Diabetes diagnosis. Now what?
Often this can be no surprise for some if there is a long family history of diabetes. Sometimes, it can come as more of a shock to others. But nonetheless, it is lifechanging and can be overwhelming.
Before diabetes, the general population have common struggles already. What to eat, what to buy, how to manage weight, and how to eat healthy to begin with, are some. Then, with the diagnosis of diabetes, the overwhelm can reach to all new heights.
After diagnosis, what next? Baby Steps. Start paying attention to your body, how you feel, and what your diet should look like. A great dietician, and help from your doctor, can get you started. Here are a few ideas to help you with the first few baby steps.
- Listen to your body.
We can’t stress this enough! After you’ve finished breakfast, how long must you wait until you grab that next snack? What should that snack be? Many variables go into this, but what have you experienced? Brain fog, weakness, or shakiness? It’s time to check our sugar and grab a snack. It is important to bring awareness to how your body responds before and after a meal. The duration between food intake, is important to bring awareness to, too. This also helps you expect how you will react in the future. Keeping a journal of what you ate, and how you felt before and after, can be very helpful.
- Labels
Working with a dietician, you can learn so much information. It can very well get you on the right track to managing your diabetes, sugar intake, and diet. If you haven’t made time to speak with a dietician, we encourage you to do so.
Let's learn some basics. Learning how to read and pay attention to food labels are a great start. Calories in a certain food are always important to look at. But let’s check out the “Carbohydrates” on that label too.
According to the CDC, these are the steps to take when looking at a food label:
- Check the Serving size All the numbers on this label are for a 2/3-cup serving.
2. This package has 8 servings.
If you eat the whole thing, you are eating 8 times the amount of calories, carbs, fat, etc., shown on the label.
3. Total Carbohydrate shows you types of carbs in the food, including sugar and fiber.
4. Choose foods with more fiber, vitamins, and minerals.5. Choose foods with lower calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Avoid trans fat. (1)
Simple enough right? It takes practice to bring awareness to labels, especially if you aren’t used to checking them out while at the store. Just looking at them once while in the store is a reason to pat yourself on the back. Great job!
- Move Your Body
Moving our body and burning energy can help manage and level out our glucose. If you can, walking is an excellent way to get some body movement in, and is also a great place to begin. Strength training, although daunting for some, is an excellent way to increase self-confidence, muscle mass, and can increase your metabolism. Start small, use water bottles and household items for resistance. You’ll be amazed how much this can help.
- Have patience with yourself
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with a diagnosis of Diabetes. But don’t let this get you down. Through some proper education and tips, life takes can take on a new rewarding, normal. Learning to manage your diabetes and listening to your body is key. It’s also important to know that there are so many resources out there that can help you along the way to better understand Diabetes, including your care coordinator.
You can do this! We believe in you, and are here to help.
Sources:
(1). CDC, Diabetes,“Eat Well” https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/food-labels.html