Diabetes management is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight, monitoring blood sugar levels, and following healthcare provider instructions. It is essential to take medications as directed by your healthcare provider and seek help from your diabetes treatment team when needed.
To manage diabetes, it is essential to make a commitment to diabetes care, including diabetes self-management education (DSME) and diabetes self-management. A healthy lifestyle includes planning healthy meals and snacks, engaging in physical activities, getting enough sleep, and quitting smoking or using tobacco. Evidence-based lifestyle habits focus on the composition, timing, and sequence of meals and pre- and post-meal exercise can improve diabetes control and lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A nutritious eating plan, weight and stress management, exercise, and smoking cessation can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that making lifestyle changes can help people stay healthier.
Eating healthy is crucial when having diabetes, as what you eat affects your blood sugar levels. Exercise is another important aspect of diabetes management, as it helps control day-to-day factors that contribute to blood sugar levels. To adopt a healthy lifestyle, consider choosing smarter snacks and eating more fruit and vegetables.
Consuming low-carbohydrate, balanced meals and eating most carbohydrates early in the day are helpful habits for managing blood sugar levels. Eating a consistent amount of carbohydrates at each meal can help control blood sugar levels, especially if certain oral medications are taken.
Diabetes can be well managed with healthy eating, regular physical activity, and weight management. Living a life with diabetes shouldn’t stop you from enjoying food, and lifestyle management is a fundamental aspect of diabetes care.
📹 How To Manage Diabetes with Diet Changes – Yale Medicine Explains
A healthy, balanced diet is key for anyone with diabetes. Good nutrition not only controls glucose (blood sugar) levels, but also …
What is the key to managing diabetes?
Continuous glucose monitoring is crucial for managing diabetes care and addressing body levels. It’s essential to follow your doctor’s plan even when feeling good, as it can help you feel good. As millions of Americans living with diabetes know, managing the condition can be challenging. However, it shouldn’t hinder your dreams. Strong diabetes management can improve energy and healing ability, reduce the chances of other health complications, and even help you cross the finish line at a 10K or snorkel off the coast of Australia. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that understanding how to manage diabetes can improve energy and healing ability, and reduce the chances of other health complications.
How can diabetes management be improved?
To manage diabetes, it is essential to learn about the disease, incorporate healthy eating and physical activity into your daily routine, maintain a healthy weight, monitor your blood sugar levels, follow your healthcare provider’s instructions, and take medications as directed. Consult your diabetes treatment team for assistance when needed. Additionally, avoid smoking to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and other complications such as reduced blood flow in the legs and feet, heart disease, stroke, eye disease, nerve damage, kidney disease, and premature death.
What is the effective management of diabetes requires?
It is crucial to balance your meals and medications for diabetes patients. Too little food in proportion to your medication, especially insulin, can lead to hypoglycemia, while too much food can cause hyperglycemia. Consult your diabetes healthcare team to coordinate meal and medication schedules. Limit sugary drinks, which are high in calories and low in nutrition, as they can cause blood sugar to rise quickly. However, if you have a low blood sugar level, sugary drinks like regular soda, juice, and sports drinks can be used to quickly raise blood sugar too low.
What are the basic management of diabetes?
Diabetes management involves meal planning and choosing a healthy diet, as food significantly impacts blood sugar levels. For those who take insulin, counting carbs in food and drinks is crucial. The amount of carbs consumed determines the insulin needed at meals. Diabetes affects people of all ages and is chronic, but can be managed with medications and lifestyle changes.
Glucose, primarily from carbohydrates in food and drinks, is the body’s primary source of energy. When glucose is in the bloodstream, it needs help from insulin, a hormone. If the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or the body isn’t using it properly, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, causing hyperglycemia.
What is lifestyle management for diabetes?
Diabetes education is crucial for managing the condition, as it informs individuals about their condition. Regular physical activity helps lower blood glucose levels, promotes weight loss, reduces stress, and enhances overall fitness. Nutrition plays a significant role in regulating blood sugar levels, and maintaining a healthy weight is especially important for type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin, while type 2 diabetes can be managed through physical activity and meal planning.
Managing stress levels can help manage diabetes. Maintaining a blood pressure level below 130/80 is essential to prevent eye, heart, stroke, and kidney disease. To achieve this, individuals may need to change their eating and physical activity habits or take medication. With 1 in 3 Canadians affected by diabetes, holistic wellness is essential, involving a mind, body, and spirit approach. Supports for emotional and mental health can be found at Taking care of your mental health.
What is the best lifestyle for a diabetic?
