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Living well with diabetes

Summary

November is Diabetes Month in Eeyou Istchee and around the world. Let’s discuss what you can do to prevent or live well with diabetes – lowering your stress, staying active, making nutritious food choices, and using medication when needed.

Content

Living well with diabetes means balancing your blood sugar (glucose).

There are four main ways to do this: 

1. Lower your stress

When you try lowering your stress, you might have more time to focus on the other aspects of healthy lifestyles – like making nutritious food choices and being active. 

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    2 kettles sit on rocks inside teepee
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    Man stands with moose antlers
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    2 women prepare moose hide
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    2 boats on lake

Reducing stress allows your body to relax, to take care of itself, and to decrease your blood glucose. 

 

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In Eeyou Istchee, we can enjoy the beauty of the land all year long.

 

2. Stay active

Physical activity helps you balance your blood glucose.

Lots of foods contain sugar – not just sweet-tasting food. Any activity that you do will use the sugars you eat to make your body move. The sugar from food enters our body and becomes glucose. When you are active, you use the glucose in your body as energy.
 

 

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    Man sawing wood
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    Man spreading spruce boughs in teepee
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    2 people walking their bikes on path
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    Man and woman snowshoeing
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    Woman preparing moose hide

From sports to traditional activities – keep moving!

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Staying active and enjoying it can also help reduce your stress.

 

3. Eat nutritious food

When you make nutritious food choices, it helps maintain your blood glucose and can help you get closer to normal levels.

 

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    Container of blueberries
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    Man walking and carrying food on his back
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    Meat in a pot being stirred
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    Fish being cut with a knife
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    Cooked goose in a pan

The land provides many nutritious foods.

 

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4. Medication

Sometimes, your body needs help from medication to balance blood glucose.

Covers of 3 diabetes pamphlets: What is insulin? Healthy kidneys. What is diabetes?

Work together with your health care team to find the best way to manage your blood glucose. 

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If you are concerned about developing diabetes, or are having trouble managing your diabetes, contact your local CMC. 

Explore more

When you try lowering your stress, you might have more time to focus on the other aspects of healthy lifestyles.

Many foods contain sugar – not just sweet-tasting food. Any activity that you do will use the sugars you eat to make your body move.

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