Q: How can I control my sugar level?

A: Keeping your blood sugar under control speaks to the principles of keeping diabetes at bay. They focus on two principles: stay lean and stay active.

Staying lean refers keeping your portions under control by ensuring that when you eat, serve your food on a standard flat plate. Fill half the plate with vegetables and fruits, quarter of the plate with proteins and the last quarter with complex carbohydrates. Keep your weight under control and stay within an acceptable body mass index range.

Staying active speaks to exercise…at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days of the week. You should get a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise weekly. However, don’t make the mistake of trying to get in all the exercise over the weekend all at once…it may be too much work for a heart that is not used to doing all that work.

Lay off the sugary drinks and snacks. They give you an instant feeling of fullness which doesn’t last for too long; thus, you find yourself hungry in a little while making you to eat even more.

Also lay off red meat and processed meats. These increase your risk of diabetes. Focus on plant proteins like beans, nuts and white meat like poultry.

Finally, quit smoking and significantly reduce your alcohol intake, if you drink.

Remember that if you are a diabetic on drugs or insulin, be sure to take them as prescribed and check your blood sugar level often. Discuss with your doctor before making any changes

Have a great weekend, fabulous people 😀