Living with Diabetes: 3 smart hacks for smarter blood sugar control

Uncontrolled, persistent stress is immediately linked to excessive blood sugar ranges. (Representational picture: Reuters)

By Dr Arbinder Singal,

The significance of a wholesome way of life to regulate diabetes has been long-established. Medical research have again and again confirmed the way it improves well being and medicine’s effectiveness.

Query: Must you observe the identical food plan & way of life plan that helped your cousin or colleague to realize your blood sugar objectives? The brief reply – no.

With the brand new age know-how and excessive degree of private information out there you must – Work smarter, not tougher to handle diabetes:

There are three sensible methods to maintain your blood sugars in examine:

1. Monitoring your Personalised Glycemic Response (PGR)

2. Don’t omit the micronutrients

3. Tame the stress monster

1. Monitoring your Personalised Glycemic Response (PGR): What’s your Personalised Glycemic Response (PGR)? Right here is an occasion to assist perceive PGR higher. Rajeev had struggled with diabetes management for 5 years. His physician had put him on drugs, and he was exercising properly in addition to maintaining a healthy diet. Effectively, so he thought. Nonetheless, his blood sugars fluctuated fairly a bit with episodes of lows (hypoglycemia) and highs. Anxious about this variability in blood sugars, the physician really helpful him to make use of a steady glucose monitoring system. Rajeev went a step additional and enrolled in a digital therapeutic program. He began sustaining his meals diary within the digital therapeutic app and the coach guided him on his customized glycemic response (blood sugar response) to all the things which he ate over the subsequent 2 weeks. And in two weeks Rajeev understood:

· The highest 5 meals which have been pushing his blood sugars excessive, and this included all the things made with wheat. However with rice his blood sugars didn’t go so excessive.

· He was stunned to see that the times he did operating or excessive depth training- his blood sugars remained extra secure vs yoga.

· Somedays, his blood sugars fell low at 3 am inflicting stressed sleep and daytime drowsiness.

· It helped him perceive his protein consumption, his micronutrients resembling iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium and omega-3 consumption, which have been fairly low.

Utilizing this information collected, his diabetes food plan and train plan was personalised to swimsuit him higher. Throughout the subsequent 3 months, Rajeev might reduce down on drugs, drop pounds and turn into fitter than ever.

This isn’t science fiction; however occurring immediately. Deeply customized and precision strategy for glycemic management is a actuality now.

For an individual dwelling with Diabetes it is very important perceive what Personalised Glycemic Response is. Your food plan, train, sleep, stress, drugs and environmental components – all end in a glycemic response (i.e. trigger a change in blood sugar ranges). Since these responses are distinctive to you, they’re termed Personalised Glycemic Response (PGR). Whereas within the wholesome vary (70-140 mg/dL), these fluctuations are regular. When out of vary, they may end in brief & long-term well being issues.

2. Don’t omit the micronutrients: Diabetes administration of twenty first century, goes past macronutrient consumption (carbs, protein, fats) and focusses even on the micronutrients in food plan. Micronutrient deficiencies can hinder important bodily features, together with wholesome manufacturing of insulin, utilisation of glucose, immunity, sleep and coronary heart wellbeing. So, ensure that your food plan has sufficient diabetes-specific micronutrients resembling Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Omega-3 fatty acids, Calcium and Vitamin C.

3. Tame the stress monster: Uncontrolled, persistent stress is immediately linked to excessive blood sugar ranges. Discover methods to establish and cope with the stressors, whereas letting go of those you can not management.

And if you end up always interested by a stressor – a lot in order that it will get in the way in which of your day-to-day functioning, then search skilled assist from a scientific psychologist or a counselor. It could be your gateway to raised blood sugar controls. Residing with diabetes is not a burden. It can be crucial that you just be your individual advocate for wholesome way of life and handle your blood glucose by means of digital intervention and the steerage of specialists by means of which you’ll reside a wholesome and fulfilling life.

(The writer is MBBS (Gold Medalist), DNB, M.Ch (AIIMS, Gold Medalist), Co-founder & CEO, Fitterfly. The article is for informational functions solely. Please seek the advice of well being specialists and medical professionals earlier than beginning any remedy or remedy. Views expressed are private and don’t replicate the official place or coverage of the Monetary Specific On-line.)