/assets/images/provider/photos/2703922.jpg)
New Year’s Resolutions for Diabetes
Chances are your New Year’s resolutions support diabetes management, even if they don’t include diabetes-related goals.
Nearly half of adults (whether or not they have diabetes) put fitness at the top of their resolutions. The next most common resolutions include weight loss and eating better. These goals also build the foundation for good health in people with diabetes.
At Aletheia Integrative, Jaime Dodge, MD, supports your ongoing health and can help motivate you to keep healthy New Year’s resolutions with primary care services focused on your needs and goals.
Begin by revisiting the past year
Revisiting your medical milestones and overall health from the past year helps you pinpoint areas you need to improve and adds motivation for sticking with resolutions.
Look at your yearly measurements for A1C, blood glucose, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and other tests evaluating potential health problems like heart and kidney disease.
Were biomarkers in the healthy range most of the time or too high? Use what happened last year to guide your 2024 resolutions.
If you can’t take this first step because you didn’t keep your test results, a New Year’s resolution to maintain and organize medical information is a good place to start.
Make four crucial New Year’s resolutions for diabetes
These are the top four resolutions for managing blood sugar levels.
1. Keep up with medical care
The only way to know if you’re in control of your blood sugar is to keep preventive checkups and get the recommended blood tests.
Most people with diabetes should have their A1C tested twice yearly. How often you need a blood pressure screening or blood work for other health concerns depends on your overall health.
Why do you need to be diligent about medical care? Because high blood sugar causes diseases such as:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetic eye disease and vision loss
- Foot ulcers and amputation
- Peripheral artery disease (clogged leg arteries)
Consider beginning the New Year by scheduling a primary care appointment. After we get a complete picture of your overall wellness, we can help you create a plan for the rest of the year.
2. Fine-tune your meal-planning skills
In your daily life, eating balanced meals can be challenging despite your best intentions. Planning a week of meals and shopping once to stock your kitchen with everything you need to prepare them is a great way to eat healthy foods that prevent blood sugar spikes.
If you’re unsure about the best foods to eat or how to plan meals that deliver high-quality nutrition, your resolutions could include getting a refresher course on diabetes care.
3. Lose weight
Losing weight is a top New Year’s resolution for many people. But if you have Type 2 diabetes, dropping extra pounds is essential.
As your weight drops, your blood sugar improves, and your body can use insulin more efficiently. Weight loss (along with a healthy diet) may be all you need to control your blood sugar.
Be sure to create goals that are achievable, sustainable, and healthy. A slow but steady loss of one to two pounds weekly and following a balanced eating plan (not a fad diet) are proven strategies for long-lasting success.
4. Plan the exercise you enjoy
Physical activity directly impacts diabetes, lowering blood sugar for all diabetic people and improving insulin sensitivity in those with Type 2 diabetes.
Exercise also supports a healthy weight, boosts your mood, and decreases your risk of heart disease — and this is only a partial list of exercise’s many benefits.
Rather than a generic New Year’s resolution to get more exercise, focus on finding an activity you enjoy that fits your schedule. Taking these steps increases the odds of getting and staying active.
Walking is a great physical activity. You can walk during a lunch break if needed. Along with exercise, walking also gives you time to relax and meditate. You may enjoy turning up the music and dancing, swimming, practicing yoga, or cycling, to name a few.
Need help setting up New Year’s resolutions for your unique health care needs? We’re here to help. Call Aletheia Integrative today or use online booking to request an appointment.