Take charge to achieve better glucose control through the following:

1. Healthy Eating

What you eat, how much and when, can impact your blood sugar levels. However, you do not need a special diet – the diet for people with diabetes is simply a healthy eating plan that helps control your blood sugar. Some tips include:

• Eating a variety of food in appropriate portions. 
• Moderating carbohydrate intake and having low GI options.
• Sticking to regular mealtimes and spacing out meals and snacks throughout the day.

See a dietician for nutritional advice and obtain a diet plan that is tailored for you.

2. Managing Your Weight 

If you are overweight, losing weight will help control your diabetes and reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Aim for slow, gradual weight loss (0.5-1 kg per week). Even losing a small amount of weight will help with blood sugar control and improve your overall health.

3. Staying active.

Engaging in regular physical activity is also an important part of diabetes management. It helps in weight management, improves blood sugar control and keeps the heart healthy. Do something you enjoy as you are more likely to stick to it and make it a habit. Also, try to move more as part of your daily lifestyle – so take the stairs instead of the lift.

Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. Watch out for symptoms of low blood sugar during exercise (e.g., shakiness, chills and feeling lightheaded). Stop the activity and quickly eat or drink something sweet to raise your blood sugar level if this happens. 

4. Taking medications as prescribed 

In addition to healthy eating and regular physical activity, taking medications as prescribed by your doctor can help to improve blood sugar control too. Speak to your doctor, pharmacist or diabetes nurse to learn more about your medication, when to take them, and how to monitor your blood sugar levels.