is regulated by the hormone ‘Insulin. Insulin is secreted by specialized cells in the Pancreas. In type 2 Diabetes, due to the body’s inability to properly respond to Insulin, there is a high level of sugar(glucose) in the blood stream. This excessive amount of blood glucose make its way to urine and is spilled in the urine giving rise to glucosuria – presence of glucose in urine.
