Diabetes Awareness Month is Over…Now What?
Many are not aware that in Canada, one in three people has diabetes or pre-diabetes, and those at the age of 20 now face a 50% chance of developing the disease. Even with our country's high quality of life and universal access to medical care, diabetes is becoming more and more common.
Now that November is over, how will those involved in the diabetes community move forward with an action plan for the year?
Recommendations
Diabetes Canada has five recommendations to ensure the momentum created during Diabetes Awareness Month continues:
Assess Your Risk - Taking the quick Diabetes Canada Diabetes Questionnaire will assess your risk of developing diabetes. Many people with pre-diabetes or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes have no obvious warning signs or symptoms.
Get Support – Use tools and resources to help you make decisions based on facts. Read more on healthy eating with easy-to-follow recipes, learn from personal stories, prevent complications through education, and watch webinars, to stay up-to-date on advancements.
Get Involved – Volunteer and support community events and fundraising. These activities give everyone the chance to contribute to the lives of people affected by diabetes. The experiences are rewarding and much needed!
Take Action – Join the thousands of Canadians who are calling on the government to address the diabetes epidemic through online advocacy.
Get Social – Did you know that spreading awareness is easy? Your social media is the ideal tool to reach friends, family, and the general public who have outdated or incorrect ideas of what it is like to live with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
You can also follow the Diabits app on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to stay in the know!
Get Physical
Over the next 11 months, make health your priority. If you are living with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to lower your blood sugar, and improve your body’s every day resting blood sugar control. Increased physical activity can work just as effectively as some medications and has fewer side effects.
Use the Diabits journaling feature to keep track of what matters. See how different factors affect your blood sugar fluctuations. By logging your meals, insulin, and exercise, you will gain a greater understanding of how to live a less complicated life with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Journaling on the Diabits app allows you to:
see active insulin and carbs in your system and avoid insulin stacking
track your insulin-to-carb ratios to understand how your insulin sensitivity changes
learn how illness, mood, exercise, and daily activities impact blood sugar
Visit our website and learn more about the Diabits app and how you can improve your quality of life with our personalized diabetes management tool.