If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your main goal is to keep it under control. Nowadays, health literacy is critical as it plays a vital role in managing many chronic diseases, including diabetes.
Health literacy, in general, refers to the level to which a person can find, comprehend and use details and services to make health-related decisions and actions for themselves. If people lag in basic knowledge, it is called limited health literacy. This article is for such people.
Here are a few simple things that you can follow to manage diabetes with limited health literacy.
Exercise Daily
Regular exercise helps you ease your stress and feel better. It will improve your insulin sensitivity and maintain your blood sugar level. If you are not an exercise lover, start with a bit of exercise daily. After that, slowly increase the duration. To be more active, try to climb stairs and avoid using an elevator.
Change your exercise if you are getting bored with the current one. You can also add aerobic activities or jogging to keep yourself active. You will soon realize that exercise can help in balancing your blood sugar level.
Consume a Balanced Diet
Healthy food is key to health. It doesn’t matter whether you have diabetes or you are an average person. But if you have diabetes, you need to know what you eat affects your blood sugar levels. Try to eat non-starchy food. Include a lot of broccoli, carrot, cucumber, tomato, beans, berries, citrus fruits, nuts and fish.
If you are a vegetarian, you can eat tofu to get protein. Avoid beverages that are sugar-laden because of their high-calorie content and less nutrition value. Pay attention to the carbs you choose. Few carbs like whole grain, fruits, and vegetables can be good for you.
Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of water and other necessary fluids because dehydration can affect your sugar level. Staying hydrated throughout the day is very important.
Reduce Stress
If you are stressed, the hormones produced by your body can raise your blood sugar levels and make you less sensitive to insulin. If there is stress, try to make a change that can help you. You can talk to your friends and family, exercise, meditate and replace negative thoughts with positive ones to reduce your stress.
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Quit Smoking and Alcohol
Quit the habit of smoking. It will help you in maintaining your blood sugar level. You can have more severe health problems if you smoke, and your blood sugar levels may rise.
If you are on insulin or taking medications for your diabetes, drinking alcohol can drop your blood sugar levels. It can put more stress on your liver as it has to work to remove the alcohol from your body instead of regulating your blood sugar.
These tips can help maintain your blood sugar levels. You can also seek the help of an endocrinologist for guidance. Look for the best endocrinologist in Mumbai, Chennai or any other place and schedule a consultation to discuss lifestyle tips for managing diabetes.
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