If you have diabetes, the more you know about it, the better. You probably already know that you need to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels and A1c. But keeping track of other aspects of your health, such as your diet, exercise, weight, and heart rate, can help you reduce your risk of complications like heart disease that can be caused by diabetes. This is especially important because diabetes increases your risk of heart disease.
What is the best way to keep notes?
These days, there's an app or gadget for just about everything. But experts say a simple notebook and pen are more than enough. So whether you use fitness trackers, phone apps, or other tech tools is entirely up to you. But whichever method you choose, consider taking note of these things.
The importance of exercise and taking notes
If you have diabetes, exercise is essential. It keeps your heart healthy and helps your body use glucose more efficiently. This reduces your risk of some of the complications associated with diabetes. It's great if you can exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
There are a variety of watches and phone apps that measure how active you are during the day. In addition to tracking your exercise, many of these also count your steps or total movement throughout the day.
There's no definitive answer to whether or not these types of tech tools actually make you exercise more. But experts say there are other reasons to keep track of your exercise.
Think about how you feel during and after exercise, and how you can track your blood sugar levels (for example, symptoms of low blood sugar, such as shakiness or blurred vision). People with diabetes respond differently to exercise. Different types of exercise can also vary. Keeping a record of your exercise routine can help you work with your doctor to adjust your medications and diet safely, and help you manage your blood sugar levels .
Should we also be careful about what we eat and drink?
If you take insulin, your doctor may have talked to you about counting the amount of carbohydrates you eat. This is important to ensure you get the right amount of insulin. It also helps you understand how the foods you choose affect your blood sugar levels.
To protect yourself from heart disease, it's a good idea to keep track of your sodium (salt), cholesterol, and saturated and trans fats intake.
The amount of carbohydrates you need per day varies from person to person, so talk to your doctor about your goals. In general, adults should not consume more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Limiting saturated and trans fats can help prevent the buildup of bad cholesterol in the body. To do this, you should read the labels on the foods you eat and use a food guide (like this one you can get from your doctor).
If you can, try keeping a "food diary" where you write down everything you eat every day. A recent study found that people who kept a daily food diary lost more weight than those who didn't. That's important, because maintaining a healthy weight is not only good for your heart, but also for managing diabetes.
Also pay attention to your weight and waist size.
Being overweight or obese can worsen your diabetes symptoms and increase your risk of heart disease. You probably weigh yourself every time you see your doctor. But it's also helpful to keep track of your weight in the days between your visits. If you gain more than 2 pounds in a week, it's time to reevaluate what you're eating and how much you're exercising.
Too lazy to lift weights? Then measuring your waist circumference is another good way to find out if your body fat is posing a health risk.
- Generally, a healthy woman's waist circumference should be less than 35 inches .
- For a man, it should be less than 40 inches .
Talk to your doctor about ways to lose weight safely.
Checking and recording blood sugar levels
If you are a person who uses insulin, you should check your blood sugar levels regularly. Unless your doctor has advised otherwise, these are the normal levels that should be maintained.
| Time to check | Healthy sugar level (mg/dL) |
|---|---|
| Before a meal | Between 80 mg/dL and 130 mg/dL |
| 2 hours after a meal | Less than 180 mg/dL |
To see how exercise affects your sugar levels and prevent dangerous sugar fluctuations, it's a good idea to check your sugar levels before and after exercising.
Why is this so important?
High blood sugar levels over time can lead to inflammation, weight gain, and elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels. All of these can damage your heart. It's smart to keep track of your results after you test. Some glucose monitors will record your levels. But you can also use a notebook or a phone app to write down your readings. Bring this information to your doctor the next time you see him. It will help him assess how well you're managing your diabetes.
How to measure resting heart rate?
Tracking your resting heart rate (RHR) is very simple. You can do this on a daily or weekly basis.
1. Using two of your fingers, find your pulse on the inside of your wrist.
2. Count the number of times the pulse beats within 15 seconds.
3. Multiply that number by 4. Then you will get the RHR value.
A healthy resting heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute . (But remember, stress, certain medications, and even hormone levels can affect this.) Having a healthy RHR is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and premature death.
Take-Home Message
- If you have diabetes, keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels and several other things is very important for heart health.
- Record your exercise, food intake (especially carbohydrates, salt, cholesterol), body weight, and resting heart rate in a simple book or app.
- These notes will help you understand how your body responds to different things.
- Bring these notes with you when you see your doctor. They will be a great help to your doctor in better managing your diabetes and heart health.
- If you are in doubt about something or notice a change in your health, always talk to your doctor.
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