As a Certified Diabetes Educator, I witness a lot of patients struggling with management of their diabetes. The biggest challenge that I see patients face isn’t using glucose strips or counting carbohydrates; it’s realizing that diabetes is a condition that they have to deal with every day. Successfully managing diabetes means adjusting to a new lifestyle, and that’s a daunting challenge for anyone.
Fortunately, diabetes can be managed in part by concentrating on a few key principles.
Consistency & Balance
Although eating right and maintaining a healthy routine benefits everyone, most people without diabetes can get by eating what they want when they want because their bodies can easily regulate their blood glucose (the main sugar found in the blood and the body's main source of energy).
We are often blissfully unaware that every action affects our blood glucose (also called blood sugar) levels, and we’re equally unaware of the complex steps our bodies take to keep our blood sugar at the precise levels needed to function. That natural rhythm is what diabetics must try to mimic on a daily basis.
Consistently eating, getting physical activity and taking medication at regular times each day makes it easier to maintain blood sugar control. The way that diabetics know that they’re in control is by consistently testing their blood sugar levels.
Balance is also critical to maintaining the right blood sugar levels as well as overall health. Most Americans consume a diet heavy in carbohydrates, sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. These foods can be part of a diabetic lifestyle, but in the appropriate amounts or in combination with other foods.
Practicing balance means eating a combination of carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat. For example, eating whole grain bread with all natural peanut butter slows the rate at which the body metabolizes the carbohydrates into glucose and will ultimately prevent blood sugar from rising quickly and significantly.
Practice Patience
One of the most important principles, especially for recently diagnosed patients, is to be patient and treat yourself with kindness.
Carefully watching what you eat, remembering to check your blood sugar regularly and learning a new vocabulary of medical jargon is hard work. The process of forming healthier habits takes time as well.
Given these demands and the emotional toll a diabetes diagnosis can take, it’s very easy to become frustrated or succumb to all or nothing thinking. I encourage my patients to treat themselves with kindness and recognize that they are doing their best to meet a big challenge.
I coach them to concentrate on taking small steps in order to achieve a bigger change and prepare them to deal with everyday challenges. Skipping meals or overeating (especially on carbohydrates) are common habits, so I equip them with tools that they can use to overcome those situations.
In addition to helping diabetics manage their diabetes, practicing patience and using coping techniques have the added benefit of reducing stress. Mental or physical stress actually causes the body to become more resistant to insulin in people with diabetes, which leads to increased blood sugar levels.
Seek Support
The amount of support diabetics receive has a huge impact on their ability to consistently control their blood sugar and live healthy lives.
There are a wealth of different tools and coping strategies available that make it easier to manage diabetes. These range from tricks to simplify meal time like the Plate Method (available at diabetes.org and one of my favorites), to smartphone apps that can track food intake and blood sugar levels. Meeting with a Certified Diabetes Educator or attending diabetes education and support groups are also excellent opportunities to find one-on-one, in-person support.
Regardless of what tools people with diabetes use, it’s important for them to find the right set of tools that works for their unique circumstances.
Though it is a challenge, managing diabetes can be done. Building a lifestyle around consistency and balance, practicing patience, and seeking support are three key principles that enable people with diabetes to meet the challenge.
Natalie Leustek is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at The Vancouver Clinic’s Battle Ground location. TVC offers diabetes counseling at its Battle Ground location at 2005 W Main St. as well as its other location in Vancouver at 700 NE 87th Ave.
