5 Lifestyle Changes to Help Control Your Diabetes

Diabetes is a long-lasting condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. It is a disease that causes high blood sugar. Your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it makes.

Types of Diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. It’s also possible that a virus sets off an immune system attack. If you have type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin every day to survive.
• Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in your blood. This is the most common type of diabetes and runs in families. Being overweight increases your risk,  too. You may not notice any symptoms, so it’s important to get your blood sugar tested if you’re at risk. 
• Gestational diabetes occurs as the result of hormonal changes during pregnancy. The placenta produces hormones that make a pregnant person’s cells less sensitive to the effects of insulin, causing high blood sugar during pregnancy. 

If you have gestational diabetes,  your baby is more likely to have obesity as a child or teen and develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

What is Prediabetes?

• Before developing type 2 diabetes, most people have prediabetes in which their blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough yet for a diabetes diagnosis. The good news is that prediabetes can be reversed.

Apart from getting quality healthcare, there’s no better way to treat your diabetes than to live a healthier lifestyle – especially if you’re a Type 2.

Here are five lifestyle changes to help control your diabetes to jumpstart your journey to living your best life:

• Eat healthy foods such as vegetables, quinoa, and high-protein meals 
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day to keep your body weight normal
• Get the eight-hour rest that your body needs at night
• Quit bad habits such as smoking and drinking
• Set health goals and work at your own pace

Having diabetes does not mean depriving yourself completely of the sweet things in life – you can still indulge, but always in moderation. Our BestLife Wellness Program offers screening and maintenance medication programs for registered members diagnosed with diabetes. Plus, members also get to enjoy exciting benefits. 

With Maxicare, you can take charge of your own body and live your best life while managing your diabetes. 

Reference:

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes#diet

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

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