You’ve Been Diagnosed with Diabetes, Now What?

The doctor has given you your diagnosis and told you that you have Diabetes II. Now the choice is yours. Are you going to succumb to a life of finger pricks and insulin shots or are you going to get busy getting rid of diabetes? Sometimes people don’t know that you can reverse diabetes through exercise and by eating good meals for diabetics. It is certainly possible and many people have done it. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1)      First you should come up with some ideas for easy diabetic meals to help you stay on track. There are a few very helpful websites with recipes and suggestions for not only healthy food, but food that is actually edible too! It is very doable to eat in a nutritious way and still enjoy your food. Now you might not be at your favorite buffet every day, but by making a few adjustments and learning how to prepare foods to help your body recover, you will see great results.

2)      Exercise for the fun of it. For some people, exercise is definitely a chore. The thought of going to the gym is like telling them to join the Army and go through Boot Camp. That is ok. Exercise does not have to be a horrible daily event. Instead, find something that you like to do that doesn’t feel like work. Maybe something like hiking through the woods to go see a waterfall, or chasing your dog around your backyard could be activities you could do that wouldn’t feel like an aerobics class. There has to be something you would like to do that involves being physical. Dancing in your kitchen with your iPod turned all the way up definitely counts!

3)      Build muscles to burn more fat. A lot of people don’t realize the importance of adding muscle to help your body burn fat. Again, this does not have to mean a trip to the gym. It does mean that the next time you go to the grocery store to buy a giant bag of dog food that you are going to skip the cart and carry the bag all the way to your car! It also means you might lift bottles of water over your head the next time you are on the couch watching the Biggest Loser. When you start to look for opportunities to build muscle in your life, they will appear in simple ways.

Finally, the best way to not only manage your diabetes but to work to beat it is by staying in close contact with your physician. Follow the instructions for checking your blood sugar and maintaining your medications. Eat prepared diabetic meals to make life simpler. Let your doctor know that your intent is to reverse your diabetes with good nutrition and physical activity. They might be inspired to have a patient who isn’t just going to accept their fate as a diabetic for life.