- Eat The Right Food
a. Have well-balanced meals: Ensure that every meal of yours has a good mix of starches, fruits, proteins, vegetables and fats. Ask your doctor about the ideal food choices you should consume daily and the appropriate balance of food types.
b. Coordinate your meals and medications:
Consuming little food in proportion to your diabetes medications, especially insulin, might result in low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Too much food might cause your blood sugar to climb very high (hyperglycemia).
Therefore it is essential to consume appropriate meal proportions to avoid extreme situations.
Eating in proportion helps keep your blood sugar levels regular.
- Exercise Daily
While exercising, your muscles use sugar (glucose) for energy. Regular physical exercise helps the body use insulin efficiently. Workouts and light activities such as gardening, housework, or even being on your feet for extended periods can improve blood sugar levels.
Maintain an exercise schedule and ask your doctor about the best time of the day to exercise to coordinate your workout routine with your meal and medication schedules. Also, check your blood sugar levels before, after and during exercise, especially when taking insulin or medications that lower blood sugar and ensure to stay hydrated.
- Take Your Medications Correctly
The effectiveness of your diabetes medications depends on the timings and size of the dose. Also, remember that medication that you intake for other conditions apart from diabetes can also affect your blood sugar levels.
- Ensure to store medications correctly :
Insulin is sensitive to temperature extremities. Hence it must be stored correctly.
- Be cautious when intaking new medications:
When consuming medications for other conditions such as blood pressure or high cholesterol, ask your doctor if the medication can affect your blood sugar levels.
- Illness Management
Contact your doctor if you are sick and unable to eat or suffer from nausea or vomiting, contact your doctor. As in such situations, you must adjust your insulin dosage or might even temporarily withhold or reduce insulin due to hypoglycemia risk. The doctor might even ask you to check your urine for ketones'' presence. Also, stick to your diabetes meal plan by consuming light foods on your stomach, such as crackers, soup, etc.
- Alcohol Management
Alcohol management is critical. Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, and eat before you drink to prevent low blood sugar. Always get your doctor's approval before taking alcohol, and choose your drinks carefully. Also, don't forget to check your blood sugar before you go to bed, as alcohol lowers blood sugar levels after you have had your last drink. Always check your blood sugar levels before sleeping. Have a snack if you face decreased blood sugar levels.