7 Principles for Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Did you know that in the United States alone, 21 million people have diabetes, and of those people, 90-95% of them have type II diabetes? While this is a troubling statistic, if you've just been diagnosed with this disease, it can be a bit of a comfort too, knowing that you aren't alone. Millions of people with type II diabetes live healthy, normal lives, because they know all there is to know about managing type II diabetes. This also means that you can live a healthy, normal life too, if you also learn how to manage your disease.

As some of you may know, type 2 diabetes occurs when your body produces insulin, but either cannot use it, or doesn't produce enough of it. When this happens, glucose (sugar) can't get into the cells of your body, and ends up building up in your blood instead. This leads to all sorts of issues, from dehydration to diabetic comas. But because your body does have insulin, preventing health problems is usually as easy as following the strict guidelines enabling you to properly manage your type 2 diabetes.

We find that there are seven basic principles to managing your type 2 diabetes.

1. Understand your diabetes, and continue learning about it. The information offered is being updated all the time as new treatments are being discovered every day. Always stay open to new ideas and treatments.
2. Get regular health care for your diabetes. Doctors are discovering new treatments daily.
3. Learn how to control your diabetes. You will need to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels and food intake.
4. Take Care of Your ABC's- A1c, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol
5. Monitor Your ABC's
6. Prevent Long Term Diabetes Complications
7. Get Checked for Long Term Diabetes Complications and Treat Them
   

Each of these principles can help you with managing your type II diabetes. If you don't understand some of them right now, that's okay - see principle number 1. Your doctor will be one of your best allies in learning how to manage your disease. There are also many online resources dedicated to helping people learn to manage and live with diabetes. Don’t be afraid to learn everything you can about your disease. Knowledge is power.

While being diagnosed with diabetes is scary, rest assured that diabetes doesn't have to control your life. By learning how to manage your diabetes with the seven principles mentioned here, you can live a full, normal life, and prevent serious medical issues from taking over later in life.

To learn more about treating type 2 diabetes, please contact Jonathan Berns D.C. at Integrative Health of Tampa.

Jonathan Berns, D.C.
Tampa Diabetes Program
Integrated Health of Tampa
www.ihealthtampa.com