5 Ways to Manage Your Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious medical condition that requires proper management in order to reduce the symptoms as well as reduce the serious negative health effects that come with unmanaged diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you should consider the following 5 ways that can help you manage your diabetes effectively.

1. Eat the Right Foods

First, you need to be eating the right foods. You should opt for foods made with whole grains, like brown rice and 100% whole wheat breads, tortillas and similar products. You should also eat plenty of vegetables, particularly leafy greens like spinach and kale. 

You should also look for vegetables that do not have added salt, such as "no salt added" or "low sodium" canned vegetables. Fruits are okay, but remember to consider their sugar content. Berries are best as they are lower in sugar than some other fruits, like bananas. 

2. Eliminate Foods that Raise Your Blood Sugar

More important than eating the right foods is eliminating the wrong foods - in other words, foods that are going to raise your blood sugar. These include foods made with processed grains, such as white rice and white flour; fried foods, such as french fries and fried chicken; foods cooked with lots of sugar rich-sauces; and sugary foods, like sugary candy, donuts and pastries. 

3. Integrate Healthy Teas into Your Day

If you love tea, then you’re in luck - tea can be an excellent way to help manage your diabetes. Look for green teas and black teas, as these are considered great options. You can also look for diabetes-specific teas, such as Tego Tea’s “Diabetes” blend, which is made with ingredients like blueberry, crabapple, chicory root and more. Drinking a cup of tea a day can have many health benefits, so it’s a great idea to integrate this into your overall diabetes management. 

4. Exercise Regularly

Exercise is important for diabetes management, especially if you are overweight or obese. Losing weight can lower your blood sugar significantly, and it will also help reduce the negative impacts of diabetes on your life. Getting a regular workout may seem daunting, but if you’re just starting out, you can begin with something as simple as a 15 minute walk around the block every day. After a week, add 5-10 minutes to your walk, and soon you’ll be getting an hour of exercise. Also consider low-impact exercise like swimming or riding a bike, which are great for weight loss. 

5. Monitor Your Blood Sugar

It’s important to regularly monitor your blood sugar when you have diabetes. Monitoring your blood sugar will help you find out which foods raise your blood sugar the most and which raise it the least. This will give you a better idea when it comes to making healthy food choices. For instance, you might find that eating brown rice raises your blood sugar more than eating cauliflower rice, so you can opt for cauliflower (or other veggie “rice”) in the future. 

Remember, managing diabetes is important for your overall health. The above 5 tips will help you on your road to a healthier you!