A type 2 diabetes diagnosis can be hard to accept. Diabetes requires significant changes in your lifestyle habits.
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This is the most common form of diabetes. Several factors can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
The main complications of diabetes are retinopathy (eye damage), nephropathy (kidney damage), neuropathy (nerve damage), and cardiovascular diseases (heart and blood vessels).
Nutrition is one of the pillars of diabetes management. Depending on your current habits, changes may be necessary to help you with your diabetes management.
Wondering which foods to put or not put on your plate? The principles of a balanced plate can serve as a starting point when it comes to making changes to your diet.
Carbohydrates are nutrients found in many foods, including pasta, bread, and fruit. Understanding the role of carbohydrates, the sources of carbohydrates, and knowing how to count them can help you manage your diabetes.
Reading a nutrition label can help you identify the amount of carbohydrates in the food, as well as check the quality of the ingredients. At first, you might need to compare a lot of products in order to know which foods are best for your health. With practice and time, you will know which foods
Physical activity has many benefits for your health, but it can be hard to add to your routine. Luckily, there are many strategies you can try to get motivated and to help you become more physically active.
It is normal to experience stress related to diabetes. It can have a significant influence on diabetes management and have a notable impact on your blood sugar levels.
You can monitor your blood sugar levels with a blood glucose meter or a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM). The CGM tracks your glucose level every few minutes with a sensor worn on your skin, and sends the data to a receiving device (receiver, smartphone).
A type 2 diabetes diagnosis can be a shock. You’ll experience many different emotions and the path to acceptance might be long.
Lifestyle changes are essential to prevent or slow down the development of type 2 diabetes. Strategies exist to help you adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle habits.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a decrease in blood glucose levels below normal values (less than 4 mmol/L). It is important to bring your blood sugar back up because it can cause confusion or fainting and lead to a fall or accident. In the long run, repeated hypoglycemia can have serious health consequences. Understanding and knowing how to treat hypoglycemia is essential in diabetes management.
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is a blood sugar level above normal values, which is over 7 mmol/L in the morning or 4 hours after eating, or over 10 mmol/L 2 hours after eating.
There are several antihyperglycemic medications available to treat type 2 diabetes. Dose adjustments are often necessary to limit side effects and to make sure the medication is effective.
Insulin may become essential as type 2 diabetes progresses. This does not mean you have failed; it simply means that a new treatment option should be considered to help you manage your diabetes.
For more information on type 2 diabetes management, you might be interested in our Practical Guide to Diabetes Management and Closer look: Diet for people living with diabetes.
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