Living with Diabetes

If you're one of the millions of people diagnosed with diabetes, take heart. There are ways to control the disease and live a long, healthy life. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), if you take good care of yourself now, it will help prevent problems later.

Liz Bailey, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Detroit Medical Center’s Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce, says it’s important to combine healthy eating with moderate exercise and regular home monitoring of your blood glucose levels. “When we talk about treatment of diabetes, I always refer to it as a milkstool with three legs. It’s diet, exercise and medication (oral or insulin). You take away any of those legs on a milkstool and it falls over. It’s the same thing with diabetes care,” she explains.

Bailey says people often refer to being on a “diabetic diet”, but in reality it’s just a healthy diet from the Food Guide Pyramid. “People with diabetes don’t have to cook anything special for themselves versus what they would cook for their family. It’s just overall healthy eating,” she says. WebMD offers these dietary tips:

Eat a variety of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, dairy products and grains/cereals.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Choose foods high in fiber, such as whole grain breads, fruit and cereal.
Watch your food portions.
Don’t skip meals.
Eat meals and snacks at regular times every day.

Bailey says you don’t have to give up that piece of chocolate cake or other dessert if you have diabetes. It’s all about learning how to work it into your meal plan and compensating with a little additional exercise that day. “It’s a lifestyle change, but you don’t have to give up all the things in life that you love.”

Exercise helps control your blood glucose levels by:

Improving your body’s use of insulin.
Burning excess body fat.
Improving muscle strength.
Increasing bone density and strength.
Lowering blood pressure.
Helping to protect against heart and blood vessel disease by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and increasing “good” HDL cholesterol.
Improving blood circulation and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Increasing energy level and enhancing work capacity.
Reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

Check with your doctor on what types of exercise are appropriate for you. Read more at “Diabetes: Exercise Guidelines” on WebMD.

Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital has a diabetes education program, which includes a diabetes support group meeting every six weeks. “When people are diagnosed with diabetes, they quickly go through the stages of denial, anger and then finally acceptance,” Bailey says. “The support group gets these people together who all have the same concerns about a healthy life and the same types of questions. They’re able to talk to people who are living with the same thing they are living with every day.”

The hospital’s diabetes education program focuses on individualized meal plans, lifestyle changes, one-on-one consultation, classes on staying healthy, eye and foot care, exercising, and taking care of your soul. For more information, call (248) 937-5059.