MHL Quick wins
The aim of this first aid guide inspired by Dr Doctor David Cavan, a consultant Physician at Bournemouth Diabetes and Endocrine centre, is to generate quick wins through smart swaps and improvements. These will make a huge difference in your blood sugar levels, how you are feeling physically and emotionally including your weight.
Following this guide will help you build a momentum and set you up for implementing changes to your diet and lifestyles.
Drinks
Use less sugar in tea or coffee, prefer natural sweeteners like Stevia, Xylitol or Erythritol but in moderation.
Avoid juices, smoothies, squashes and soda drinks bought in the supermarket as they are packed with added sugars, drink spring water or sparkling water infused with any fruit of your choice.
Cut down on alcoholic drinks especially those highly concentrated in carbohydrates such as beer, cider or sweet wine.
Foods
Reduce your consumption of cakes, biscuits, jam, sweets and chocolate have them as an occasional treat.
Eat less potatoes which includes fries and chips, rice, pasta and bread as they are high in carbohydrates.
Eat more fresh vegetables and fresh fruit such as apples, pears, and tangerines Start cutting down on the size of your usual portions, look at the food label typical serving size that is a good benchmark.
Exercise
If you are not already active, try walking 15 minutes every day and gradually add 5 minutes as you ease into it.
Walk or cycle instead of using the car or public transport for short journeys.
Use stairs instead of lifts or escalators where possible.
Ideally you want to have ~ 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day to burn off that glucose you have in excess.
Try this
Choose at least 2-3 changes you can experiment and implement immediately to control your blood sugar levels, get you feeling better and set you on the path to taking control of your diabetes in less than 14 days.
Set yourself a goal for the next two weeks to implement 2-3 changes and stick to your commitment before adding other ones. If 2-3 is too overwhelming, try with 1 change for now.
Like, Share, Comment down below for more information and tips to take control over your diabetes!
