Diabetes Self-Management (2024)

FAQs

What is self-management in diabetes? ›

Education related to diabetes is crucial, but it must be inculcated in life or through self-care activities for the betterment of individuals. Self-care means activities related to diet control, increasing physical exercise, ignoring foods high in fat, monitoring blood glucose, and taking care of your feet.

The seven self-care behaviors essential for successful and effective diabetes self management are healthy eating, being active, monitoring, taking medication, problem solving, healthy coping, and reducing risks.

Summary. Drinking water won't lower your blood sugar levels, but staying hydrated can help you manage them if you have diabetes. Regularly drinking enough water is healthy, and research has linked it to a reduced risk of high blood sugar and diabetes.

This editorial describes a simple and useful checklist that facilitates timely and appropriate insulin initiation and usage in type 2 diabetes. The 'five Ms' (5Ms) mnemonic list facilitates timely insulin use by breaking the process down into five 'M's: match, motivate, method, monitor, and modify.

The five S's (sleep, sitting, stepping, sweating, and strengthening) encapsulate these physical behaviors, and their inclusion represents an important milestone in bridging the gap between current knowledge around 24-h behaviors and clinical care.

Limit foods that are high in sugar and fat. Remember that carbohydrates turn into sugar, so watch your carb intake. Try to keep it about the same from meal to meal. This is even more important if you take insulin or drugs to control your blood sugars.

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

What drink lowers blood sugar? ›

Drinking water is an excellent way to stay hydrated without consuming sugar. Green tea, cow's milk, and fermented milk (kefir) could also help you manage your blood sugar responses. Coffee also contains compounds that may help regulate blood sugar, but confirming this requires more research.

May Lower Blood Sugar Levels

The ingredients in golden milk, particularly ginger and cinnamon, may help lower blood sugar levels. For instance, 1–6 grams of cinnamon per day may lower fasting blood sugar levels by up to 29%. Moreover, cinnamon may reduce insulin resistance ( 30 , 31 , 32 ).

Though bananas are higher in carbs and sugars than some foods, they also contain fiber and resistant starch that slows down the digestion and release of sugar into your bloodstream. These qualities make bananas a healthy, go-to snack for people with diabetes.

Lemon water may not directly impact your blood sugar levels and cause it to come down, but it can surely help prevent untimely spikes. The easy to make beverage is very low in carbohydrates and calories, and keeps you hydrated, which is very essential for diabetics to ensure.

Diabetes self-management education helps people to stay healthy and prevent costly complications, yet very few people with diabetes attend a course.

Self-management is our ability to manage our behaviors, thoughts, and emotions in a conscious and productive way. Someone with strong self-management skills knows what to do and how to act in different situations.

It focuses on disease management skills including decision making, problem-solving, and action planning. Objectives: This interactive program aims to increase: Confidence. Physical and psychological well-being.