Tag: steps

Understanding the steps to diabetes self-management

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We explore ways to help you learn and implement self-management practices.

The diagnosis of diabetes

If you or a loved one have just been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be feeling an overwhelming amount of mixed emotions. Diabetes is a complex and serious condition, and living with it every day can be challenging1. Part of that challenge is due to the fact that the management of diabetes will largely rest in your hands. This can be daunting. Be kind to yourself and remember that small positive steps every day will make a difference in the long run.

Getting started with self-management

Ideally, on diagnosis, you should have access to a team of healthcare professionals. This may include the treating doctor, a diabetes educator or coach, and possibly a dietitian.

However, in many cases you might only have access to a doctor and your time spent with him or her in consultation will be limited.

In the beginning, you may feel overloaded with information about what to eat, how much to exercise, when to take your medicine, how to test as well as confusing terminology, such as HbA1c, hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia, glycaemic control etc.

To help make sense of it all, diabetes educators have developed some key areas to focus on1:

  1. Healthy eating

Having diabetes does not mean you must give up your favourite foods. Over time and through experience, you’ll learn how the foods you eat affect your blood sugar. You should eat regular meals and make food choices that will help control your diabetes better1.

Work with a dietitian or diabetes educator to develop a healthy, balanced eating plan that suits your lifestyle. Remember that it is okay to treat yourself once in a while. You can also visit the Accu-Chek website and download the Accu-Chek portion plate which will give you some practical tips on healthy eating.

  1. Being active

Guidelines for the management of Type 2 diabetes refer to studies that have proven that regular physical activity significantly improves blood sugar control, reduces cardiovascular risk factors, and may reduce chronic medication dosages2. Regular physical activity may also improve symptoms of depression and improve health-related quality of life2. Try to include a combination of cardio and resistance training into your weekly exercise routine.

  1. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG)

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) recommends SMBG as an effective means for patients with diabetes to understand more about their condition and the influence of events – such as exercise, stress, food and medication – on blood sugar levels3.

However, for SMBG to be effective, it’s recommended that you practice structured testing using a tool, such as the Accu-Chek 360 3-Day Profile Tool3 which can be found on www.accu-chek.co.za

Structured testing is testing at the right times, in the right situations, and frequently enough to generate useful information3. Always agree with your doctor or diabetes educator what your individual structured SMBG testing plan is.

Another aspect you should discuss with your doctor will be your target range for your blood sugar levels. In the beginning, understanding this range and what is considered out of range may be confusing, so you may want to make use of a meter such as the Accu-Chek Instant Meter which offers a support tool called the target range indicator (TRI)4.

A study done on the TRI showed that 94% of study participants were able to easily interpret their blood sugar values through the use of the target range indicator4. Furthermore, 94% felt that the support tool will help them discuss their blood sugar values with their doctor4.

  1. Taking medication

You may need to take medication to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) level steady. Diabetes can increase your risk for other health conditions, such as heart or kidney related problems, so you may need to take medicine to help with those too1.

  1. Problem solving

When you have diabetes, you learn to plan ahead to be sure you maintain blood sugar levels as much as possible within your target range goals – not too high, not too low.

As we know, things don’t always go according to plan and a stressful day at the office or an unexpected illness can send your blood sugar in the wrong direction. Days like this will happen from time to time. Here are some tips to cope1:

  • Don’t beat yourself up – managing your diabetes doesn’t mean being perfect.
  • Analyse your day and think about what was different and learn from it.
  • Discuss possible solutions. This can be with your doctor, your diabetes educator or even a face-to-face or online diabetes support group. Try joining some of the online diabetes communities out there, such as the Accu-Chek Facebook page which has over 148 000 members. You can join the conversation at AccuChekSubSahara.

Understanding the steps to diabetes self-management

Posted on by
Share

We explore ways to help you learn and implement self-management practices.

The diagnosis of diabetes

If you or a loved one have just been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be feeling an overwhelming amount of mixed emotions. Diabetes is a complex and serious condition, and living with it every day can be challenging1. Part of that challenge is due to the fact that the management of diabetes will largely rest in your hands. This can be daunting. Be kind to yourself and remember that small positive steps every day will make a difference in the long run.

Getting started with self-management

Ideally, on diagnosis, you should have access to a team of healthcare professionals. This may include the treating doctor, a diabetes educator or coach, and possibly a dietitian.

However, in many cases you might only have access to a doctor and your time spent with him or her in consultation will be limited.

In the beginning, you may feel overloaded with information about what to eat, how much to exercise, when to take your medicine, how to test as well as confusing terminology, such as HbA1c, hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia, glycaemic control etc.

To help make sense of it all, diabetes educators have developed some key areas to focus on1:

  1. Healthy eating

Having diabetes does not mean you must give up your favourite foods. Over time and through experience, you’ll learn how the foods you eat affect your blood sugar. You should eat regular meals and make food choices that will help control your diabetes better1.

Work with a dietitian or diabetes educator to develop a healthy, balanced eating plan that suits your lifestyle. Remember that it is okay to treat yourself once in a while. You can also visit the Accu-Chek website and download the Accu-Chek portion plate which will give you some practical tips on healthy eating.

  1. Being active

Guidelines for the management of Type 2 diabetes refer to studies that have proven that regular physical activity significantly improves blood sugar control, reduces cardiovascular risk factors, and may reduce chronic medication dosages2. Regular physical activity may also improve symptoms of depression and improve health-related quality of life2. Try to include a combination of cardio and resistance training into your weekly exercise routine.

