Getting the Support You Need for Diabetes Awareness Month
The American Diabetes Association says that 9.3 percent of the population has either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Every year, 1.4 million more Americans are diagnosed. You can take charge of your life by committing to a healthy lifestyle. November is National Diabetes Month, which presents an opportunity to be proactive in learning how to manage diabetes successfully.
Join the Entire World
Although the whole month of November is dedicated to diabetes awareness, November 14th is slated as World Diabetes Day, when a targeted campaign reaches across the globe to make people aware of how to reduce their risk with smart strategies.
You are encouraged to participate by getting the word out. You can get active on social media and share some of the World Diabetes Federations’ key messages, statistics and infographics.
Education is a crucial step in helping to fight against this disease.
Keep Complications to a Minimum
Although some health complications come with the territory if you have diabetes, you can do a lot to reduce your risk.
Try to keep your blood pressure under control with a low sodium diet and exercise. Check your feet regularly for injury, and attend to anything concerning right away. There is a high incidence of amputation of limbs with diabetes, but it is quite preventable with proper self-care.
Surround Yourself with Support
Given that so much of diabetes management involves major lifestyle changes, your likelihood of success will increase if you can surround yourself with support.
As a first step, seek out support groups in your community, or at your local health care facility. Take a heart healthy cooking class with your spouse or your BFF, and cook and dine together.
Find resources online that you can share with your friends and family so that they understand what you are going through. It’s also important that they be able to recognize signs and symptoms of trouble, like low blood sugar, to get you immediate help if you need it.
Small Steps, Everyday
Keeping a healthy weight is a great way to manage your diabetes. That means overhauling your diet and getting rid of sugary snacks and sweets. You’ve got to eat nutrient-dense food and pay particular attention to your carbohydrate intake, as that can influence your blood sugars.
Commit to daily exercise and make it something that you enjoy. Take a walk. Join a gym. Take a fitness class, Go for a swim. Go dancing. Movement of all kinds counts!
We’re here to support the community, and that means helping our community be aware of how they can improve their health. If you need support at home if you come across a plumbing problem, C&D Plumbing Inc is here to help with that too. Call us today at (954) 758-8169.