What are you doing right?

So often we focus on what isn't working. It is time see what is working!

You want to understand diabetes care.

You want to get your blood sugar in target.

You are thinking - what do I need to change?

I hear you want to change because taking care of your diabetes is important. I also know that you are already doing a lot of stuff that is helping your health and blood sugar.

The thing is, you might not be giving yourself credit! I know that having diabetes can feel overwhelming and throw you out of balance. This is why we want you to pause and think about everything you are doing right.

Idea to Try

Look at the four factors. These include Dietary, Lifestyle, Medical, and Environmental Factors. What, if anything, are you doing that is helping you?

Let’s take Jan, a lovely lady who has had diabetes for about 10 years. When I asked her what she was doing right, she was stumped. After a minute, I listed all the things she said she was doing before coming to see me.

• She was more aware of carbs in her diet.

• She was able to identify at least 3-5 foods she wouldn’t mind changing in her diet.

• She was looking at labels.

• She had dusted off a cookbook to get inspiration.

• She had started to look around the supermarket for new snacks.

Jan was focused on the DIETARY factor of diabetes. These changes are AMAZING! When I asked, what would she like to talk about? She said I understand what to do but don’t know what to eat.

DEPC: Discover, Explore, Play, Challenge

Jan already had quite a list of things she was doing well! Yet, for her, she wanted to do more. Fair enough, so with permission, I explained that the change process could be summarized into four words: Discover, Explore, Play, and Challenge.

Then I asked - “Where are you?”

Jan: “I am at Explore.”

I nodded in agreement. “You aren’t at the Challenge phase, are you?”

Jan: “No, I guess not.”

I continued, “Even if you were to move out of the Explore phase, what phase would come next?”

Jan: “Play”

“Play! The having fun, being creative, figuring things out phase?

A smile crossed Jan’s face. She looked up at me, “I am making managing my blood sugar into a job I hate.”

We talked a bit more. I know that translating recommendations into meals is a skill. Like any skill, we get better with practice. Jan had a lot of practice in meal planning, so it made sense to ask, “Where have you gone in the past to get meal and recipe ideas?”

Jan replied, “Friends, family, internet, recipe books, magazines?”

After reviewing some basic dietary goals for Jan, it was clear that meal planning wasn’t hard for her. If you would like a personalized meal plan, meet with a Registered Dietitian. This is a paid benefit of Medicare and is as easy as requesting a referral to an RDN near you.

The real magic happened when Jan gave HERSELF permission to Explore. Giving yourself permission to manage your blood sugar opens you up to possibilities! Resist the idea that you are broken, or there is ‘only one way.’ There are lots of ways, and chances are you are already doing many things that are helping you.