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Type 2 Diabetes
Also indexed as:Blood Sugar (Diabetes), Diabetes, Type 2, High Blood Sugar
Also known as adult-onset diabetes, type 2 diabetes can often be managed by carefully monitoring your diet. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.
To help keep you in top health, our experts recommend these steps:
- Lose a little, win better health. Healthy weight is one of the keys to keeping type 2 diabetes at bay. If you carry extra pounds, losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight—that’s 10 to 20 pounds on a 200-pound person—will improve blood sugar control. Select Eating Right, above, for more on weight management.
- Feast on fiber. Fiber is important for keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable. If you don’t get enough from food, a fiber supplement may be a good addition to your diabetes prevention plan. Select Eating Right, above, for more healthy eating tips.
- Consider the options. Even people who don’t have diabetes may benefit from medications to manage diabetes risk factors. If you fall into the “pre-diabetes” category, or the disease runs in your family, talk to your doctor about whether medications are right for you. Select Medicines, above, for more information.
- Mobilize your motivation. Consider a tool, such as a pedometer to up your game. For some people, tracking steps taken per day, or other get-fit activities, is a great motivator to reaching better health. Select Personal Care, above, for more ideas on tools for a healthier life.
Our experts recommend the following top tips to support ongoing balance of your blood sugar—and your life:
- Become a mix master. Eating a mix of protein, fat, and fiber with each meal and snack is a great way to balance blood sugar. Add a small handful of nuts to your fruit, for example, for a mid-afternoon nosh. Eating Right, above, provides more great ideas for diabetes-friendly nutrition approaches.
- Master your medications. If you take medicines to manage your diabetes, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for a complete explanation of how and when to take them, and whether they are safe to use with other medicines and supplements. Medicines, above, will give you an introduction to commonly prescribed diabetes medications.
- Track with accuracy. Finding the right tools to track your condition is important. Learn all you can about the features and costs of various glucose monitors. It may be worth a little more if you like extra features, such as an option to download your results to a computer. Select Personal Care, above, for more ideas on tools for a healthier life.
- Spice it up. Fenugreek, a seed commonly used to flavor Indian and Asian dishes, may help prevent blood sugar spikes after meals. Select Vitamins, above, for the full scoop on supplements for diabetes support.
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The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2013.
