In his 60s, David Chu began to notice that he felt very tired throughout the day, sometimes feeling exhausted. After a round of blood tests, he went to the hospital and found the cause: he had diabetes.
David’s mother also had diabetes, so he knew it well. “It’s like investing in the stock market,” he said. “I’m surrounded by greed and fear. Greed is trying to maintain a better quality of life, but fear of the consequences: blindness, kidney dialysis, amputation or worse if the disease is not controlled.”
Through his mother, he learned that controlling diabetes requires more than just using medications; it’s about making radical lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise habits.
Lifestyle modification is the best option for treating diabetes.
Self-management
Margaret Powers, PhD, chair of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Department of Health Care and Education, said, “Ninety-nine percent of diabetes care is self-management. This includes having to take your medications, check your blood sugar, eat right, and exercise.”
She cited 4 points in time to test the implementation of a diabetes management plan:
- Time to diagnosis of diabetes;
- Time of yearly checkups;
- The onset of other conditions, such as when other health problems occur or when new medications are used;
- A period of transition, such as being discharged from a hospital or moving to a nursing home.
Adjustment of diet
In addition to medications, patients need to focus on nutrition and exercise in their daily lives. What you eat and when you eat it can affect diabetes treatment. For example, many patients use insulin to lower their blood sugar. However, if meals are not eaten at the right time, blood sugar levels can drop quickly, which can be dangerous.
A balanced diet can also reduce the amount and type of medication. As a Chinese-American, David’s diet often contains high-carbohydrate rice and noodles, and it can be difficult to adjust the way he eats. For this reason, he would eat noodles, toast, and rice for breakfast and lunch, then meat and stir-fried vegetables for dinner.
Exercise for weight loss
Exercise is also critical for blood glucose control because it directly affects disease progression. For people with type 2 diabetes, exercise can reduce the need for medications and also improve the way the body uses insulin, helping people lose weight and control their diabetes. One study found that losing 7-10% of body weight resulted in an improvement in diabetes.
Total care
While medications, diet, and exercise are the foundation of all diabetes management programs, there are many other ways to help people prevent the disease before it starts.
- Skin care: As many as 1 in 3 people with diabetes develop skin infections, itching, or blisters. To avoid this, patients need to keep their skin clean and dry, avoid showers and baths with excessively hot water, treat wounds promptly, and monitor skin conditions closely.
- Eye care: Diabetes may also lead to vision problems such as glaucoma and cataracts. Wearing sunglasses outdoors and having regular eye exams can protect your vision.
- Foot care: High blood sugar can damage the nerves in your feet, which can lead to calluses, foot ulcers and poor blood flow. Check your feet daily and see your doctor promptly if there are any problems.
- Stress: Anxiety can raise blood sugar levels, and you should try to find ways to relax yourself. Getting enough sleep, doing things you enjoy, and exercising can help release stress.
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