Checklist to manage your diabetes well

Having a tough time in life these days? Stuck with something you never wanted? Finding it difficult to manage this unwanted inclusion in your life? Often find yourself thinking what really should you do?

Oh, wondering what was that all about?

You guessed it right. That was all about Diabetes and your struggle to keep it in check.

Maybe you aren’t doing everything right!

There’s a lot of advice that you would be getting from your doctor, friends, relatives, and acquaintances as to what is the best way of diabetes prevention. But do you take a moment and think whether those tips and tricks would really work out for you considering your schedule and body constitution?

Let me begin with a little about the disorder ‘What is diabetes?’

Diabetes is a condition that impairs glucose metabolism, or in other words, the body's ability to process the blood sugar levels. It can occur due to the absence of insulin (a hormone that is required for uptake of glucose into cells to provide energy) - type 1 diabetes (due to the ineffective response of the body cells to the insulin available) or diabetes type 2 (resulting in sugar levels in the blood to go up).

A pre-diabetic stage is one where the sugar levels are high though not high enough to cause trouble in the body.

The typical prediabetes symptoms are polyphagia (increased hunger), polydipsia (increased thirst), and polyuria (increased urination). Unexplained weight loss, although eating well, can also be an indication of diabetes brewing.

Diabetes is a multi-system disorder and if left unattended, it can cause severe complications.

Diabetes Treatment

The goal of diabetes treatment - be it for type I diabetes or diabetes type 2, is to keep the blood sugar levels under control.

Long-term conventional medications result in side-effects like liver and kidney toxicity. As opposed to conventional medications, homeopathy treatment for diabetes offers a safe and effective solution. Homeopathic medicines for diabetes work at the level of restoring the normal functioning of the organs and cells and help better control of blood sugar levels.

Apart from having the medications regularly, here's a checklist that can help you manage your diabetes symptoms well -

• Plan your meals:

The golden mantra of managing or preventing diabetes effectively is "Eat Healthy, Eat Right". There are a lot of diets available and a lot of diet plans too leaving one often confused as to what to eat and what not to eat. A diet well balanced in proteins, vitamins, carbs need to be taken. Small portions of carbs like rice and wheat need to taken, while proteins like cereals and pulses and vitamin and mineral rich vegetables need to form a major portion of the diet.

Fruits rich in sugar like mangoes, grapes, strawberries, cherries, chickoo, bananas are a strict no incase of high sugar levels. They can, however, be taken in very small portions once in a while to satisfy the craving.

Adequate water intake of about 3 liters/day is essential in maintaining the electrolyte balance in the body. Avoid taking a lot of water before going to sleep, as it will help reduce nocturia (excessive night urination).

Frequent (every 2-2.5 hourly) meals consisting of small portions are more effective for diabetics than the conventional 3 meals a day concept for diabetics, as this helps the body metabolize sugar effectively.

Refrain from Smoking, Alcohol and Tobacco products. Reduce the intake of stimulants like tea and coffee.

• Exercise Regularly:

Exercising regularly has been found to help reduce blood sugar levels to a very large extent.

The exercises can vary from basic walking for 30-45 min/day to heavy cardio and weight lifting depending on your age, stamina levels, underlying medical condition if you suffer from, and physical capacity to undertake the same.

Do not overdo your exercise regime as it may lead to other complications like excessive weakness, fatigue, and hypoglycaemia (low sugar levels)

Exercising at least 5 days a week helps keep the momentum going and the body toned and healthy. Always take advice from your doctor what exercise you should do and for how much time.

• Regular monitoring:

Awareness is the key to a healthy life. Being aware makes one capable of understanding and handling the situation well.

Regular blood tests for blood sugar helps one be aware of where he/she stands, thereby enabling one to take required action on time.

A full body checkup every 6 months-1 yr helps rule out and identify complications of diabetes or any other medical condition that may affect effective management of diabetes.

• Stress Management :

Stress is the root cause of all evil in today's world, and managing it effectively goes a long way in managing or even preventing diabetes. Scientific studies have shown that stressful situations can trigger the beginning of diabetes, and also cause rapid elevation in blood sugar levels in a person already diagnosed with diabetes.

While we can't really control stressful situations, we can try managing it effectively.

Regular exercises and yoga have proven to help in managing stress effectively.

Breathing techniques help improve circulation and relax the mind and thereby relieve stress. Finding a hobby of choice and indulging in it helps reduce stress.

Take time out for yourself, as there is nothing more important than you. Learn to say no to the things you know you cannot handle at the moment.

Try to get a good night's sleep of at least 6-8 hours that will help keep you energetic all day.

So the next time you find your sugar levels out of control, why not give homeopathy and these simple tips in the checklist a try to manage your diabetes effectively?