7 steps to take after diagnosing diabetes

As a person gains weight (even a few pounds), the body can become more difficult to regulate blood sugar levels via insulin. Result: A condition called insulin resistance. The pancreas needs to excrete more and more insulin in order to move sugar from the blood to the cells. Insulin resistance is central to most cases of type 2 diabetes. Insulin promotes fat accumulation and weight gain, whether it is made by the body or taken as a drug. Therefore, as you gain weight, your body is forced to make more insulin, which causes more weight gain. But even moderate weight loss (5-10% of body weight) can lead to significant improvements, Hamdy said. His own research shows that a loss of 7% can improve insulin sensitivity by about 57%. ..

2. Lower blood sugar..

Jessica Crandall Snyder, Denver’s Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, says that the more dehydrated you are, the more sugar you have in your blood, like prunes and juicy plums. A Study at Diabetes care Subjects were followed for 9 years. People who drank less than 0.5 liters of water per day had an increased risk of elevated blood sugar levels compared to those who drank more. Water, herbal tea and milk are all important. Coffee lovers should limit their intake to three cups a day. Caffeine is dehydration.

3. Try exercise snacks

“Exercise snacks” means spreading short-term activities throughout the day, even 10 to 15 minutes on foot after dinner. Studies show that these bite-sized activities help control blood sugar levels more than a single long workout.

However, make sure you are doing different types of exercise, such as strength training. Adults naturally lose 8% of their muscle mass every 10 years between the ages of 40 and 70, and “diabetes doubles that,” Hamdy points out. Use weights, resistance bands, or weight shifts to build strength over 10 minutes a day. Do aerobic exercises such as fast walking, swimming, jogging, and tennis for 10 minutes. A 10-minute stretch that improves joint movement and reduces the chance of injury. It is also important to walk as much as possible throughout the day. 2018 Study at British Journal of General Practice We linked 10,000 steps a day to improving diabetes management.

4. Train your muscles with protein..

protein It is important for maintaining muscles and stimulating several hormones that contribute to the regulation of blood sugar levels. Fish, white chicken, Plant-based sources Make sure you eat (beans, nuts, tofu) and lean beef, and protein at breakfast and lunch, and at dinner.

5. Get vaccinated against COVID-19

People with diabetes, obesity, or both are at increased risk of serious illness and death COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection. And new studies suggest that COVID may exacerbate diabetes by causing damage to the pancreas and inflammation of the entire system, which increases insulin resistance. ..

because vaccination Nitin Kapoor, MD, a professor of endocrinology at Christian Medical College in Velor, India, has mild COVID when infected, indirectly less affected by COVID. His work is also one of several studies linking COVID to new cases of diabetes.

6. Don’t concentrate on sugar

After hearing for the first time, “You have type 2 diabetes,” people often become extreme and try to significantly limit their carbs (with a diet such as keto) or live without sugar.However Too little carbs It can cause fatigue, malnutrition, and dangerous hypoglycemia. Avoid the trap of focusing on sugar and read the “total carbs” label instead. The term includes sugar (both naturally occurring and added) and other types of carbohydrates, says Crandall Snyder. Females should aim for 30 to 45 grams of total carbohydrate per meal. Male, 60-75 years old.

Proper nutrition is so important after a diagnosis of diabetes that she recommends that you consult a registered dietitian (RD) or a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) to develop a proper diet plan. (Medicare covers 3 hours of nutritional counseling and 10 hours of self-management education for diabetes if diagnosed with diabetes.)

7. And let the medicine come as needed

Phyllisa Deroze, a global advocate of diabetes and a diabetic lifestyle blogger, generally feels that anyone trying to control diabetes feels unsuccessful if they can’t take the drug. “One year after my diagnosis, I was only managing my diet and exercise. There was a big” Uhu! ” With all the medicine I dropped, “she points out. However, her healthcare provider explained that the drug could still play an occasional role in her life — and in fact, Derose ended up needing insulin during pregnancy. “Insulin gets a bad lap, but it helps a lot of people,” she says. ..

Science journalist Leslie Goldman holds a master’s degree in public health.