Healthy living is a crucial approach to managing diabetes, involving planning healthy meals and snacks, engaging in physical activities, getting enough sleep, and quitting smoking. It helps maintain blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels within the recommended range by a primary health care professional. It can also prevent or delay health problems from diabetes that affect various body parts.
Starting with small changes and building from there can be beneficial. Support from family, friends, and community members can also be beneficial. Healthcare professionals can provide valuable information on managing diabetes.
How can I improve my self management for diabetes?
To maintain optimal health, it is essential to adhere to a healthy diet, engage in regular physical activity, take prescribed medications, monitor health indicators, and undergo annual screening for kidney disease. It is imperative to remain well-informed and to collaborate closely with one’s healthcare team in order to effectively manage diabetes.
How to manage a diabetic patient?
Diabetes is a condition characterized by high blood sugar levels, caused by the insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas or the body’s inability to respond properly to its effects. It affects people of all ages and is typically chronic. The body uses glucose, primarily from carbohydrates, as its primary source of energy. When glucose is in the bloodstream, it requires the help of insulin, a hormone, to reach its final destination.
If the pancreas is not producing enough insulin or the body is not using it properly, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, causing hyperglycemia. Regular exercise is crucial for managing diabetes and maintaining overall health.
What is the management of diabetic patient?
Diabetes management involves meal planning and choosing a healthy diet, as food significantly impacts blood sugar levels. For those who take insulin, counting carbs in food and drinks is crucial. The amount of carbs consumed determines the insulin needed at meals. Diabetes affects people of all ages and is chronic, but can be managed with medications and lifestyle changes.
Glucose, primarily from carbohydrates in food and drinks, is the body’s primary source of energy. When glucose is in the bloodstream, it needs help from insulin, a hormone. If the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or the body isn’t using it properly, glucose builds up in the bloodstream, causing hyperglycemia.
Why is self-management important for diabetics?
Diabetes can lead to improved insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar levels, increased energy, weight management, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities. Consult your healthcare team before starting a new exercise regimen to develop a safe and effective plan.
Mental self-care involves taking care of your mental and emotional health, as managing diabetes can be stressful and emotionally challenging. Research shows an increase in mental health problems for people with diabetes.
What is a diabetes management plan?
A diabetes management plan is a collaborative effort between a student’s clinical treating team, their parents, and school staff. It outlines a student’s monitoring, insulin, and daily needs for type 1 diabetes while at school. The plan should provide schools with clear instructions on when a student needs supervision or support. It should also include an action plan for emergencies. Training through the Diabetes in Schools Program helps school staff understand and implement the plan.
📹 Elevated Blood Glucose. Now What? Pre Diabetes
On this episode of taking with docs Dr.Cheng endocrinologist talks about pre diabetes and certain things that night be causing you …
Köszönöm ezt a videót! A cukorbetegség állandó kontrollt igényel, és érdemes megfontolni a különböző módszereket, amelyek segíthetik a szervezetet a cukorbetegséggel való küzdelemben. Személy szerint én a Dialos terméket használom. Nagyon segített, mivel korábban még a hétköznapi teendőkre sem volt elég erőm. Most már nem szenvedek állandó fáradtságtól, és érdekesen és minőségi módon élhetem az életemet.
I believe that a balanced approach is fundamental. Opting for a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains and organic meats, with no added sugar, can be transformative. Giving up medication may even be a possibility, as the example of a healthy snack combining fruit and protein suggests. For those looking for more information and practical tips, I found a article on YouTube that expands on this topic in detail. youtu.be/UJjlR6Kok-4 Remember, regular eating, exercise and a disciplined lifestyle are essential allies in the effective control of diabetes. The body benefits when it knows what to expect.
I have just recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes’. There was no pre diebetes. They have also determined there is kidney damage. Going to the washroom all the time was something I thought was from my water pill for high blood pressure. This was not an ideal diagnosis that’s for sure. I felt horribly guilty and ashamed. When I heard you all say it is ” not your fault” it brought tears to my eyes. Several members of my family had it. That 1 little comment made me feel so much better. Thankyou for that ❤
I’ve been pre-diabetic for several years. Last year, my doctor said “it’s time to get serious”, as I had put off making changes. I didn’t think of myself as overweight at all, but by cutting out all sources of added sugar, I have lost 14 pounds, and both my fasting glucose and A1C have come down significantly. I still eat too much chips and salsa, where the chips are not a good choice at all. But stopping the sugared sodas, cookies, cakes, Snickers bars, and things like that was pretty easy. I was already physically active, so have continued that.
