More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, the most common type by far being Type 2.
Type 2 diabetes is when your pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin to break down all the sugar in your body. Over time, this means your blood sugar levels get dangerously high.
Living with Type 2 diabetes isn’t impossible though! With a few lifestyle changes and healthy habits, dealing with diabetes is relatively simple.
Keep reading to learn how to live with diabetes!
Medication
Medication is the most important part of diabetes treatment. While other steps are important to make it easier for the medication to work, the medication itself is always necessary.
Medications typically work in one of two ways. Either the medication is promoting insulin production in your body, so you can better break down the glucose (sugar) in your blood. Or the medication targets the glucose directly, breaking it down so your body doesn’t have to.
Medication can be in the form of tablets or injections. It can also have an immediate or slow release (meaning how quickly it works).
A popular diabetes drug is Bydureon. Click here to find Bydureon online.
Healthy Diet
Since the biggest problem with diabetes is raised blood sugar levels, healthy eating is an important part of controlling it. Unhealthy foods raise your blood sugar levels to dangerous amounts, giving your body more glucose to break down.
But a healthy diet keeps your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.
Drink lots of water, as this essentially helps dilute the sugar in your blood. Eat lots of vegetables. Avoid unhealthy foods and drinks.
There are some foods that are especially good for diabetics. Good foods to incorporate into your diet include beans, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and nuts.
Exercise
Healthy living helps keep your body in good condition. This promotes bodily functions and makes it easier for your body to break down the sugar in your blood.
Regular exercise and physical activity is the easiest way to achieve this. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily, or 45-60 minutes four or five times a week.
Reduce Stress
Stress levels can cause spikes in your sugar levels, so it’s important to practice good mental health care.
Exercise should help with working out your stress. But you can also look at things like therapy, meditation, yoga, and other stress relief practices.
It’s also important to put focus on not getting as stressed in the first place. Practice good time management, delegation, and healthy boundaries.
Thriving While Living With Type 2 Diabetes
Living with Type 2 diabetes requires practice and patience. But it’s possible!
The biggest step is developing healthy habits. Make sure you’re taking your medication as often as you need it and in the right dosage.
Pair that with healthy eating and exercise, and you shouldn’t have too many problems. Remember that stress can cause spikes in your blood sugar, so it’s important to have good coping mechanisms.
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