Lifestyle Tips for Managing Your Diabetes

You’ve been diagnosed with diabetes. Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed or have been living with diabetes for a while, managing your condition requires a long-term commitment. 

Thankfully, we are here to help you manage your chronic disease; you don’t have to do it on your own. Our board-certified physician and physician assistants with TRiiBE Medical LLC are here to help you on your journey. Regular doctor visits help keep your diabetes under control and cheer you on as you make lifestyle changes to improve your health. 

The following are lifestyle strategies to help you stay healthy with diabetes. When you come in for your appointments, we review your goals and make recommendations to keep you on track. 

Set goals 

Managing your diabetes likely requires a change in some old habits. Start by setting goals as you begin making healthy lifestyle changes. 

Goals need to be specific and measurable. For example, “I’ll walk this week” isn’t exactly measurable. A better goal would be “I’ll walk for 15 minutes five times a week this week.” 

To reach a healthy level of exercise, you’ll need to increase your level of moderate activity to a minimum of 150 minutes per week. That means sustained activity for at least 30 minutes at a time, such as walking, cycling, swimming, or other similar physical movement. Set new goals each week. Aim to increase your movement by at least 10% each week. 

Make healthy eating a priority

Look up the Mediterranean diet and healthy meals on your social media feed. You’ll see appetizing photos of nutritious food. Copy the recipes and try them. 

Avoid the center aisles of the grocery store, especially the boxed, processed foods. They have ingredients that set off food cravings. Try making pasta a once-in-a-while treat rather than a food staple. 

Try to fill more than half your plate with fruits and vegetables at mealtime. Snack on strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries. They’re filled with antioxidants. 

Get moving

A sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy and leads to increased risk for disease and mortality. Your body is made to move. Exercise helps to lower your blood sugar levels and improves your body’s response to insulin. 

Experiment with different types of physical activity and see which ones you like best. You’ll be more inclined to stick with a routine that way. Use an activity tracker and try to increase your steps each week. Select a non-food reward to celebrate reaching your goals. 

Walking around the neighborhood is easy and free. If having a leader helps you, YouTube has many exercise videos for all ages and levels of ability. Perhaps you need companionship. Grab a friend to walk or exercise with you. If you like to dance, look into a dance class. You get the idea. 

Limit alcohol and stop smoking 

Beer, wine, and liqueurs all contain sugar. Hard liquor is usually mixed with beverages that contain sugar, like colas or tonic water. 

Pare down your habit to social or occasional use. You’ll feel better if you only have alcohol once a week rather than more frequently. Use lime, lemon, or fruit to add to your water to give it a zing. 

You likely already know smoking is harmful to your health. If you use tobacco, join a smoking cessation program if you can’t stop on your own. 

Use stress relief techniques 

Stress isn’t good for your body. When you’re stressed and have diabetes, your blood sugar levels rise. 

There are lots of options to help with stress relief. Try a “calm” app on your phone. Learn deep breathing exercises and practice them during the day. Try meditation and mindfulness exercises. Get help from a counselor if you can’t lower your stress levels on your own. 

Call TRiiBE Medical LLC or book an appointment online today for help with chronic disease management and all of your primary healthcare concerns.