5 Tips to Manage Your Diabetes

November 14 is celebrated as World Diabetes Day. It is a day to observe and remind persons of the importance of Diabetes and the effect it has on our society.

1) Change your lifestyle

Let’s get this straight first: diabetes is NOT caused by eating sweets or consuming sugar. It is really a ‘lifestyle disease’ i.e. the consequence of following an unhealthy lifestyle. Adopt appropriate lifestyle changes that focus on eating right, exercising consistently, & regulating bed timings.

2) The Diabetes diet

Eating is not grazing. Eating as per the hunger ensures that we are not starving, eating at the right times while keeping blood sugar steady.

Carbohydrates are essential for diabetics. Just stay away from the processed/ refined variety like the biscuits, cookies, muffins etc.

Adding fat to a meal, lowers its Glycemic Index (GI). More the fat, the slower the sugars (‘carbohydrates’) are digested, and lower is the glycemic index. Add ghee, nuts, seeds to your meals.

Get that quota of proteins: Protein helps increase insulin sensitivity. Have wholesome meals like khichdi kadhi, rice dal, rice dahi, egg & roti so as to have an optimal or complete protein profile.

3) The ‘magic’ of exercise

The American Diabetes Association advises to perform 150 mins/week of exercise. Get moving!

4) The benefits of strength training

Incorporating strength training into the workout regimen is crucial to increase insulin sensitivity. Structured & progressive strength training improves how the body uses insulin & allows glucose to get around the body better.

5) The importance of good sleep

Insufficient sleep or sleeping at irregular hours causes our ‘body clock’ to malfunction & consequently affect the natural, biological processes such as secretion of insulin that are ‘programmed’ into the human system. Make sure to get good, restful sleep daily. Equally importantly, make sure to go to bed & get up at the same time so that the body is fully in sync with the body clock.