For those of you living with diabetes: Let's control the disease with these 6 habits! (Diabetes Mellitus)

It's normal to feel a little scared and anxious when you find out you have diabetes. "Will I not be able to eat the things I like now?", "Will my life change?", "Isn't taking medication enough?" You may be wondering. But in reality, if you work with your doctor and make small, but very important changes to your daily life, you can definitely control this condition and stay happy and healthy. Let's see what those 6 most important changes are?

1. Let's take proper care of our food and drink.

Diet is the most important thing in managing diabetes. Because what you eat directly affects your blood sugar levels. There is no "no-no" list of foods. The most important thing is to eat only the amount your body needs and be mindful of the type of food you eat .

Simply put, fill half of your plate with vegetables, greens, and salads. Fill the rest with carbohydrates like rice, bread, and potatoes, and the rest with protein like fish, meat, eggs, and lentils.

• Special attention to carbohydrates: Things like rice, bread, noodles, dal, dal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cassava are what turn into sugar in our body. So be careful about the amount you eat at one meal. For example, if someone eats 3 cups of rice, reduce it to about 1.5 cups and add more things like vegetables, sambal, and pala mallum to the plate instead. Things like bran rice, kurakkan, and oats are much better than white rice and white bread.
• Limit foods high in sugar and fat: Reduce your intake of cakes, biscuits, sweet drinks, toffee, and chocolate as much as possible. It is also important to limit fried foods, sausages, meatballs, and fatty meats.
• Don't skip meals: Eat at regular times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Skipping meals can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels, especially if you take insulin or other diabetes medications.

2. Don't stay in one place all day, move around a bit!

If you're not already active, now is the best time to start. You don't have to spend a lot of money or join a gym. There are many simple things you can do.

• Walk briskly for at least 30 minutes every day.
• Ride a bike.
• Do some work in the garden, sweep the yard.
• Dance to your favorite song.

The goal should be to engage in at least 30 minutes of sweaty, slightly breathless activity most days of the week.

Here's what happens when you exercise: Your muscles need energy. To get that energy, your muscles use the sugar in your blood. This helps keep your blood sugar levels in check. Not only that, exercise reduces your risk of heart disease, helps you control your weight, and is also a great way to reduce stress.

3. Get medical checkups on time.

Diabetes is a condition that requires constant monitoring. So, even if you don't have any symptoms, see your doctor at least twice a year. Diabetes increases your risk of heart disease. So be aware of your 'numbers'.

4. Find a way to relieve stress.

You may be surprised, but there is a big connection between stress and blood sugar levels. When you are stressed, your body releases hormones that raise your blood sugar levels. Also, when we are anxious and worried, we can forget to eat properly, take our medications on time, and exercise. This can completely mess up your diabetes control.

Therefore, make time for things that bring you comfort and relaxation.

• Do deep breathing exercises.
• Do yoga or meditation.
• Listen to a song you like.
• Talk to a close friend about what's on your mind.
• Read a book, watch a movie.
• Plant flowers in the garden, spend time with a pet.

5. If you smoke, quit today.

This is something that should be done unconditionally. Smoking for someone with diabetes is like adding fuel to the fire. Diabetes already increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, eye disease, kidney disease, blood vessel disease, nerve damage, and foot problems. If you smoke, your risk of all of these diseases doubles or triples.

Not only that, smoking can make it difficult to exercise. We know that quitting smoking is not easy. But it is the biggest investment you can make in your life. Talk to your doctor about this. He or she can tell you about ways to help you.

6. Think twice about alcohol

If you have a habit of drinking alcohol, limiting your intake will make it much easier to control your diabetes.

Alcohol is a bit of a complicated thing for someone with diabetes. Sometimes alcohol can cause blood sugar to suddenly spike, and sometimes it can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels. Drinking alcohol, especially on an empty stomach, can cause blood sugar to drop too low (hypoglycemia).

The general recommendation is to have no more than one standard drink per day for women and no more than two standard drinks per day for men. If you do drink alcohol, be aware of these things:

• Check your blood sugar level before drinking alcohol.
• Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Eat some food when drinking alcohol.
• Drinks like wine coolers and cocktails are high in sugar and carbohydrates. Think about that too.
• The best thing to do is to talk openly with your doctor about drinking alcohol and get advice on what is the safest method for you.

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