How to Control Diabetes

How to Take Control of Your Diabetes

Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, there are several ways for you and your doctor to control it. Let's take a look at what some of these options are for you.

In type 2 diabetes, often due to insulin resistance, can often be controlled with diet in the earlier stages. A diet such as the Glycemic Impact Diet is a great help for those with early diabetes and promotes eating in a healthier way. You eat foods which are based upon the glycemic index. The glycemic index has numbers from 0 all the way to 100. Foods that are higher on the scale, are the ones likely to raise your blood sugars more. The book Low GI Eating Made Easy is a good one. It gives a listing of the best 100 foods you can eat that are low in this index.

Many type 2 diabetics though, come to a point where they are no longer able to control their blood sugars with diet and exercise alone. This is usually where certain types of diabetes pills come into the picture. Your doctor may place you on a sulfonylurea drug. This type of drug will make the pancreas produce insulin. Some of the older drugs are Tolinaise, Glucotrol, DiaBeta, and Prandin. These drug types can do their job for quite awhile.

Your doctor may add drugs referred to as biguanides such as the ever popular one, Metformin. These drug types added together with the sulfonyurea drugs make for optimal diabetes control, and probably for a long time.

Eventually in many cases however, the pancreas will give out altogether in type 2 diabetes. This is when it is time to approach insulin. It is highly likely that your doctor would first add insulins that are basal insulins such as Lantus. These are flat and rarely cause hypoglycemia, if at all. Even in spite of this, you need to monitor your blood sugars closely, and follow directions closely. If your A1C becomes higher in the extremes, (8.5 or better), it may be time to even add Humalog which is a common fast acting insulin. You take this insulin right before you eat. The insulin will cover the spikes from meals, and works in your system for about two hours when it is done.


There are vitamins and supplements out there on the market that can also help you to manage your diabetes. One of the most popular ones is Chromium. Magnesium and Vanadium may also help you to control your blood glucose levels as well added to your other medications. Using them alone often doesn't work for the best.


Daily walking is also important in managing your diabetes. It naturally works to lower your glucose levels, and is a great way to prevent heart disease as well.