For a few
decades now, mainstream media has been full of references to ‘risks of
developing type 2 diabetes’, and in lots of places, quite rightly, it still is. I've noticed though that many people have moved beyond that, to Now that I HAVE type
2 diabetes, what can I do? Today I want
to share what the day to day of having type 2 diabetes looks like, for me. I’m
not advocating it as a lifestyle choice (!!) but it is not as scary as many
people think.
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| Evening snack. Taking your meds and tracking your results makes a BIG difference. Check my HBA! |
Firstly, I've
chosen my medical team carefully, and I see them when I need to. I do a fasting
blood test about 3 or 4 times per year, and talk about the results with my GP;
it’s how we track HBA, liver, kidney and thyroid function, as well as cholesterol
and other stuff. It’s like a benchmark that lets you and your doctor decide the
best course of action for your body. I also get my Macular checked at the ophthalmologist,
and my feet checked at the podiatrist. 30 minutes per year, each. Easy!
Sometimes I see a Diabetes Educator as a sanity check about diet, exercise and
medication. She isn't the doctor but she has a focused wealth of knowledge and
a down to earth manner that I love.
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| Daily walks and eating well. Clearly I am not deprived! PS - this is cauliflower 3 ways. |
So now, the
day to day. Diet and Exercise are key to managing your blood sugar levels. Any
carbs you eat turn into sugar as soon as they hit your bloodstream, and as a
diabetic my pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to deal with large amounts
of sugar, so I am careful with what I eat. I try to eat low carb and this is
not too painful if you seek alternatives to regular programming – pumpkin instead
of potato, cauliflower used as rice or pizza crust, nuts instead of potato
chips. Sometimes I cheat a little but not too much, because regardless of how
much I feel I deserve a treat, I am still diabetic. I just have to deal with
it! I find the more I exercise the lower my blood sugar levels are, and
drinking a lot of water tends to flush it out as well. I also try to keep
healthy overall and get enough sleep, and take my medication when I am supposed
to. It’s just routine, and a good one.
I monitor
all of this daily, which is a bit of a pain but it keeps me honest – for me, if
I didn't write down what I ate it would be easy to forget about! I also record my blood sugar levels, so I can adjust my diet accordingly, and discuss it with my doctor. I test my blood sugar level with my blood sugar monitor,
which is super easy to use – a tiny finger prick, a dot of blood on a strip,
and there you go, done! I get that no one wants to prick their finger, but it
truly is so easy I've made a little Instagram vid to show you.
So that was
a very brief overview of living with type 2 diabetes, I hope I've shown that it
is not so hard to manage your health. I am not an expert at all, but if you
have any questions or would like further information, please sound off in the
comments, I would love to give my perspective.
xx
Disclaimer - this is a sponsored post from Accu-Check, the company that makes my blood sugar monitor and the brand that has gotten me through 3 diabetic pregnancies. Thanks Accu-Check, you rock!