Great explanation, My dad takes Metformin for prediabetes. Now I have had blood test come back prediabetes in the UK my reading was 43 Now I am under weight, And work in a factory manual Labour. My problem is that when I am hungry realistically I want a sandwich or a proper dinner meat potatoes vegs etc I am not going to just eat salad because I need something more substantial. Don’t know where to start. Michael
I really wish you had discussed the role of stress in sugar levels. When I retired, my blood sugar dropped 20 points and a diabetic friend said stress was significant to sugar levels. Could you do a article about this? I am thrilled that my sugar levels dropped especially since they always run in the upper 90’s.
Never had a problem with my blood sugar until i retired and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I went from daily manual labor to being practically sedentary except for doing the lawn work once a week. I can go for a good walk and my blood sugar will literally drop 50-60 points every single time. I also went from multiple cokes per day to drinking only 1 of those tiny 7oz cans. Ive also been a lifelong fan of sweets and couldn’t have imagined not having my daily snack cakes, candy bars, etc, but ive turned that around as well to only one item per day. The difference walking and diet modifications have made is astonishing. We dont always have to deprive ourselves completely of the things that we love, and many of us can benefit greatly by just cutting back on those things. I inherited a blazing fast metabolism like my father who could eat enough for 2 people at every meal and never gain an ounce, and i foolishly viewed that as a right of passage to consume whatever i wanted. I learned that just because my diet wasn’t affecting my waistline it doesnt mean its not effecting things within my body, and it was a reality check that i sorely needed. Personal accountability goes a long way with diabetes, and i believe far too many people with diabetes or pre-diabetes have the mindset that they can still eat all the things they want and their meds will take care of it. I know someone who has had type 2 diabetes for probably 15 years and she never changed her eating habits. Her diabetes has worsened over the years and her doctor keeps having to increase her meds and her insulin to try and make up for it.
Dr. Cheng, you are a wonderful lady and in addition, anyone that says “Toot” is immediately my fave. I am glad you mentioned insulin. When I was diagnosed, the doctor really didn’t know me and he really believed “Oh you’re very sick – don’t think you’re going to succeed – we may have to try adding different supplements like Trulicity, etc”. He started me off with insulin vs. pills and at 16 units. Funny thing is my first appt after, I had really dramatically changed my eating habits and everything. I was getting low numbers at times even. So he told me to incrementally decrease units each time I stayed 3 days at lower than 130 (1 unit) and 3 days at lower than 100 (2 units). I was getting 70s at times! So within a year, I was at 5 units and going down and he decided, let’s try an experiment and just take you off everything after first considering pills. I’ve been off ever since!
Thanks for the article. Always very informative. I have a question. What if your fasted blood glucose comes out at 99 but aic is 4.5, it happens to me the doctor told me not to care but I find the blood sugar number high. I only eat carbs after training and stay really fit. Very active. Terrified of insulin resistance. I also have low triglycerides but helps is a bit high. I am completely lost. 😢
I’m in the states… My fasting sugars for hte past 8 weeks have been between 108-120 (with less than 50 g of carbs and less than 15 grams of sugars the previous day). Went to the doctor, did a fasting hba1c test, it came back as 4.9% (our threshold is 5.6%)… My feet and fingers/arms go numb randomly, I can taste the sugar in the my mouth and my friends tell me they can smell sugar on my breath. Family history of type 1 and 2 diabetes, I’ve had gestational diabetes three times. And i was told not to worry about my blood sugar. :/ So now I’m YouTube perusal anything from reputable sources on prediabetes and how to reverse it. I don’t think I “don’t need to worry about it”.. I’m switching over to a ketovore and praying it works.
11 months ago, seemingly out of nowhere: Dying of thirst, wee weeing often. Ambulance called. Hospital-ED and admitted. 3 IV’s running. a1c 13. BS 1100. They stated most people coming in with those # were in a diabetic coma or….I eat by the book. By the book! Thanks Doc’s for putting this info out.
Have you seen covid affecting blood sugar levels? I started having fatigue after eating after having very mild covid this summer. I lost weight before my physical and was feeling back to normal but my sugar and a1c were both up a little which surprised me. Nothing terrible but it was weird that it went the wrong way when all of my lifestyle factors were better and my other numbers like cholesterol were all improving.
I have been pre diabetic for a few years, I’ve been “avoiding it ” definitely with lifestyle changes and of course lowering carb intake . I come from a very large family ( 14 ) all siblings have diabetes and 3 with type 1 whom lost limbs and no longer with us. The rest have type 2 . Both parents were diabetic. maternal side grandparents were type 2 also with a paternal grandfather whom had type 1 . I have for many years avoided high blood sugars but even though I carefully monitor my eating habits, and still bs seems to creeps up. I take prolia every 6 months for osteoporosis, and celebrex as needed, Vit D, calcium citrate, and magnesium no other meds! I guess I’ve done well and not going to beat myself up when it does go up since it may be genetic? I’m not sure what it was this time but still pre diabetic .so I think at my age 69, I do pretty good although A1C has been 6. ? In the past. My poor kids ! Diabetes on their fathers side also. I’m afraid to take Metformin if ever I need help . It took awhile to convince me to do prolia. I stress at every injection. Anyway again, good to know it could be genetic .
