5 Lifestyle Tips for Managing Your Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you know it requires a multi-faceted approach. From medical care to adopting a healthy lifestyle, your choices can impact your diabetes management.

Hands on Health Wellness Center in Carrollton, Texas, can help you create a customized lifestyle plan to help manage your diabetes with a holistic approach. Our expert health care professionals can help with weight loss, primary care, and functional medicine. 

You can also make changes to your lifestyle to manage your blood sugar in a healthy way. 

5 lifestyle tips for diabetes management

You probably know that eliminating sugar from your diet is a key factor in diabetes management, but what about stress? Did you know high stress levels can elevate your blood sugar? 

Consider these healthy lifestyle changes for managing your diabetes. 

1. Nutritious diet 

Whole foods like vegetables, lean protein, fruit, healthy fats, and whole grains stabilize blood sugar. They can also help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your cardiovascular risks. 

Detailed micronutrient testing uncovers nutrition imbalances that lead to weight gain and diabetes. When you know what they are, you can adjust your diet to account for them. 

2. Exercise 

It’s no secret that regular physical activity has countless health benefits — including reducing blood sugar. If you don’t already have an exercise plan, consider buddying up with a friend or family member for accountability and support.

Walking is a great low-impact exercise you can start right away. You don’t even have to walk outside if the Texas summer heat is too much. Try an indoor treadmill or even walking videos online, and you can do them at home. Every little bit helps! 

Strength training is also beneficial for strengthening your body, improving your balance, and, yes, controlling your diabetes. You can start with filled water bottles or elastic bands if you want a home-based workout. 

3. Get enough quality sleep 

You might be surprised to hear that your sleep impacts your blood sugar levels. 

If you don’t get enough sleep, or your sleep is interrupted by 3am wake-ups, it may increase your sensitivity to insulin. Controlling your diabetes requires careful insulin management, and having a regular sleep schedule can help regulate it. 

If you don’t already have type 2 diabetes, an irregular sleep schedule can contribute to your risk factors. If you do have diabetes but have trouble sleeping, that impacts your glucose tolerance. 

4. Stress reduction 

When stressed, your body floods with cortisol. While this is exactly what should happen if you’re in danger, living with high cortisol levels elevates your blood sugar and damages your organs. 

Stress reduction is a learned skill; you can find help with yoga, deep breathing, meditation, fun hobbies, and a supportive community. 

5. Monitoring

Discuss your diabetes monitoring with our doctor to create a monitoring schedule that works for you. Many people choose to self-monitor with a glucose meter. 

It’s essential you keep a log of your blood sugar levels and share them with our health care team. That way, we can spot patterns and make any necessary adjustments. 

Our expert team at Hands On Health Wellness Center helps you monitor your diabetes and lifestyle changes so you can live your healthiest life. To book an appointment, call our office or schedule online today.