Type 2 Diabetes

Diet

There is not a specific diabetes diet that will work for all individuals. You may want to work with a nutritionist to help you understand your dietary needs and create a meal plan to control your type 2 diabetes. Your nutritionist will probably recommend that you eat primarily low-fat, high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while eating fewer refined carbohydrates and animal products, especially red meat and poultry skin. You should also avoid foods with high sugar or fat content. Additionally, it may help you keep your blood sugar level stable if you eat smaller portions more often throughout the day. For example, six small meals a day might help you control your blood sugar levels better than three large meals a day. 

Exercise

Physical activity plays a vital role in helping you control your type 2 diabetes. Choose activities you enjoy, such as walking, jogging, swimming, riding a bike, or tennis, and make them part of your daily routine. Try to get at least 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, with no more than two days without exercise because physical activity helps lower blood sugar levels. If it is too difficult to do 30 minutes of activity at once, it is okay to break it up into 10-minute chunks. Besides aerobic exercise, you should add strength training for 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a week, and flexibility training, especially before working out to warm up and after working out to cool down. You should aim to have a good balance of all three. Your long-term health depends on activity, so as tough as it may be to find the time or to motivate yourself, stay active. Additionally, try to avoid inactivity for long periods. For example, when you are sitting at the computer, it is recommended that you take a few minutes every 30 minutes to stand up, walk around, or do some light activities.

Medication 

Medications cannot cure type 2 diabetes, but they can help you control your blood sugar levels. Different drugs work in different ways. Metformin is usually the first medication doctors prescribe. It works by lowering glucose production in the liver and improving your body’s sensitivity to insulin so that your body uses insulin more effectively. Sulfonylureas and Glinides help your body secrete more insulin, but Glinides act more quickly than Sulfonylureas, and the duration of their effectiveness is shorter. DPP-4 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists help reduce blood sugar levels, but DPP-4 inhibitors tend to be somewhat less effective. GLP-1 receptor agonists are often associated with weight loss, and some reduce heart attack and stroke risk. Thiazolidinediones make the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin, and SGLT2 inhibitors prevent the return of glucose to the bloodstream, so glucose is excreted in the urine. SGLT2-I drugs may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with a high risk of those conditions.  

Other medications your doctor might prescribe in addition to diabetes medications include cholesterol and blood pressure medicines, as well as low-dose aspirin, to help prevent heart and blood vessel disease.  

Insulin Therapy

Sometimes, people with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin. There are four types of insulin including: 

• Long-acting insulin 
• Rapid-acting insulin 
• Regular (Short-acting) insulin 
• NPH insulin (Intermediate-acting) 

You cannot take insulin orally because stomach enzymes break down insulin voiding its effectiveness. The amount and frequency of insulin depend on your daily blood glucose and the A1C levels. Insulin must be taken by injection, inhalation, or with an insulin pump.  

• Injection – You can use a syringe or an insulin pen to inject insulin under your skin. Insulin pens are available in disposable or refillable varieties. If you choose injections, you will likely need a mixture of insulin types (see above) to use throughout the day and night. A regimen incorporating three or more insulin injections a day, with various insulin types, improves blood sugar levels. This type of regimen mimics the natural pattern of insulin production. 
• Insulin pump – An insulin pump is a small programmable device worn outside the body. The pump is small enough to fit within the palm of your hand. The insulin pump delivers insulin according to the programmed settings or in response to glucose levels when paired with a continuous glucose monitor. Research indicates that an insulin pump may be more effective at controlling blood sugar levels than injections, but many people achieve good blood sugar levels with injections, too. 

Weight-loss Surgery

Because weight loss surgery changes your digestive system’s shape and function, it might help you manage your type 2 diabetes and other conditions related to obesity. Diet, exercise, and mental health care go hand-in-hand with weight loss surgery. Weight loss surgery requires a lifelong commitment to permanent lifestyle changes.  

Treatment during pregnancy

Women may need to change their treatment plan when pregnant. Insulin is often recommended rather than non-insulin medications during pregnancy. Pregnant women should visit an ophthalmologist for an eye exam during each trimester of pregnancy due to an increased risk of developing retinopathy during pregnancy. 

Caring for yourself after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you will be responsible for monitoring your health to avoid complications. Besides testing your blood sugar and keeping a record of the results, you will also need to: