Diabetes Self Management Plan

Anyone who is diagnosed with the disease needs a diabetes self management plan. As you realize that it is a lifelong disease that you need to live with, you will also realize that it is not as bad as you thought it was. All you need to do is make sure that you keep a check on the basics and you can live a life as close to normal as you like.

Unlike some other disorders, diabetes does not force you to live like a cripple. In fact there are professional sportsmen out there who have not let diabetes become an inhibiting issue in their choice of career. All you need is a planned approach to live a good healthy and fulfilled life despite being diagnosed with diabetes.Diabetes Self Management Plan

Monitor your glucose

Any diabetes self management plan will include keeping a check on your glucose levels. Since it is the high levels of blood glucose that are the primary cause of concern in a diabetic patient as long as it is kept in check the person will have no health complications.

The monitoring of blood glucose is done by a simple blood test. This test can be performed either in a pathology laboratory or at home using a blood glucose monitoring gadget.

There are a number of handheld blood glucose monitors that can be used by the diabetic person. By knowing the level of blood glucose it is easy to manipulate the food and exercise that a person needs.

Watch what you eat

As part of diabetes self management you will need to educate yourself about the effects that different kinds of food have on your body. Some foods give you a high surge in blood glucose as soon as you eat them. These are known as foods high on the GI. Foods like this are cakes, jellies, jams, ice creams, pastries, doughnuts, and cookies, in fact most bakery products.

On the other end of the food spectrum are the low GI foods which take a long time to digest and release blood glucose in a slow and timely manner. Such foods make the person feel full for a long time and do not over tax the body to digest large amounts of glucose in the blood stream. As a general rule a diabetic needs to eat food that is low in fats, sugar and salt. The food must also be high in fiber. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the perfect example of such healthy foods.

Get regular exercise

The body that gets regular exercise helps to use up glucose in the blood faster and more efficiently. The increased metabolic rate is a great tool for diabetes self management. The insulin produced by the body will be utilized more effectively if the diabetic patient has a high metabolic rate. There are also otherbenefits of regular exercise on the person’s health. These include a good conversion of blood glucose to energy which makes the person active and able to do a lot more work. Also the immune system gets a boost by regular exercise.