Taking Control of Your Diabetes: Five Easy Ways to Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels

August 4, 2024

Are you controlling your diabetes or is diabetes controlling you? Maybe you find yourself overwhelmed by the constant vigilance of monitoring your blood sugar levels. Perhaps you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle against type 2 diabetes symptoms. No matter what your challenges, there are solutions. Thanks to some simple, research-backed techniques, having a healthier, happier life than you did before your type 2 diabetes diagnosis is completely possible. 

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs because of lifestyle choices. The condition is often caused by poor diet and inactivity, along with having excess belly fat and a waistline over 40 inches (35 for women). The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be controlled. Here are five easy ways to control your diabetes and feel better as a result. 

Rising Rates of Type 2 Diabetes 

According to the CDC some 75% American adults are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25. At the turn of the century, one-third of Americans were considered obese with a BMI over 30. Today more than 42 % meet that definition. The growing numbers of overweight and obese Americans are the primary driver for the increasing number of people receiving a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. In the year 2000, less than 12 million people were diagnosed with the condition. By 2020, that number had more than doubled. Many millions more have diabetes symptoms but haven’t been diagnosed. 

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels even as those levels become less responsive to the hormone. Successful management of diabetes is about more than medication, insulin, and regular check-ups. It’s about taking back control of your body. If many of the calories in your diet included ultra-processed food and you didn’t exercise regularly, changing your lifestyle can be challenging. However, for many people making the adjustment has left them feeling happier and healthier than they ever have before. Here’s how to do it. 

  1. Change Your Plate 

Few behaviors affect type 2 diabetes more than what we eat. So the first step toward controlling the condition has to be controlling what we consume. It’s not about eating less. It’s about eating differently. It’s entirely possible to alter your diet and not feel hungry. In fact, with some heart-healthy options you’ll actually feel full longer. 

Still, portion control has its place. That’s why dietitians often recommend the plate method to patients with diabetes symptoms. That’s because it may be the easiest way to manage your eating and by extension your blood sugar levels. Anyone who wants to use the plate method, needs to first find a nine-inch plate. This modest dish is like a secret weapon designed to keep blood sugar levels even.

Finding the right-sized plate may be a challenge. That’s because it’s not just the American waistline that has increased. Plate size has grown as well. Dietitian Lisa Andrews Ed.D, RD, told CBS channel 8 that, “Plates themselves have definitely increased…the size of the plate previously was between about seven to nine inches. And now most of your restaurant plates are about 13 inches in diameter..” The problem is that calories consumed have most likely increased by a similar amount because as registered nutrition dietician Sandra Frank told the channel, “People like to fill their plates. And once they fill their plates, and they eat everything on the plate,” until they feel sated. The innate need many of us have to clean our plates doesn’t disappear with maturity. 

Imagine a nine-inch plate divided into quarters. Two quarters will be dominated by non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, green beans, and lettuce. The remaining quarters will be devoted to lean proteins, whole grains, and fruit.  One quarter can contain chicken, fish, eggs or beans. The other one can have fruits like apples or strawberries or whole grains like brown rice or whole wheat bread. Although you don’t need to remember portion sizes as much with the plate method, it’s helpful to picture a deck of playing cards as the right amount of chicken or other meats. A serving of rice would be around the size of your fist. 

Diets that are either meat-free or meat-light have been shown to increase longevity while controlling blood sugar levels. Studies testing the blood of vegetarians and vegans demonstrate that they not only have better blood sugar levels over several months (a1c levels) but that they also have better total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels than the average meat eater. 

One key to managing your diabetes is improving your body’s response to insulin. One reason that loading your plate with so many fruits and vegetables is effective is because they are filled with inflammation-reducing antioxidants. Fiber can also help in your battle against diabetes because it has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity.

If you’re concerned about not only your blood sugar levels but your overall health, it may be time to get tested. This is especially true if you have some type 2 diabetes symptoms but have not yet received a diagnosis. The great news is that Kyla Clinics offers an at-home test for just $99. This test will provide information on your cardiovascular and kidney health along with hormone levels and yes, blood sugar levels. 

The procedure is simple. After completing a simple, online health quiz, select the best at-home blood test for you. In a few days, you’ll receive your test kit along with easy-to-follow instructions. Collect a sample and mail it to our labs postage free. Soon after you’ll receive accurate results that will identify areas that can be improved. Best of all, after getting your results you’ll have the opportunity to discuss them with a Kyla doctor. You’ll receive personalized advice that can help you control your blood sugar levels while adding years of healthy life to your lifespan. 

  1. Getting Fit and Fighting Fat 

Diet is only one part of a two-pronged approach. The second, equally vital component is exercise. The goal is to do something active every day. That doesn’t mean running ten miles or doing a one-hour spin class. Half-an-hour of walking around the neighborhood or swimming laps in a pool can help. Dance classes, housework, gardening – they all burn calories. Plus, once you become more active you’ll feel better. This will likely lead you to doing even more physical activities!

Take it slow. It’s important to avoid injuries and strains so that you don’t have to spend days recovering from a work-out. Remember, consistent, regular exercise has been shown in studies to improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. In fact, moderate exercise can help you control type 2 diabetes symptoms for days after the workout. 

As you become accustomed to activity, consider working with a trainer at a nearby fitness center. Trainers can help clients learn how to properly use equipment like free weights and machines. Resistance activities which strengthen muscles have many proven benefits for heart health, insulin sensitivity, and managing blood sugar levels.

