Have you been diagnosed with diabetes?  If you are like many diabetics, you are discovering (or have already found) that maintaining a steady blood sugar level is easier said than done.  November is American Diabetes Month and worth our attention because this disease is one of the largest health issues our country currently faces.  An estimated one in three Americans will develop diabetes by 2050 if we don’t make major changes to our lifestyles.  If you have already been diagnosed with Type 1 as a child or young adult or Type 2 as an adult, the prevention information isn’t much use to you.  I already have it so what do I do now?  Your doctor has most likely already discussed diet and exercise with you and, if you are overweight, suggested that you need to lose some.  Based on current research studies here are some tips:

  1. Follow your doctor’s advice and lose some weight.  Even though recent studies, specifically one conducted by Look AHEAD subsidized by the National Institutes of Health, are now showing that losing weight may not affect your risk of having a stroke or a heart attack, the benefits to you from even small amounts of weight lose are huge: Improved hemoglobin A1c readings (which look at average blood sugar levels for the past three months), better blood pressure numbers, better fitness and, less medication required to control the diabetes.  Overall, losing weight is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you are overweight, whether or not you have diabetes.
  2. Tight Control: This method as described by the American Diabetes Association is not for everyone and should be followed in conjunction with advice and supervision from your doctor.  The intent is to keep your blood sugar levels as close to non-diabetic levels as possible.  There are risks of hypoglycemia and weight gain, but this method can prevent or control the onset or progress of complications from diabetes, providing you with additional years of healthy, active life.
  3. Frequent testing of your blood glucose level.  Even if the tight control idea is too much for you, consider testing your blood sugar more often.  This is a step in the right direction and, in conjunction with weight loss and exercise, can help you control your blood sugar better by letting you know where you stand before you eat and two hours after eating.  Getting a hemoglobin A1c test every few months will also let you know how you are doing and help you make adjustments.

If you are pre-diabetic or obese and worried about the possibility of developing diabetes you may want to consider drinking black tea.  Studies are showing a very high correlation between a low incidence of diabetes and the consumption of black tea.

Controlling your diabetes, however you choose to do it, is key to preventing many of the devastating complications of diabetes such as amputations and blindness.  There is no doubt that managing your blood sugar is difficult, time consuming and an overall hassle, but the rewards are extremely high.

Written by labtestingnow.com