Staying Motivated With Diabetes.
Staying motivated while managing your diabetes can be tough. That’s especially true this year when getting out of the house is more difficult than usual. You don’t have to do it alone, though. To stay motivated, set goals (with a reward, of course) or enlist the help of your family. There are even online exercise classes and support groups that can help you manage your health while socially distancing. And for when the going gets tough, make a list of all the reasons why you want to manage your disease.
Managing Your Type 2 Diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes, your doctor might ask you to make healthy food choices, exercise more, and possibly lose weight. You might also be given medicine. It’s important to take your medicine every day the way your doctor tells you to, even when you can’t tell if it’s working. The medicine is only part of your treatment, though—exercising and eating healthy food are also important. It can seem like a lot to do at first, so just focus on making one or two changes. Learn more about ways to manage your type 2 diabetes.
Snack Attack! Healthy Food Choices for People With Diabetes
Having diabetes doesn’t mean you have to give up delicious snacks! You just need to plan a bit more and understand how each kind of food affects your body. Store premeasured portions of food, keep cut-up raw vegetables in the fridge, choose filling foods (hard-boiled eggs and string cheese are great options), and make sandwiches on whole-wheat bread instead of white. This can also be a perfect time to try new foods, like zucchini pita pizzas. Learn how to make them, and discover more tips for healthy snacking.
Supporting Teens Who Have Diabetes
As kids get older, many parts of parenting become easier. But helping your child manage their diabetes might get harder as they become more independent and care more about fitting in with their friends. And normal teen behavior, like staying up late and eating at odd times, can mess with blood sugar. So what can you do? Talk with your teen to let them know you’re there for them, and so are their friends and teachers. Keep healthy food in the house. Encourage activities that keep your child and their friends moving. And make healthy living a goal of the entire family so your child doesn’t feel singled out.