Type 1 Diabetes
Nicole Fortney- 6 Rowe
What is it?
Type 1 diabetes is when the pancreas doesn't make insulin (what keeps blood sugar from getting too high or too low). Only 5% of people who have diabetes have type 1, meaning its very unique. It is essential to know how to take care of yourself. Through therapy and other treatments type 1 diabetes is manageable.
Where to start
Lifestyle is an important factor in diabetes. Making healthy choices is essential to manage diabetes such as:
- Exercising- being active will stabilize your blood sugar levels, meaning your body (and you) wont have to do so much work. Getting 30 minutes of physical activity a day is recommended. You can easily accomplishment, but running, jogging, or even just walking. Make sure that while you're exercising that you don't over-work yourself.
- Nutrition- (See Diabetic Diet)
- Support- this is a disease that takes a lot of time and effort to keep under control. Make sure that during this process of taking care of your body, physically, that you also take care of your body, mentally.
Diabetic Diet
It is important to maintain a good diet if you have diabetes. The best foods you can eat to stay healthy are:
- beans
- dark leafy green vegetables
- citrus fruits
- sweet potatoes
- berries
- tomatoes
- Fish (high in Omega-3 fatty acids)
- whole grains
- nuts
- fat-free milk and yogurt
Blood Sugar Monitoring
How Often?
Monitoring your blood sugar is important to know how to regulate the amount of insulin to put into your body or what to eat. Take your blood sugar as recommended by your doctor, but usually it is recommended to take blood sugar before, during, and after exercising, before and after eating, and especially during times of illnesses.
How To Take Blood Sugar
Monitoring your blood sugar is important to know how to regulate the amount of insulin to put into your body or what to eat. Take your blood sugar as recommended by your doctor, but usually it is recommended to take blood sugar before, during, and after exercising, before and after eating, and especially during times of illnesses.
How To Take Blood Sugar
- clean your hands
- insert test strip into meter
- lance the device on the side of your fingertip
- touch and hold your finger to the testing strip
- wait until the results appear on the meter
Who Can Help
Nutritionist or dietitian- these are experts who can help you decide what kinds of foods are the best options to keep your body healthy.
CDE (certified diabetic educator)- these are people who have are experts about the disease in general. They can give you knowledge on how to live with the constant medication needed and how to balance this with exercise and other daily activities.
Psychologist or Psychiatrist- constantly having to keep up with insulin injections and other types of medication needed in order to keep your diabetes under control can be emotionally and mentally tolling. While keeping your physical body healthy, it is also important to maintain your mental health also.