Discovering you have type 2 diabetes can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to dictate your life. With a few adjustments, you can enjoy a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.
Type 2 diabetes is quite common, affecting about 1 in 10 Americans. It occurs when your body struggles with insulin, the key player that helps sugar enter your cells for energy. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin or use it properly (insulin resistance), blood sugar can increase, causing symptoms such as low energy, hunger, and thirst. Over time, excess blood sugar can cause complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, and amputation.
While some risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as age and family history, are beyond your control, others, like your weight, diet, and activity level, can be managed.
Live well with type 2 diabetes by using this checklist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Make and eat healthy food.
- Cook healthy food at home using real food, not expensive ‘diabetic food’
- Try Meatless Monday and enjoy beans or lentils for your protein
- Be active most days
- Try an activity tracker or workout video
- Manage stress
- Try meditation, yoga, or journaling
- Have your eyes checked for the presence of blood vessel damage called retinopathy
- Test your blood sugar according to your doctor’s advice and get your recommended lab work done. This should include:
- Labs for kidney function
- A1c for blood sugar control over time
- Take your medications as prescribed, even if you feel good
- Ask your doctor if you need medication to control your blood sugar
- Ask your doctor about a statin to prevent heart attacks and strokes
- Go for check-ups. Review your numbers and treatment plan
Need more support? The Big Bend Area Health Education Center (Big Bend AHEC) offers a free class called Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP). Call 850-224-1177. You can also find valuable resources at Capital Health Plan on Healthwise: https://capitalhealth.com/members/healthwise-knowledgebase/
For more information about diabetes from the CDC, go to https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes