*Disclaimer: All content and information in this blog is for informational and educational purposes only. This blog post contains affiliate links where podcast host Lissie Poyner may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase.
Green smoothies, juice cleanse, dietary supplements, and yoga classes are just a few things that come to mind when thinking about a holistic lifestyle. While these things may be a part of someone’s holistic journey, that isn’t the true definition of holistic. When taking a holistic approach, it means looking at a person as a whole and not just their A1C. In this blog post, we are going to take a closer look at 3 holistic measures that you can start today that can support you with naturally lowering your A1C.
Macronutrient Counting
Keeping a food log is nothing new for many people with diabetes. But, there is usually a sole focus on carbohydrate consumption and not anything else. When you count the macros of your meal, you are able to get a better idea of how each nutrient impacts your blood sugar both independently and all together. This can be helpful in showing how different amounts and combinations of food impact your blood sugar and allow you to make adjustments to your insulin dosing strategies accordingly because you are able to see the bigger picture.
Track Your Heart Rate During Exercise
Everyone knows that exercise has a long list of health benefits, but it can be really difficult to master when you throw diabetes into the mix. It is frustrating having to stop a workout and correct a low or leaving the gym with a higher blood sugar than when you arrived. Tracking your heart rate during exercise can help you with predicting how your blood sugar will respond to different types of exercises with varying intensities. You can read more about how to manage your blood sugars during exercise here.
Log Your Basal Body Temperature
If you are someone who menstruates, logging your basal body temperature can be helpful with predicting your hormone levels throughout the month. During the different phrases of your cycle, you may experience varying levels of insulin resistance and sensitivity. By logging your morning temperature with a thermometer or a smart thermometer like TempDrop (Discount Code: FRIEND-LS4HXZT saves you 10%), you can easily track the phases of your menstruation cycle as after ovulation your temperature will continue to rise until the start of your next cycle.
When taking a holistic approach to your diabetes management, you are able to move away from just thinking about A1C, carb counting, and insulin dosing and see the bigger picture. You don’t have to track every part of your life and you don’t need numbers written down everywhere, but these 3 approaches can provide you with more awareness about what may be causing the fluctuations in your blood sugar. For more details on these three strategies, listen to Keeping it 100 Radio: Uncensored Diabetes Conversations Episode 50: Three Factors to Consider Tracking to Support Your Blood Sugar Management (Outside of Carbs and Insulin) Available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
