you didn’t choose to get diabetes, but you do have a choice in how you manage it. when it comes to managing your diabetes, you should know that you’re not alone. and you’re not just a passenger being told where to go and how. in some important ways, you can be the driver. there are steps you can take right now to take control of your diabetes management. resources, like the ones i discuss in these videos, can help you. hi. welcome to another episode of the diabetes download, brought to you by cornerstones4careâ®. i’m michael stevens, and it’s time again to break down diabetes. whether you know it or not, you have an entire support team in your corner. who are they?
crash diet reverses diabetes, you may already have a family doctor, your primary care physician, who you visit for general checkups. your primary care physician may refer you to an endocrinologist. that’s a doctor who specializes in treating diabetes and other hormone-related conditions. you may also want to work with a diabetes educator. this can be a nurse, dietitian, doctor, pharmacist, or counselor. diabetes educators come from a variety of different backgrounds, medically speaking. the one thing they have in common is they’re all trained to teach or care for people with diabetes. aside from a health care team, many people with diabetes have another team in place for extra support…their family and friends.
maybe your wife or husband is your walking partner or a friend goes with you to doctor’s appointments. friends and family can be great with helping you stay on track with your care program. ask your health care provider for a list of diabetes support groups in your area. it may help you to talk with others who are also living with diabetes. they’re going through the same thing you are, and they may have a tip or two for healthy living that you could find useful. type 2 diabetes can be managed. whether you’ve just been diagnosed, or you’ve been managing diabetes for years, there are important things you can be doing to stay on track. one. take your medicine regularly, as prescribed by your health care provider.two. track your blood sugar.three. eat healthy.four. stay active. type 2 diabetes is different for different people. and it changes over time. so doctors can’t really rely on a one-size-fits-all diabetes treatment. there are many medicines available to treat type 2 diabetes, and these medicines are paired in different ways. some people take 1 diabetes pill. others, 2 pills, or more. some people take a pill with either a non-insulin injectable medicine or a long-acting insulin. others, a long-acting insulin once a day and rapid-acting insulin with meals. your treatment depends on your diabetes…and how your diabetes changes…over time. as you age, your diabetes may change. how much or how little depends on your body. it’s not your fault. it’s just the way diabetes works. but keep in mind, as your diabetes changes, your medicine may need to change too. of course, your health care team will decide which medicine is right for you. so keep checking in with them. talk with them about your blood sugar numbers and how you’re feeling. and be open to the fact that change is a natural part of diabetes. use a blood glucose meter to check your blood sugar regularly. if you’re not at your a1c goal, but you are at goal with your morning blood sugar, you may want to start checking your after-meal blood sugar 1 to 2 hours after you eat.
it's important to bring your blood sugar readings to your next appointment so you and your health care provider can discuss them. get your hands on one of these…a blood sugar diary. you can download one at cornerstones4care.com. or you can ask your health care provider for one. use it to track your blood sugar numbers by writing them down each time you check with your meter. look for patterns, and any numbers that stand out as being too high or too low and what you feel may have caused these highs and lows. be sure to point out these numbers to your health care provider at your next office visit. make regular doctor appointments to review your blood sugar numbers and discuss your goals moving forward. and ask yourself…are you taking advantage of what all members of your diabetes care team have to offer you? for instance, have you talked to your diabetes educator? or your dietitian? food plays a big part in your weight and how you manage your diabetes. now let’s separate diabetes myth from fact with some help from webmd. myth: you need to follow a special diabetes diet. fact: surprise-that's not true! the same healthy diet that's good for everyone is good for your diabetes. do pay attention to the carbs you eat, because they affect your blood sugar. when you’re in the grocery store, the choices are practically endless. so how can you know which foods are the right foods for you? for starters, check out the diabetes download video series. in the “healthy food shopping†video, host eileen faxas and her guest, a professional chef, guide you through food labels and what foods to look for, here, in the grocery aisle.
and in the “dining out†video, the 2 give us tips that can make the restaurant a place we can eat healthy too. you can also help manage your diabetes by staying physically active. people tend to think of exercise as ‘working out’ and lifting heavy weights…but really, you don’t have to overdo it. you’re not trying to be a bodybuilder. many times, walking or riding a stationary bike does the trick nicely. and you can get more tips on staying active by watching the “being active†video on the diabetes download. make sure you check with your health care provider before starting any activity routine. you and your health care provider will know if your level of physical activity, your meal plan, and your medication are working for you based on how your blood sugar is being controlled. so let’s break it all down: talk with the members of your health care team. make regular appointments and ask for their advice. they’re there to help. while you can’t control everything about your diabetes, you can control a lot if you follow the 4 basics of diabetes care by: - taking your medicine regularly, as prescribed by your health care provider - tracking your blood sugar- eating healthy - being active
be open to change. your diabetes may change over time, and your medicine may change too. that happens. don’t worry or blame yourself. your determination to stay healthy actually makes a big difference. you can’t change everything about yourself, the set of controls available to you and what they do, but you can take advantage of them. you can make the choice to accept support from other people. and to use the resources i talk about here for better health. so that’ll do it for this episode of the diabetes download. we’ll continue breaking down diabetes with other helpful videos still have questions? find answers at cornerstones4care.com. it’s a great resource for learning more about diabetes sign up today and get 24/7 access to an online diabetes support program designed to help you manage your diabetes, your way. cornerstones4care⮠is a registered trademark of novo nordisk a/s. ⩠2014 novo nordisk all rights reserved. 0414-00020882-1 september 2014
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