Controlling Diabetes

• Education: Controlling diabetes begins with knowing as much as you can about the disease. The more you know about diabetes, the more it will help you understand the need to take care of yourself. You need to learn about the medications you take and what they do and don’t do. You also need to learn about other complications that result from not keeping your diabetes in check. You need to learn as much as possible about how your life has changed and what to do about it.
  
  
• Food: Controlling diabetes is all about good eating habits. The amount of carbohydrates a diabetic takes in can mean the difference between high and low blood sugar levels. So the first step to controlling diabetes is to keep a diary of your carbohydrate intake. A diary will allow you to see what foods you are eating and will allow you to make necessary adjustments.
  
  
• Exercise: Controlling diabetes means making time for regular exercise. Exercise, added to a program of good eating habits, will help control diabetes and keep sugar levels under control. The more you exercise, the more sugar you will burn and the lower your blood sugar levels will be. The level and degree of your exercise should depend upon what your doctor recommends for you. However, most recommendations average out to about one-half hour to a full hour per day. Remember, exercise will also help to minimize the other complications of diabetes such as heart disease.
  
  
• Sugar Levels: Controlling diabetes means you must regularly monitor your sugar levels. A useful tool to monitoring your blood sugar levels is the glucose meter. The glucose meter allows you to determine if your regiment of diet and exercise, in combination with your medication, is effectively lowering your blood sugar. It can also help you determine whether your doctor needs to be consulted.
  
  A glucose meter should be used at the least once per day, and possibly more often, depending upon the severity of your diabetes. This enables you to detect any drastic or sudden changes in your blood sugar levels.
  
  
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