Hi Dr Cheng it’s an interesting article, I am Pre-diabetic with 6.1% A1C its been several years I am continuing to be in this range, I have to accept and say I am struggling to change my lifestyle, I do it sincerely for 4-5 months and then i loose the strength and go back to bad lifestyle. I am addicted to sugar😢, after perusal your article i will again make another atrempt to reverse Pre-diabeties, My grand father had Diabetes where as my father has Pre-diabetic but never converted to Diabetes. I think its in my genes but not that so bad that it can not be reversed with a healthy lifestyle. Also I am worried of medicine you mentioned if i take them will it make me dependent all life?! even if i hit my normal range.
Type 2 since 2005. Our genetics on my Moms side. Our history is Haida which apparently is very common for Indigenous. Skipped a couple of generations to me. Low dose Metformin and Trajentra. One thing I’m learning lately with being sick with lung infection and steroids and antibiotics are driving my blood sugars crazy. I’ve not been eating much with being sick. I’m sure that’s not helping either. Awful side effects from the 2 meds I just finished. 🤢🤢🤢
ACTUALLY, it’s environmental…in the family. Go ahead and call it genetics too if you want. But more specifically, the whole family eats too much SUGAR. And fyi, pasta, rice and bread TURN INTO SUGAR once eaten. The PARENTS are responsible for what the whole family eats. They are setting life-time habits for their kids. Also, EXERCISE needs to be stressed and practiced, religiously. So kinda “genetic” and more so, the family environment. I pity the kids nowadays. Stupid, lazy and selfish parents!
I wouldn’t normally start arguing with you two doctors and your endocrinologist when you say “it’s not your fault, it’s about your genes”. But nevertheless: overveight, obesity and DM2 have exploded in the US since 1960. My BMI is 33, but I find it hard to blame my parents or grandparents for my tiny extra load and my from time to time uneven fight against prediabetes.
I dont understand why they treat type 2 with metformin. Metformin has insulin in it and we are already insulin resistant. As a nurse i have watched people be active and watch their carbs and eventually needing more and more meds than leading to insulin injections. The only way i have been able to lose the weight is by fasting.
Disappointed that she peddled the same BS of eating “whole grains”. If you’re going to try that, get a glucose meter and see how your body reacts to the whole grains. The best thing to do is stop eating carbs – guaranteed to control it and in many cases reverse it (also intermittent fasting or time restricted eating REALLY works). I started at fasting blood sugar of 130 mg/dl and A1C of 6.4 and now have fasting blood sugars of 90 mg/dl and my last A1C was 5.1. I also exercise a lot but what is interesting is foods with carbs don’t impact me the way they used to, however I only eat carb laden meals now and then I don’t want to end up back where I was. An aside people should look at the UCLA study of California adults, 50% of whom they found are pre-diabetic or diabetic and as you go up in age the fraction increases to 70% or more. Not sure if that is true in Canada but nearly all adults in the US have an issue with blood sugar control.
Thanks, that was helpful. A little over a year ago I was just over the line at an A1c of 6.5. I don’t want to take unnecessary drugs, so I started educating myself (part of which has been perusal your website), eating better and riding my bike more. It has been 5.7 for 4 tests since then with my other risk factors also improving. My Dr. says to just keep doing what I am doing.
Hi Docs and Dr. Cheng, the FDA guidelines for man’s added sugar intake is 36g/day. Let’s take a PBJ. Made with two slices of whole wheat bread (11g/slice), a tablespoon of peanut butter (2g), a no sugar jelly and a glass of milk (12g). The total sugar for that one sandwich is, guess what? It’s 36g. That means no more sugar for the rest of the day. A second glass of milk? No, sorry son. You’re done for the day. Go find some rabbit food. Certain fruit is ok. For dinner? Don’t use one ingredient that has added sugar. No beets or peas or sweet potatoes or onions or tomatoes or a number of natural ingredients. How about ice cream for dessert? Nope. Even a small portion of no sugar added ice cream contains 4g of sugar. So why am I standing on my soap box mouthing off? Simple, I don’t understand how a person can stay under the FDA guidelines unless they are on a diet that only contains 36g for men and 33g for women. No more PBJ’s. And stay away from dairy. Oh and don’t ever eat a sweet. Your birthday cake? Sorry. No sweets. Imho, that’s no way to live. But, I do appreciate the article and Dr. Cheng’s explanation. Thanks Docs.
