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Diabetes impairs your body’s ability to use or produce insulin, a hormone responsible for converting glucose into sugar. When it develops in your body, you may experience extreme thirst, loss of consciousness, high blood pressure, fatigue and lack of energy, pancreas malfunction, dry, cracked skin, and excessive urination. Diabetes may also increase heart disease and stroke risks, damaged blood vessels, nerve damage, and ketoacidosis.

When detected early, diabetes can be effectively managed. However, if left untreated, it may result in kidney damage and other complications. Discussed below are five essential tips for managing diabetes.

Know your blood sugar levels

Regular blood sugar monitoring is essential when managing diabetes because it helps identify what increases or reduces your levels, including different foods, physical activity, or medication. This data can help your medical team establish a diabetes plan that best suits your condition to prevent or delay complications.

Your doctor advises on when and how regularly you should check your blood sugar levels. You can Buy Contour®Next One meter online or any other blood sugar meter for fast, accurate results. These meters can also let you save your results and use a mobile phone app to track your progress, improving diabetes management.

Invest in a healthy eating plan

A diabetes-friendly diet focuses on healthy foods in moderate portions and maintaining regular mealtimes. It should be nutrient-rich and low in calories and fats. A diabetes eating plan should mainly include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Choose healthy fats such as ghee and butter to manage your cholesterol levels. Avoid processed and red meats and swap them with lentils and beans.

A healthy eating plan helps you control your glucose levels, manage heart disease risk factors, including high blood fats and pressure, and control weight. Eating extra fat and calories increases blood glucose, leading to severe health problems. To save glucose levels, track your eating habits and make healthy food choices.

Reduce salt intake

While salt doesn’t affect blood sugar levels, limiting its intake when managing blood sugar levels is essential because it can increase blood pressure. High blood pressure is risky for people with diabetes because it increases the risk of stroke, kidney and heart diseases. Limit your salt intake and avoid prepackaged foods because they contain a lot of salt. Cooking at home allows you to control the amount of salt you’re taking, helping you manage diabetes.

Manage your stress levels

Stress is a natural emotional response that makes it difficult for people to care for themselves, including exercising, eating right, and resting. Stress hormones raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and result in high blood sugar. This may impact your blood sugar control and result in unhealthy stress handling behaviors, contributing to diabetes complications. Learning how to manage stress allows you to take better care of yourself, helping with diabetes management.

Engage in regular exercises

Regular exercising allows you to control your weight, reduce blood pressure and anxiety, reduce the bad LDL cholesterol and increase the healthy HDL cholesterol. It also reduces blood sugar levels and improves your body’s insulin sensitivity, preventing insulin resistance. Consult your diabetes doctor to determine the kind of exercises you can engage in.

Endnote

Uncontrolled diabetes can result in multiple health concerns and can also be life-threatening. Controlling your blood sugar levels reduces complication risks. Use these tips to manage diabetes and promote good health.