What Should Your Type 2 Diabetes Management Plan Cover?

Educating yourself about your type 2 diabetes can take its toll on your mental wellbeing, simply because there is so much to learn and so you need a well thought-out care plan that outlines ways to live well with this condition. According to Kathy Honick, RN, a diabetes educator at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, your plan should cover healthy eating, being active, monitoring sugar levels, taking medication, problem-solving, reducing risks and healthy coping.

In terms of healthy eating, you may need to learn about portion control and how to make the right food choices. Honick says that your goal is to understand ‘how the choice of foods and beverages affects diabetes control, including the ability to identify and limit carbohydrates in meal planning’. It will be easier to make food choices once you know how many carbohydrates and how much fat and protein you can safely eat in a given meal, the easier it will be to make good choices. For knowledge about being active, consult your diabetes educator to learn and implement the best types of activities that can help you, remembering to check with your doctor before you begin any new exercise regimen.

When it comes to monitoring your sugar, you’ll need to do this on a regular basis so it’s best to know all you can about it. There are several automated devices available that can help you keep track of your blood sugar level, and your diabetes educator, nurses at a diabetes clinic or your local pharmacist can help you learn how to do this. For medication, you need to know the right amount, time and way to take it. It is vital that you get this right so never hesitate to ask your doctor, nurse, diabetes educator, or pharmacist.

According to Honick, problem-solving means having a plan that effectively manages problems, such as knowing what causes your sugar level to go too high or too low, and learning how to manage your sugar even when you come down with a cold or the flu. You also need to know what reduces your risks of further complications of the disease. Have your eyes and teeth checked every year, monitor your feet for wounds and sores, don’t smoke, get recommended vaccinations and ask for help when you don’t understand something.

Finally, cope with your diabetes in a healthy way. Honick says you should ‘identify things that cause distress and stress, and recognise that depression is common with diabetes.’ This means that you need to ask for help and accept support when it’s offered, and remember that in all of this, you don’t have to do it alone.