Ways to Control Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that affects how the pancreas creates insulin, a hormone used to break down sugars that enter the body. When a person's pancreas cannot break down the sugar, or glucose, that's ingested, he has type 2 diabetes. When a pancreas fails to produce insulin in the first place, the person has type 1 diabetes. No matter which type of diabetes you have, there are certain things that you can do to control it.

Diet

• What you eat becomes vitally important when you have diabetes. Your doctor or a recommended nutritionist should be able to guide you as to the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein that is healthy for you to consume in order to control your diabetes. This is especially true if you are a type 2 diabetic. For type 1 diabetes, you need to be extremely careful that the food you select is consistent day to day and within each day so that your blood sugar level doesn't become too high or too low.

Exercise

• Exercise is another great way to take control of diabetes because it helps to control blood sugar levels in your body. It also can head off many common diseases and conditions linked to diabetes, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Exercise should be done for at least 30 minutes a day every day if possible. The University of Maryland Medical Center even recommended that you try to exercise at the same time every day. Before, during and after exercise, make sure you drink plenty of fluids that don't contain sugar.

Self-Testing

• Most diabetics need to monitor their blood sugar when they are away from their doctor's office. Many over-the-counter blood checkers are on the market. In most cases, finding one is as simple as going to your local drugstore. A blood sugar monitor makes a diabetic somewhat accountable for his own health. Monitoring blood sugar levels on a daily basis can provide information to you as to whether your diet, medication and exercise routines are working.