Charlotte Pharmacist Shares 5 Natural Ways to Prevent and Control Diabetes

Modifying your lifestyle can be a big step toward controlling your diabetes. As an extension of our diabetes management services in Charlotte, NC, and Rock Hill and Lancaster, SC, we’ve written this article to educate you on simple and natural ways to prevent and control diabetes. If you have diabetes already, you will still find this article useful, so read on!

Lifestyle Changes and Natural Ways to Prevent and Control Diabetes: Do They Really Work?

Diabetes can lead to a range of health conditions if not properly controlled. Stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure are typical manifestations of untreated or poorly managed diabetes. Preventing and controlling diabetes may help you reduce the risk of developing these conditions.

5 Natural Ways to Prevent and Control Diabetes

Here are five evidence-based methods to help you prevent and control diabetes:

1. Diabetes and Stress — Learn How They’re Connected

Too much stress can increase your blood sugar levels. When you’re stressed, your body secretes the hormone cortisol, which causes your blood sugar levels to rise. 

Regular exercise, mindfulness techniques like meditation, relaxation activities like yoga, and avoiding known stressors are ways that diabetics can reduce their stress and keep their blood sugar levels within normal ranges.

2. Stay Hydrated and Drink Lots of Water

Dehydration with diabetes is very common. Drinking enough water can help you keep your blood sugar levels within a normal range. In addition, staying hydrated can help your kidneys remove any excess sugar through urine. 

When it comes to staying hydrated, choose water and zero-calorie drinks. Avoid sweetened drinks that can raise your blood sugar levels. Our pharmacists in Charlotte, Rock Hill, and Lancaster often get asked how much water a diabetic should drink daily; we advise that female and male diabetics should respectively drink 1.6 liters to 2 liters per day.

3. Incorporate Exercises That Are Best for Diabetics

Regular exercise promotes diabetes prevention and control. The right exercises can help you maintain a healthy weight if you have diabetes, lower your blood sugar, and improve your system’s sensitivity to insulin, which is the hormone that keeps your blood sugar level within normal ranges. 

The goal of exercising for diabetics is to maintain a healthy weight. Aim for about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. Some of these exercises may include brisk walking, swimming, or biking. 

You can also try resistance exercises two to three times a week. These exercises include yoga, calisthenics, and more. These are some of the best exercises for diabetics that can improve strength and boost the ability to remain active throughout the day. 

4. Eat a Diet That’s Best for Diabetics

Diet and diabetes have a close relationship, so you need to know which foods to avoid if you have diabetes to prevent your blood glucose levels from spiking. As a general rule, sugary and salty foods are some of the foods to avoid with diabetes. 

Starches, in the wrong amounts, can also worsen diabetes. Whole grains like oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are part of some of the best diets for diabetes. On the other hand, white bread, french fries, and processed grains are some of the worst choices. 

Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, and broccoli are also good dietary choices for diabetics. Food choices such as alcohol, saturated and trans fats, and sugary drinks can worsen diabetes. 

5. Schedule Regular Checkups With Your Pharmacist

More than 37 million people living in the United States have diabetes. If you have diabetes, managing your blood sugar shouldn’t be a short-term goal. It’s important that you take measures beyond the typical medication management methods to treat your diabetes.

Regular checkups are key to preventing and controlling diabetes. Whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you still need to regularly check your blood sugar levels. 

As part of our pharmacy care services in Charlotte, NC, and Rock Hill and Lancaster, SC, we provide diabetes management so you don’t have to depend on countless medications to manage your blood sugar levels.

Diabetes Management Services in Charlotte, NC, and Rock Hill and Lancaster, SC

At Carolina Pharmacy, we believe that a little help can make a huge difference. That’s why we offer support services like diabetes management and education.  

Our diabetes program includes diabetes education services that will support you with the right advice, tips, and medication for your diabetes treatment. Feel free to contact us for diabetes management and treatment in Charlotte, NC, and Rock Hill and Lancaster, SC today!