Managing Your Diabetes With a Solid Care Plan

If you've been told you have diabetes, you may feel frightened at first or angry that this happened to you. While this is a normal reaction to such news, it's important that you begin to take a proactive approach as soon as possible. This means it's time to drop the fear and doubt and learn what you can really do about your diabetes. Managing your diabetes starts today with a solid care plan to help you live with the condition.

First, it's important to understand what type of diabetes you have because this will affect the treatment and management plan that you take on. There are two main types of diabetes- type 1 and type 2. Your doctor should have told you when you were diagnosed which type you are. Both types of diabetes affect your ability to produce and use insulin in the body.

Insulin is the hormone that controls glucose (sugar) in the body. We all need glucose of healthy levels but diabetes causes a build-up of sugar in the blood and will leave your cells lacking for the fuel they need for normal function. High blood sugar levels can also do permanent damage over time to the:

· Blood vessels

· Eyes

· Nerves

· Heart

· Kidneys

In type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin as it should. This means that you will need to give your body insulin through shots or an insulin pump. With type 2 diabetes, either your body does not produce the insulin or it does not process it properly. This is usually treated with medications in the form of pills but might also require shots or insulin as well.

Here are some additional steps to a solid care plan for managing your diabetes:

1. Follow all instructions from your doctor properly.

2. Take medications or insulin as instructed.

3. Eat at the same time every day or as close to it as you can.

4. Avoid overeating.

5. Drink water and avoid sugary drinks.

6. Maintain a healthy weight.

7. Learn about new ways to cook healthy foods.

8. Limit your intake of sweets and fatty foods.

9. Boost your activity levels.

10. Know your goal blood sugar levels and check them regularly to ensure you are on target.

When you take a proactive approach towards your diabetes, you can manage it daily and live a healthy life. In some cases, you can also reverse the severity of your diabetes as well as the damage it has already done in your body. Diabetes doesn't have to rule your life. You can take control today for a better, healthier tomorrow.