  1. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG)

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) recommends SMBG as an effective means for patients with diabetes to understand more about their condition and the influence of events – such as exercise, stress, food and medication – on blood sugar levels3.

However, for SMBG to be effective, it’s recommended that you practice structured testing using a tool, such as the Accu-Chek 360 3-Day Profile Tool3 which can be found on www.accu-chek.co.za

Structured testing is testing at the right times, in the right situations, and frequently enough to generate useful information3. Always agree with your doctor or diabetes educator what your individual structured SMBG testing plan is.

Another aspect you should discuss with your doctor will be your target range for your blood sugar levels. In the beginning, understanding this range and what is considered out of range may be confusing, so you may want to make use of a meter such as the Accu-Chek Instant Meter which offers a support tool called the target range indicator (TRI)4.

A study done on the TRI showed that 94% of study participants were able to easily interpret their blood sugar values through the use of the target range indicator4. Furthermore, 94% felt that the support tool will help them discuss their blood sugar values with their doctor4.

  1. Taking medication

You may need to take medication to help keep your blood sugar (glucose) level steady. Diabetes can increase your risk for other health conditions, such as heart or kidney related problems, so you may need to take medicine to help with those too1.

  1. Problem solving

When you have diabetes, you learn to plan ahead to be sure you maintain blood sugar levels as much as possible within your target range goals – not too high, not too low.

As we know, things don’t always go according to plan and a stressful day at the office or an unexpected illness can send your blood sugar in the wrong direction. Days like this will happen from time to time. Here are some tips to cope1:

  • Don’t beat yourself up – managing your diabetes doesn’t mean being perfect.
  • Analyse your day and think about what was different and learn from it.
  • Discuss possible solutions. This can be with your doctor, your diabetes educator or even a face-to-face or online diabetes support group. Try joining some of the online diabetes communities out there, such as the Accu-Chek Facebook page which has over 148 000 members. You can join the conversation at AccuChekSubSahara.
six steps boost health

Six steps to boost health and ban dread disease

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John Hamlett, a fitness expert, shares six steps to boost health and ban dread disease.

According to the most recent South African Demographic and Health Survey, almost 70% of South African women are either overweight or obese, as are 13% of our children. More than double the global average of 5%.

While heart disease and diabetes are directly linked to being overweight or obese. There is evidence that a causal link exists between excess weight and cancers of the oesophagus, colon, rectum, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, breast, ovary, kidneys, thyroid gland, and even leukaemia.

It’s clear that South Africans need to take stock of their health, and their approach to regaining control of their weight – and what’s more, they need to take more action than signing up for a gym membership in January, then never using it.

“The slide to being overweight or being obese does not happen overnight. It’s the culmination of months and years of unhealthy eating, inactivity, and avoiding the right food and exercise choices for a variety of reasons,” says John Hamlett, a fitness expert and TomTom Athletics Club founder. “Losing the weight won’t happen overnight either – but doing so is vital if you are to reduce your risk of contracting a life-threatening disease, such as cancer or heart failure.”

Six tips and tricks to boost health and ban dread disease:

  • Limit your calorie intake. This doesn’t mean you need to stop eating. It means you need to make healthier food choices. Consult with your doctor or dietitian to find out what your daily calorie intake should be, and base your food choices on achieving that with the help of this handy online calorie counter.
  • Get out and about. One of the best ways to feel better about yourself is to get active – and you don’t have to go from zero to cardio hero to see the benefits. Track your movement with a TomTom Touch Cardioentry-level fitness tracker, which helps you monitor your daily step count, number of calories burned, as well as sleep and active time. Set yourself daily or weekly challenges, and decide on rewards before you start each challenge, to give yourself time to plan something healthy.
  • Ditch the diet drinks and choose water instead. Water hydrates the body, giving you a healthy glow, reducing wrinkles, and boosting weight loss. Drinking coffee or tea doesn’t count towards your daily recommended intake of eight glasses – you want to choose pure, unflavoured water for the best results.
  • Love the food you eat. It’s true that you’ll have to give up some types of food, but if you balance your food choices within your targeted calorie range, you can still enjoy tasty, filling meals. Veggies are low-calorie and include fibre (which makes you feel full) – but you can do so much more than just boiling them as part of a healthy eating plan. Steam them, roast them, bake them, spice them up with chilli or other fragrant spices. Healthy food certainly doesn’t have to be boring.
  • Up your game. Getting active by taking a walk around the office park at lunchtime is a great start – but you’ll see better results in your weight loss and health programme if you push yourself a little more each week. Take a jog at lunchtime instead of a walk, or use your newfound fitness as a foundation to make that gym membership worthwhile. If you’ve been tracking your progress on your TomTom fitness device, you can set yourself new goals (and rewards) to boost your activity even further.
  • Be prepared. Plan your meals in advance. Make sure you have all the required ingredients to prepare lunches for work in advance and have a good breakfast. A good breakfast will help you avoid those mid-morning nibbles, and a packed healthy lunch will reduce the temptation to eat unhealthy convenience foods during the day.

MEET OUR EXPERT - John E. Hamlett

John E. Hamlett is the Founder and Designer of John's New Lifestyle and is the coach of the TomTom Athletics Club Elite Athletes. He has been a professional athlete, teacher, electronic engineer and intelligence colonel; qualified as a specialist in nutrition and fitness (studied in Russia and the USA); was a physical training instructor in the military, qualified aerobics and swimming coach instructor, tri-athlete coach, gym instructor.