Guys my blood sugar levels are around 110. The doctor says I’m pre diabetic and my father, grandfather and cousin has diabetes. Im not overweight at all in fact I practice at the gym very often, play lots of basketball and just joined a jiu jitsu class as well. There is so many sugars around us I feel like I cant eat anything, no chocolate at all not in cakes cookies sneaks or anything. Cant even eat my cereals in the morning. Im having a VERY hard time keeping my diet. Could any of you give me some tips? I don’t wanna be diabetic,Ive seen my grandpa, he has kidney damage and can barely walk properly, he has to go 3 times a week for the hospital to clean his blood and he cant get a transplant because he will die. I don’t want to live like this especially this early I’m only 17. Please help me
I dot have a weight problem. I have had the same normal weight since my early 30s. I have nothing to lose except my muscles. But, I am diagnosed with pre-diabetic by a A1C test in my mid-fifties. One of my friends who has normal weight and pre-diabetic told me that he reversed his pre-diabetic status to normal by walking an hour everyday rain or shine. That is what I am planning to do. In the winter, it is a little difficult, but I walk at least 30 min a day in the winder.
Can Potassium and magnesium Glycinate be used together and what vitamins are required? As since 2014 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and been prescribe metformin and insulin, the doctors ideas haven’t worked at all and they still insist on the same prescription over and over, and increasing the dosages!
If you have pre diabetes you should start taking a quality name brand Berberine supplement 3 or 4 times per day in addition to a diet high in fat and protein but low in carbs. The only carbohydrates you should eat now should be green in color. Also you need to walk at least one hour per day and do 15 minutes of calisthenics and or weight lifting 6 days per week. You can take control of your health or your health can control you.
I hope you did these all on the same day with Dr. Cheng or she needs to expand her wardrobe. Kidding! She is amazing, so smart, and explains things so well. Plus, I love that outfit, it’s so cute she can wear it every dang day if she wants. Thanks for very helpful article. Only thing, could you convert blood sugar ranges to the USA scale, also, if it’s not too much trouble? I don’t think ours is the same. Thank you, docs. 💖
How are you guys? I just wanted you both to know that I think you’re awesome people I am a whipple survivor. I have 2/3 of my pancreas so far so good for blood sugar I have the ability to monitor my blood sugar I would like to know how long should I fast before I check my numbers. Again, thanks a lot guys big thumbs up . Mike from the Kootenay’s
This is a terrible article, and typical of the Canadian federal governed medical system. It most certainly CAN be your fault, stop sugarcoating us. You don’t just go from being pre-diabetic to diabetic overnight. Your pancreas has working overtime to output enough insulin for a very long time… until it can’t. How about stating the obvious, insulin resistance and testing insulin fasting. Why is this topic so overlooked in our culture? Simple carbs vs. complex carbs, resistant starches, macro timing ie: eating protein before carbs to minimize blood sugar spiking, intermittent fasting etc etc. all relevant topics you glazed over :p
I gave pre-diabetes. Last Hb1C was 6.2% and last fasting glucose was 100 Mg/Dl. Was diagnosed over 2 years ago and I ignored it thinking I get a lot of exercise so it won’t progress to diabetes. Well, the HbA1C number was 5.9% two years ago – so it got worse with plenty of exercise. So now I am seriously addressing my diet. If I am successful and reduce those indicators of diabetes into the normal range, will I still be insulin resistant?
She says its mostly genetics, but eating huge plates or pasta, lasagna, and pizzas for 40 years broke your system. The body was not able to process that amount of carbs. So, diet is at fault. Diabetes is a dietary problem. Change your diet and the problem goes away, as long as you dont return to eating bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes
I’m fit athletic and in a healthy weight bracket and have had 2 readings of elevated sugar levels of 74 which I’m confused about. My diet is decent but could be better so I suppose I need to clean that up a bit more before I start to worry. I don’t take proper breaks and miss melas with work and end up snacking at times. Like you said its a bit shameful and genetics have a bit to play as my Dad had type 2 diabetes and I presumed it was because he was over weight.
Great article! Dr. Cheng does a great job explaining this issue. Also her stance and looking into the camera while talking helps. In my opinion, when the guest doctor isn’t looking into the camera it seems a bit distracting and can seem like it takes away from the message. It’s like they’re not talking me, but rather the two other doctors who already know the information. Just noticed it and seemed a bit awkward. Nonetheless, these articles are great and a refreshing addition to medical content.