5
“Knowledge is power. And the more you learn, the more you will realize that having
diabetes doesn’t have to be a negative thing, but rather an opportunity to use food,
exercise and medical management to help you lead a healthier and happier life,”
says
Annie Dogali, RD, certified diabetes educator at Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital.
Set daily and long-term goals
Your primary care physician, diabetes
nurse, dietitian and diabetes educator
can help you develop a diabetes plan
for meeting daily goals:
Check and record blood sugar levels.
Know when, what and how much to eat and drink.
Be more active — try and get at least 30 minutes
of exercise daily.
Take diabetes medications as prescribed.
Check your feet daily.
Ask your team about ways to make those goals manageable. For
example, you could start out by walking 10 minutes a day. Or you
could trade one sugary drink each day for water with a twist of
lemon. “With each small step, you get closer to hitting your ABC
numbers and meeting your goals,” Dogali says.
Setting long-term goals for cholesterol, blood pressure and weight
is also important. So are getting an annual eye exam, seeing your
dentist every six months
,
and having your kidney function and the
health of your feet evaluated regularly.
Simple lifestyle changes can make
all the difference
Making simple changes in lifestyle can be easier once you
understand what is going on in your body. Changes such as
healthy eating and physical activity can help to reduce the need
for medication and/or help medications work even better. This
goes a long way to improving blood sugar control, reducing blood
pressure and cholesterol and preventing long
-
term complications.
Linda Ayotte, RD, certified diabetes educator at Ukiah Valley
Medical Center, says
,
“I believe in the Diabetes Self-Management
Education Program because it is proven to reduce A1C and
diabetes complications. Learning about your disease can be
empowering. The more you know how your body responds to
healthy eating, being more active and medication, the more you
will understand how small lifestyle changes can have a positive
impact on your health.”
Ayotte reports, “The most rewarding
part of my job is to see how the program
motivates people to take charge of their
own health. People become excited
about making changes and feel it is
something they can do. Our goal is to not
only get them healthy but keep them happy for the long run.”
= A1C test.
Measuring your
blood sugar helps
you see how well your diabetes
plan is working. Self-care
includes recording and
reporting your numbers to your
team so they can fine-tune
your care.
A
= Blood pressure.
High blood pressure
makes your heart
work too hard and raises your
risk for stroke. Your health
care team checks your blood
pressure at every visit. Self-care
for blood pressure includes
getting more exercise.
B
= Cholesterol.
Fat in your blood, in the
form of cholesterol and triglycerides,
can affect your heart. HDL cholesterol is
good—it helps protect your heart. But too much LDL
cholesterol can clog arteries, and high triglycerides
increase the risk for stroke or heart attack. Your
health care team will monitor your cholesterol with
blood tests. Self-care for cholesterol includes making
wise food choices.
C
You don’t have to go it alone! Our diabetes support group can help. For the group at Frank R. Howard
Memorial Hospital, call 707.456.3132. For the group at Ukiah Valley Medical Center, call 707.463.7527.
Why your ABCs matter
