Diet Tips to Help Keep Your Blood Glucose Stable
Eating a healthy diet can make it easier to control Type 2 diabetes and even reduce your reliance on medications. Learn some quick diet tips you can follow to prevent sudden blood sugar spikes.
Lifestyle Tips for Living with Diabetes
An estimated 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, a chronic condition that affects how you process sugar from your diet. Without proactive management of diabetes, this condition can cause serious health complications, including permanent nerve damage and blindness.
At OakBend Medical Group, our bariatric surgeons Christopher Reilly, MD, FACS, Steven. Thomas, MD, FACS, and Genna Lubrano, MD, specialize in weight loss surgeries to help you overcome weight challenges that can complicate Type 2 diabetes. They also provide resources and support to help you better manage your diabetes long term.
7 tips for living with diabetes
Here are some lifestyle changes you can make now to reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes and its related complications:
1. Make healthy food choices
Eating a healthy diet is essential for controlling your diabetes. You also need to monitor your portion size because how much you eat matters just as much as what you eat.
2. Understand which foods raise your blood sugar levels
It’s important to pay attention to food labels and know how the foods you eat affect your blood sugar levels.
Carbohydrates have the biggest effect on your blood sugar. Some carbs are better for you than others, so you should always eat well-balanced meals with a mix of starches, vegetables, fruit, and proteins.
3. Take medications as directed
If you need medications to control your diabetes, you need to stay on top of your taking them as directed by your doctor.
Your blood sugar levels can change if you don’t eat enough food or if you eat too much when taking medications. Follow your physician’s recommendations for coordinating your daily meals and medications to keep your blood sugar levels stable.
4. Engage in regular physical activity
Daily exercise is important for controlling both Type 2 diabetes and managing a healthy weight.
Physical activity helps your body convert sugar to the energy your muscles need to function. The more high-impact activities you engage in, the longer the effects last.
5. Stay hydrated
If you’re not drinking enough water, you can become dehydrated. Dehydration can affect your blood sugar levels and affect your ability to stay active.
6. Monitor your blood sugar levels frequently
The best way to stay in control of your diabetes is monitor your blood sugar levels frequently throughout the day, so you know where your numbers stand.
You should also be prepared at all times with a snack and your medications to address unexpected drops in your blood sugar levels.
7. Manage stress
Stress can trigger a response in your body that causes your blood sugar levels to rise. You may also neglect your diabetes care routine if you’re too stressed out.
You can learn stress-relief techniques to lower your stress levels and keep your blood sugar levels stable.
Benefits of weight loss surgery for diabetes
If your weight challenges are making it hard to manage your Type 2 diabetes successfully, you may be a candidate for bariatric surgery.
We offer several types of weight loss surgeries to help you lose excess weight and keep it off long term. Our surgeons can determine which bariatric surgery is a good fit for you, such as:
Lap-Band® surgery
During Lap-Band surgery, we place a band around the top section of your stomach to limit how much food and calories you can consume.
Gastric balloon
A gastric balloon is a nonsurgical method to temporarily reduce your stomach size. The Orbera® Intragastric balloon is placed into your stomach through an endoscopy procedure that requires no incisions. The physicians can remove the balloon after you achieve your desired results.
Gastric sleeve surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery involves the removal of a part of your stomach, limiting the amount of food you can eat. This type of surgery also changes your appetite, so you eat less to lose more weight.
Gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass surgery alters your gastrointestinal tract, so the food you eat bypasses most of your stomach and small intestine to support rapid weight loss.
To find out if you’re a candidate for weight loss surgery to better manage your Type 2 diabetes, call OakBend Medical Group today or book an appointment online.
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