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Jim was frustrated. His triglycerides, a form of fat that the body makes from certain foods, were high long before he found out he had diabetes. He did everything he could to bring that number down. Despite following a low-fat meal plan, exercising regularly and taking his medications as prescribed, it remained high. He developed Type 2 diabetes and gained weight. “I started getting concerned. I was close to retirement, doing all the right things, but seemed to be getting worse. My doctor was puzzled too. She referred me to diabetes education classes.”
Jim learned then that diabetes management means a lot more than just managing blood glucose. He educated himself about other health-related numbers and how to better manage them. After making some changes, Jim’s triglycerides came down—and so did his blood glucose, A1C, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist size. Not only have they come down, they’ve stayed down for five years. And his HDL (“good” cholesterol) rose.
“I’m now retired and enjoying every day of it,” he says. “I stay on top of things. My numbers stay in healthy ranges. I don’t fear the complications of diabetes anymore.”
Like Jim, you may be concerned that your key numbers have gotten out of control. Don’t despair—it’s never too late to make positive changes. Here’s what the numbers mean and what you can do to improve them.
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. When you eat more calories than you need, these extra calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in your fat cells. Increased levels of triglycerides are related to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dL.
You can prevent high triglycerides—and even lower them—by taking these steps:
High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is “good” cholesterol. It helps prevent heart disease by helping your body eliminate your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol.
A healthy HDL level for men is more than 40mg/dL for men and more than 50mg/dL for women. Ways to increase your HDL include maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity, increasing good fats such as olive oil and nuts, decreasing or avoiding trans fats and adding soluble fiber to your diet. Moderate alcohol intake can also help, but if you don’t drink, don’t start. Many of these same changes will also help lower your LDL cholesterol, which should be less than 100 mg/dL.
The American Diabetes Association recommends your blood glucose level be 90-130 mg/dL before meals and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after eating.
Ways to manage your blood glucose include balancing your food with your activities and medications, including insulin if needed, and monitoring your blood glucose.
The Hemoglobin A1C is a test that represents an average blood glucose level during the past three months. Hemoglobin is a part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body. Glucose attaches to the hemoglobin. The American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C of less than 7 percent. Good control is the best way to manage your A1C.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight.
There is no one correct weight for everybody but the BMI gives us some guidelines:
A recent study also showed that the size of your waist can correlate with your risk of getting diabetes. A waist size of more than 39.37 inches (100 cm) best predicts insulin resistance, a risk factor for diabetes.
Ways to improve BMI and waist size include eating healthy and doing regular physical activity.
Learn all you can about your numbers, and focus on small changes, which can add up to BIG changes in your health!
EnJOY!
