For someone who is dealing with type 2 diabetes, managing diet, exercise, medication and blood sugar levels on a regular basis is key to managing the 
disease. For someone with type 2 diabetes, keeping blood sugar levels on track over the long term is about more than just taking insulin or medication. This individual will also have to balance good nutrition choices with ample physical activity, and will have to make other smart health choices on a daily basis in order to achieve the best possible results.
Managing this disease is all about striking up a balance between all of the elements involved. One cannot simply eradicate carbohydrates from the diet and hope for the best.
1. Establish a health care team. Treating and managing this disease will require the assistance of numerous health care professionals over time. Any health care provider who works to help a patient care for their diabetes is on this care team, which may include a general practitioner, endocrinologist, nurses, dieticians, nutritionist, pharmacist, educators, eye doctors and podiatrists.
2. While there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, there are a number of steps that can be taken to manage it. Patients with this disease should always be striving for long-term management of the disease, which includes making the right nutrition choices, getting enough physical activity and checking blood glucose on a regular basis. Someone with this disease should be vigilant about taking prescribed medications and going to all health care appointments for the best results.
3. Healthy eating for someone with this type of disease does not mean heavily restricting any one nutrient over others. The body needs carbohydrates, so choosing the right types of carbohydrates is essential. Healthy eating is a key to managing this disease in the long term, which means choosing appropriate portion sizes and eating a wide variety of different types of foods. Meals should be spaced out throughout the day evenly, and meals should never be skipped. Varying the diet and getting enough of the right nutrients, including calories, fats, proteins, carbohydrates and fibers are absolutely essential to good health for everyone, not just people trying to manage their blood glucose levels.
4. Increasing physical activity is also essential to managing blood glucose, and it also improves health and fitness at the same time. All types of physical activity can help to regulate the blood glucose levels while offering numerous other health benefits. Patients with diabetes should consider exercises that boost flexibility such as yoga and stretching, strength-training activities such as lifting weights, and improving aerobic activity through walking, jogging, biking, swimming and similar activities.
5. Losing weight can benefit blood glucose levels as well as cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Losing between 10 and 15 pounds for someone who is overweight can have a profoundly positive impact on blood sugar management. Work closely with a nutritionist to create the right plan for weight loss.
6. Every patient with diabetes is unique when it comes to insulin and medication requirements. Work closely with an endocrinologist or similar specialist to determine which medications and treatment options will offer the best quality of life. Become closely acquainted with each type of medication to better understand how it works, and only take insulin and medications in the way they were prescribed. Be aware of the risks of diabetes medications, including the risks of Actos. This popular diabetes drug has been linked to bladder cancer, as well as serious heart conditions. For this reason, many users of this medication have filed an Actos lawsuit to compensate for the detrimental side effects.
Some people with diabetes can reduce their reliance on insulin injections and medications with proper weight and health management, though it can take time to get there. Keeping a dietary journal is also a good way to help patients control their diabetes, and limit the serious side effects that can develop with the consumption of medications.
Managing everyday life with diabetes requires patients to strike up a balance between good nutrition, physical activity and weight management for long-term success.
– By Elizabeth Carrollton
*Author’s Bio:
Elizabeth Carrollton writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.