Having diabetes can be a frustrating problem. It seems like there are so many new “do’s and don’t’s”.
The good news is that small changes can make a big difference in your sugar levels and your health.
- Eat a little less
- Eat some protein with your carbs
- Eat at least 3 meals per day
- Exercise a little more
- Do more strength training than aerobic exercise
- Get a buddy
- Know your numbers
1. Eat a Little Less
There have been several studies that show that small decreases in the amount of food that you eat can lead to important changes in your blood sugar, weight, and blood pressure. A few fewer French fries or cookies every day can cause good changes over time.
Also making big changes in the amount of food, as in a crash diet, can cause a problem because it can slow down your metabolism so you hang on to fat. Your body actually thinks you’re not going to eat for a long time so it holds on to the fat so you don’t starve!
2. Eat Some Protein with Your Carbs
Eating a lot of sweets and starchy meals, carbs, alone is one of the main reasons for our obesity epidemic in the US.
If you combine carb-rich foods with some protein and fat, a couple of things happen. You feel full quicker so you eat less carbs alone and you slow the absorption of the carbs from your gut into your bloodstream so your blood sugar doesn’t increase as much. For example, eat pizza with lots of meat on it instead of just cheese or have a big glass of whole milk with your dessert.
3. Eat at Least 3 Meals Every Day
Diabetics have a problem controlling fluctuations in their blood sugar. So the goal should be to keep the blood sugar as level as possible. The only way to do that is to split up the food you eat every day into several smaller meals instead of 1 or 2 large ones. Large meals cause the blood sugar to go up too high right after the meal and then down too low before the next meal.
Your body wants your blood sugar to be fairly stable, so it will get more sugar into your bloodstream to feed your body when it dips too low by taking it from your liver and muscles. Taking a piece of your muscle to make sugar leads to loss of muscle mass over time and increasing weakness. Also, less muscle tissue makes you less sensitive to insulin’s effect which causes worsening of your diabetes.
So, plan on eating 3 to 6 meals per day with a mix of carbs, protein, and fat to level out your blood sugar. This also keeps your energy level so you feel better.
4. Exercise a Little More
It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to have a profound effect on your body. As little as 10 minutes per day can help keep you strong and healthy. Even a short walk after dinner can be helpful for overall health. This exercise also helps your body to use the blood sugar better by keeping the muscle storage of sugar constantly recycling.
Starting to exercise regularly is the hardest task so starting small and slowly building up your time, intensity, or both helps to make the habit easier to attain.
5. Do More Strength Training Than Aerobic Exercise
As stated earlier, your muscle mass is helpful in maintaining your sensitivity to insulin. The more muscle you have, the less insulin resistant you will be. So, when picking exercises, choose calisthenics or some type of resistance training with weights or bands. Pushing and pulling against a force builds muscle even into our 90s. Don’t get me wrong, aerobic fitness is important to general health but building muscle is more helpful for diabetes control
6. Get a Buddy
A new change or challenge is always easier if you have an accountability partner, someone to help you stay on track. This could be a friend with diabetes or a supportive spouse or other family member. You need a cheerleader to share your wins with and to remind you of the goal when the wins aren’t coming as quickly. This is especially important at the beginning of the new program.
7. Know Your Numbers
It’s difficult to stay motivated with a program without information. At the very least ask your doctor for your fasting blood glucose and your A1C. This will give you a one-day and 3-month view of how your blood sugar is doing. You’re looking for your fasting blood glucose to be below 140 and your A1C to be below 7.5. These are minimums to shoot for as your doctor may require you to have tighter control based on the effects of diabetes on your body. To get even better and more regular info use finger prick testing or continuous monitoring. Keep a record of how different foods and activities affect your blood glucose. Be a part of the solution.
These steps can be a big start to improving your blood sugar and controlling your diabetes.
Yours in empowerment,
Dr. Doug Zale
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If you’d like to learn more about how your mindset, diet, and exercise regimen affect your type 2 diabetes, browse my site to look at the free content at Diabetic Empowerment, or if you’re really serious about getting your sugars controlled soon go to my Diabetic Empowerment Audio Course