Living with diabetes can be very hard at times. Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, you’ll be all too familiar with the challenges that can arise.
How many people around the world have diabetes?
According to the CDC, 415 million people worldwide have diabetes. By 2040, it’s expected that more than half a billion people will have diabetes.
On the surface, this can seem like a scary statistic – but don’t worry. In today’s world, living with diabetes is a lot easier than it used to be largely due to the treatment methods and coping strategies that are available for people to use.
So, if you’re living with diabetes, make sure to use the following top tips.
Use a diabetes management system
In your day-to-day life, it’s important to use a diabetes management system. This will include:
- An all-in-one meter
- A smartphone app
- Testing supplies
Remember, when living with diabetes, a large amount of the responsibility rests with yourself – and these tools help you to handle this responsibility with ease.
For example, a smartphone app will let you monitor your blood sugar, which then enables you to spot any trends such as blood sugar spikes at particular times of the day. When this is the case, you can let your doctor know right away!
With that covered, let’s move on to the next tip.
Wear a Smartwatch
You’ve heard of smartwatches before, right? They’ve been around for a while but have only really entered the mainstream over the past six years or so.
Smartwatches are great for everyday people as well as those with diabetes. The key is to choose a smartwatch that comes with built-in glucose monitoring (as not every smartwatch has this feature).
Here are some affordable smartwatches that offer glucose monitoring:
- Apple Watch Series 7
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Fitbit Sense
In addition to this, you’ll also be able to use tons of other features, such as heart-rate monitoring and stress levels.
Be sensible with alcohol
In most countries, drinking alcohol is a social norm. Although there’s nothing wrong with drinking alcohol, people with diabetes need to be extra careful with it.
The reason for this is simple: large amounts of alcohol can lead to decreases in blood sugar. In some cases, these drops can be extreme. Naturally, if this does happen, it can lead to all sorts of complications, which is something you don’t want to happen.
Therefore, it’s always best to be on the safe side by drinking alcohol in low to moderate amounts. Yes, it can be a little boring when you have to do this, but it’s essential for people with diabetes!
Make vegetables your best friend
In life, it’s important for everyone to eat vegetables – especially people with diabetes.
Health experts are constantly drawing attention to the fact that vegetables are stacked with fiber and nutrients, which are great for gaining control of blood sugar levels.
So, if your current diet is missing vegetables, make sure to include them moving forward – it will help you a lot.
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I’m a type 1 diabetic with diabetes knowledge in t1d and t2d, as well as nutrition and low-carb keto diet information, fitness and exercise programs to help keep you in optimal diabetes health. Take advantage of our diabetic health toolsfor a healthier lifestyle!