When you first found you had Type 2 diabetes, you more than likely experienced a wave of emotions including fear, confusion, concern, and maybe even anger. In spite of this there's a lot you can do to stay healthy and improve your quality of life.
How well you do after your diagnosis is mainly up to you. Type 2 diabetes is a condition you can manage very well by making important lifestyle changes. The first clue is to empower yourself: feeling like you have power over your condition will help you cope with the diagnosis.
These tips are meant to help you feel more empowered about the knowledge you have regarding Type 2 diabetes.
First of all, make sure to learn as much as you can about the disease. The more you know, the more ammunition you have to fight it. Don't just find out you have Type 2 diabetes and then decide your life is over. That's simply not true. There are many treatments and methods available to help you reverse your condition.
When you take over control of your diabetes and do what you can to manage it, you will dramatically change your life. You get to live with Type 2 diabetes 24/7... not your doctor, you. Whether your blood sugar levels are controlled or not, is entirely your responsibility. The final decision for the foods you eat is yours, and yours alone. You are the one in control.
There is a lot of hype surrounding Type 2 diabetes...you simply cannot buy into all of it. It just isn't true you have to be on medication for the rest of your life. Many people have been successful in reversing Type 2 diabetes simply by making major lifestyle modifications. If you have decided you don't want to live the rest of your life with the effects of a potentially fatal disease, then you must be willing to make the changes to turn it around.
One way of empowering yourself is by asking a lot of questions. Ask your doctor, (and any other experts), questions you need answers to in order to improve both your health and your life. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you think they're stupid. Instead, it would be stupid not to ask questions you legitimately have.
You only have one body, you can't trade it in or buy another. Monitoring your progress is the best way to take care of yourself. Your blood sugar is affected by much:
diet,
supplements,
medications,
injury,
stress, and
infections
to mention a few
Regular HbA1c checks: As well as self-monitoring your blood sugar, one of the most popular blood tests doctors order for diabetics is the HbA1c or hemoglobin A1c. This is usually carried out at the laboratory. This is one of the best tests to measure how well your blood sugar is doing. A single blood test measures your blood sugar average over the previous 3 months. It's an important test as it takes into account all the hills and valleys of your blood sugar spikes and troughs. Although the American Diabetes Association recommends your HbA1c be 7% or lower, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends your HbA1c level be lower than 6.5%.
These routine check-ups are important... they're a little like having your car serviced or the oil checked.
Be sure to build a health care team around you. That means you might want to have a nutritionist, personal trainer and other types of medical professionals on your team to help you get better. Don't just go to your endocrinologist or other doctor, find out you have Type 2 diabetes and then decide your life is going to be filled with insulin injections and diabetic medication. Take your power back and make changes that will allow you to overcome the disease.
