Diabetes Management: How Everyday Habits and Lifestyle Affect Blood Sugar

Management of diabetes needs awareness. Learn what triggers, increases, and/or decreases your blood sugar and how to manage them regularly.

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It can be difficult to maintain blood sugar levels within the healthy range set by your doctor. That's because many different things can influence your blood sugar to rise or fall unexpectedly.

Your blood sugar level may be affected by the following:

Food

Eating well is essential to good health, regardless of whether or not you have diabetes. However, understanding how different foods affect blood sugar levels is essential for everyone with diabetes. It's not just the foods you eat but also the quantities and combinations you make.

The most common type of diabetes is Type 2 diabetes, caused by insulin resistance. Studies have shown that a whole-food, plant-based diet can reverse insulin resistance. I invite you to listen to my podcast to learn about whole food plant-based diet nutrition.

Physical Exercises and Activities

Include regular physical activity as part of your strategy to control your diabetes. Sugar is burned as fuel by your muscles during physical activity. Regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity in the body.

Your blood sugar level will go down because of all these things. More intense exercise produces longer-lasting results. However, even relatively light tasks, such as cleaning, gardening, or being on one's feet for long periods, might help lower blood sugar.

Medication

When diet and exercise aren't enough to control your diabetes, your doctor may prescribe insulin or another diabetes medicine to help bring your blood sugar levels down to a more normal range. However, the time and quantity of these doses greatly affect the drugs' efficacy. Your blood sugar levels can be affected by medications you take for diseases other than diabetes.

Stress

Long-term stress might raise blood sugar levels because of the hormones your body produces in response to stress. Stress hormones such as cortisol and glucagon can directly increase blood sugar. Stress can also indirectly increase blood sugar by inducing cravings and stress eating, making it even more challenging to stick to your regular healthy diet. There are ways to deal with stress without negatively impacting your body and raising your blood sugar.

Listen To Podcast on How to Manage Stress

Conclusion

You can better prepare and manage blood sugar changes if you have a firm grasp of all the factors that contribute to these changes. Talk to your doctor or diabetes health care team if you have problems maintaining a healthy blood sugar level.

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We are ready to roll this Fall 2022!

Dr. Jamis is excited to host various enlightening health classes this October, from lectures to food preparation and film showing. Check out the class descriptions below and how you can register for these events to reserve your seat.

HOW TO ROLL MY SUSHI

October 7, 2022 12nn-1:30 pm

Many people associate sushi with a raw fish or seafood element, which often includes these, but not always. In this class, Dr. Jamis will teach you how to replace some inflammatory ingredients typically used in sushi with anti-inflammatory foods that promote the body's healing. You will learn how to roll your sushi. Very informative nutrition education will precede this class. Come and join us! You will have fun with the group in preparing your healthy plant-based sushi.

FILM SHOWING: Forks over Knives

October 14, 2022 1:00 pm

Forks Over Knives investigates the profound claim that most, if not all, of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease can be controlled or even reversed. The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. The film follows everyday Americans with chronic conditions as they seek to reduce their dependence on medications and learn to use a whole-food, plant-based diet to regain control over their health and lives.

OSTEOPOROSIS: NOT A CALCIUM DEFICIENCY DISEASE

October 21, 2022 12nn- 1:30 pm

What comes to your mind when you hear the word "osteoporosis"? Is it the lack of calcium intake? Is it part of the aging process? Is it hereditary? Whatever notions you have, Dr. Jamis will try to explain what osteoporosis is and debunk myths and misconceptions you might have. This class will present new scientific information to understand that osteoporosis is not what you thought it to be.

Venue for all classes will be at Chaparral - Havasupai-Maricopa Room in Sun City Grand - 19781 N Remington Dr, Surprise, AZ 85374

To register, please call (623) 546-7470 and look for Allison Courtis (for non-Sun City Grand residents)

Why Gange, A Vegetarian, Would Not Have To Go On Medications Anymore

Note: Below is a testimonial I actually received via text, image, audio, or video submission. It is the patient's reflection of his experiences during the course of or after using our services in some way or another. Since it is a personal experience, results do vary for each individual. The testimonial was given verbatim and edited for grammar, syntax, and brevity. My name would appear as the author because I posted this on this website as a blog/article under the category "Testimonials". I’m Gange, and my story begins with getting my blood work done. When I was in New York, I was working with a primary care physician who wanted to get my blood work done annually. My numbers were fluctuating here and there, but these were not of any major concern to my primary care physician at that time. We then moved to Arizona about three years ago, and I had my first blood work done here in November 2019. My test results showed that some numbers have increased significantly; and being a vegetarian, I was surprised by how high these numbers can be. This time, I was told that if my numbers don’t come down, I may need medication.

Coincidentally, my wife, who was attending yoga classes in the community center here in Arizona, met Dr. Edelita Jamis. She explained to my wife that there are many patients who have had various illnesses that she has treated through lifestyle medicine, and got them off their medication. When I decided to meet her, I naturally had a lot of questions in mind, which she addressed one by one. She explained well how the program works, and that’s how we started. I knew I was lucky that I didn’t have to start any medication for either my A1C or cholesterol yet, and she told me that I actually came at the right time. She emphasized that I needed to take the program seriously and follow what she told me, and then I wouldn't have to go on any medications.

In January 2020, I started the program and incorporated certain dietary and lifestyle changes. Being a vegetarian, continuing with the whole-food plant-based diet was not a challenge. But, it took a lot of discipline when it came to not using too much salt or oil when cooking, or having too much sugar in anything I eat. I also learned how to read food labels and buy proper food. The exercise I do for 20 minutes everyday also helps in combination with my diet. And, in just four months of being in the program, the first blood work already showed some changes and the numbers went down. My A1c which has been at 6+ for decades came down to 5.8. Initially, I was on two blood pressure medications and I was only taking one in just 2 months. I continued everything that Dr. Jamis taught me even after the program. I'm glad I did because on July 2021, my A1c continued to drop to 5.2. My triglycerides came down to 101, and then down to and my total cholesterol came down from 217 to 175. My LDL dropped from 122 to 88. My prostate test (PSA) which had been elevated for at least three decades also finally normalized.

Even my family doctor was surprised to learn about my results, so I told her about Dr. Edelita’s program. And, I would like everyone to know that she is the kind of doctor who’s very dedicated and professional. As long as you have a goal before you start and you’re willing to be disciplined, you will succeed. “If I start this, I’m going to finish this” — that kind of mindset. I recommend everybody to try this program if your numbers in your blood work are not good. Dr. Jamis is a very good lifestyle medicine doctor.

P.S. I now grow my own garden at home!