  1. Reduce or Eliminate Bad Habits

Because alcohol is essentially pure sugar, overconsumption can really affect blood sugar levels and by extension type 2 diabetes. Although some studies have suggested that moderate drinking of one or two drinks per day can improve longevity, those benefits disappear with diabetics. 

When you consume alcohol, your liver becomes engaged in breaking it down which interrupts its normal function of releasing glucose. This interruption can cause your blood sugar levels to drop precipitously – leading to hypoglycemia. Because intoxication and low blood sugar levels can appear almost identical, if you have an episode in a public place you may not receive the assistance you need. Alcoholic beverages can also interfere with diabetes medications. Plus, alcohol is essentially empty calories – and if you’re trying to lose weight, drinking alcoholic beverages won’t help. The best advice to regular drinkers is to reduce consumption as much as possible. It’s important to check blood sugar levels prior to drinking and to choose drinks that are the lowest in calories, sugar, and carbohydrates.  

Tobacco carries its own risks because diabetics already are more likely to have heart disease which is only worsened by smoking. Some studies have shown that people who smoke marijuana are less successful at the lifestyle changes needed to control diabetes. The drug may also affect diabetes metabolic factors. 

  1. Control Stress and Get Plenty of Rest 

Managing diabetes is stressful. It requires what sometimes feels like constant vigilance. You’ve experienced the condition’s highs and lows but knowing what to expect may not make it easier. Instead, you anticipate having your blood sugar crash at a party. Or you worry about what happens when it rises too quickly. Regularly checking your blood sugar levels can be anxiety inducing all by itself. What if despite your best efforts they’re still high or too low?

Unfortunately, as bad as stress is for the rest of the population it’s even worse for diabetics. That’s because of human beings’ ingrained reaction to stress. The flight-or-fight response floods the body systems with cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones do more than accelerate the heart rate, dilate pupils, and produce a sudden burst of energy. They also reduce insulin’s effectiveness and prevent glucose absorption. That can lead to a spike in blood sugar levels. 

Yet just as diabetes can cause stress, stress may also cause diabetes. Consistently high levels of stress could affect how well insulin-producing cells in the pancreas function. This reduction in available insulin can lead to type 2 diabetes. Recent research has also found a link between the condition and excessive cortisol production.  

A study looking at the role of stress for those with diabetes discovered that it had as great an impact on the condition and its management as poor habits like overeating or inactivity. The study concluded that, “a lot of times, doctors believe that type 2 diabetes has a lot to do with medication noncompliance and failure to adhere to lifestyle modification. Unfortunately, they fail to realize that stress and anxiety, as well as other mental problems, can also exacerbate the rising glucose level. With this in mind, doctors can better consult their patients by advising them to consider stress reduction exercises like yoga, meditation, or seeing a counselor to help reduce their stress and anxiety levels.”

Reducing stress can require as much discipline and hard work as any other lifestyle adjustment. Taking up yoga, tai chi, or a similar relaxing but challenging exercise can be very helpful. However, you may not be able to take a class or follow along to an online video. If you’re unable to do these activities, there are alternatives. 

Begin by practicing an effective stress reduction technique at home. Sit comfortably on a mat or cushion. Breath in through your nose for a count of five, hold for five, and then exhale through your mouth for five. If you can’t comfortably reach a five count, start with a lower number. Repeat. This technique works equally well during shopping excursions, driving, or other sources of external stress. Guided imagery, where you briefly invoke a calming scene like a sunset, beach, or field may also be effective. 

Progressive muscle relaxation is where while lying on the floor or in bed, you tighten the muscles in your forehead for a few seconds and release. You then progress by tightening your forehead and jaw, then release. Continue adding muscle groups until you are tightening everything from the top of your head to your toes. This method is perfect before going to sleep. 

Speaking of sleep, lack of zzzs is a serious concern for anyone but especially for those fighting type 2 diabetes. Although unhealthy diets and inactivity are the main reasons people get the condition, American’s lack of sleep may be contributing to the obesity increase and by extension the rise in type 2 diabetes diagnoses. When people are tired, their bodies produce excessive amounts of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin. This often triggers carb cravings that can lead to binge eating sugary sweets like cookies, cakes, candies, and pie. Unfortunately, exhaustion also suppresses the production of leptin, a hormone that tells people they are full.

Along with throwing hormones out of whack, people suffering from consistently inadequate sleep can actually experience diabetes symptoms. Studies have shown that a poor sleep schedule, including waking up repeatedly, not getting enough sleep or even getting too much, can reduce  glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

Because of abundant 24-hour entertainment options and work schedules that last long past standard quitting times, getting enough sleep requires discipline. However, being well-rested and stress free is one of the best ways to manage diabetes. 

  1. Work With a Professional 

Whether you have diabetes symptoms, type 2 diabetes or just want to improve your a1c levels, it’s hard to succeed alone. Kyla Clinics can help you develop a routine that includes measurable goals and objectives. 

From the comfort of your couch, you can begin your journey to good health with convenient at-home blood tests and AI-powered actionable advice. You’ll gain insights into your internal health and be able to track your progress. Working with a Kyla doctor, you will not only learn how to proactively manage chronic conditions like diabetes but you will also lengthen the number of healthy years you’ll enjoy while living a happier, more fulfilling life than the one you led before the type 2 diabetes diagnosis.  

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