How to manage diabetes in winter? – Managing diabetes in winter: Winters are a perfect time to forget the scorching heat of the summer and enjoy the cosiness of family and delicious meals. However, having diabetes also makes it more challenging to maintain a close eye on your blood sugar levels.
What Connects Them: Wintertime Diabetes
- Compared to the summer, diabetic individuals typically have higher blood sugar levels in the winter.
- The cold makes it harder to stay physical activity, which is essential for everyone with diabetes. Winters may seriously undermine a patient with a diabetes exercise plan when you include in busy work schedules and food temptations. Weight gain due to slowed metabolism is another risk factor that patients with diabetes must avoid.
- The lack of sunshine, gloomy skies, and bitter cold influence people’s moods and make them lazy. For a patient with diabetes, who must eat healthily and exercise year-round, this is challenging.
Additional Director, Dr Vimal Upreti, Department of Diabetes & Endocrinology, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, Shares 6 Advice For Diabetes Patients During The Cold First Season:
- Test Blood Glucose Frequently: Even though it is chilly, you should still test your sugar levels throughout the winter. To get comfortable, you could warm your hands in front of a heater. However, do not get too close as it may cause burns which may go unnoticed.
- Keep a positive outlook: Everyone’s emotions and moods can be affected by the cold, but if you have diabetes, take the above precautions to keep your body and mind active. Engage in activities to combat the winter blues and maintain normal glucose levels.
- Maintain Current Vaccinations: Patients with diabetes are more likely to get deadly pneumonia or influenza. So at the beginning of the winter season, ensure you get your immunizations.
- Keep Warm: In the cold, layer your clothing, paying specific attention to your head and feet. Also, bring out those woollen socks because keeping your toes warm is crucial for people with diabetes.
- Eat Healthily: People eat more during the winter and the wrong kinds of meals.
- Opt for home-cooked meals. To control blood sugar, eat clean, healthful meals at home. For example, choose lean meats, whole grains, steamed vegetables, fruits for dessert, etc.
- Consume seasonal fruits and vegetables. A variety of fruits and vegetables do well in the winter.
- It’s alluring to nibble on indulgent party fare and splurge on sugar and calories. So before you leave the house, make sure you have a nutritious snack.
- Maintain portion control. Eat little and often to control your sugar and cholesterol levels.
- Drink a lot of water because heating systems and cold weather might dehydrate you. Ensure that you are getting adequate water.
- Maintain Your Exercise Program: We are aware that exercising in the winter requires a different kind of work, but it is still vital, particularly for people with diabetes. Here are a few techniques:
- Take a stroll – Walking needs no special equipment. However, put on appropriate clothing to keep yourself warm.
- Try yoga – Any age can practise yoga because it’s a fantastic indoor activity.
- Take the stairs instead of the road – Choose more healthy options, such as the stairs, or walk to nearby locations to get your recommended daily exercise allowance. Park your car away from the office in the parking lot. How to manage diabetes in winter
