4 powerful habits to manage diabetes

Welcome to Teladoc Health. We’re here to help you manage diabetes and live healthy. To kick things off, here are four easy ways to help manage your blood sugar — plus a habit tracker to help put these into action.

1. Balance Your Meals

Eating healthy and limiting carbohydrates can help keep your blood sugar stable. Balance your meals with a variety of non-starchy vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains. For tasty recipes, check out our healthy meal guides.

2. Monitor Blood Sugar

Check your blood sugar regularly with your Teladoc Health meter. You’ll gain insights on how your routine is working. Not sure when to check? See our guide on how, why, and when to monitor blood sugar.

3. Exercise

Exercise can lower blood sugar and help the body use insulin. If you haven’t been exercising regularly, ramp up your activity bit by bit. This 4-week walking program can help. You can also track steps in your Teladoc Health app.

4. Relieve Stress

Too much stress can raise blood sugar levels, increase insulin resistance, and even cause weight gain. Explore ways to manage stress. Then, carve out a little time to practice.

How to use your habit tracker

Balanced Meals

Create some meals with 50% non-starchy vegetables, 25% lean proteins, and 25% carbs. Non-starchy vegetables include leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, and bell peppers.

Blood Sugar

Your checking habits will be unique to you. Generally, the target for fasting blood sugar and before a meal is 80–130 mg/dL. Checking 1–2 hours after the start of a meal helps you learn how food choices impact your blood sugar. The target then is 80–180 mg/dL.

Exercise

Thirty minutes of moderate exercise, at least 5 days a week, is a great target. Still, any movement is a win for your health. Walk, jog, bike, or go for a swim. You can also squeeze in extra exercise with activities like chores and gardening.

Stress Relief

Pick one activity to do each day, and note it here. You could watch funny videos. Write in a journal. Practice deep breathing, yoga, or meditation. Connect with a friend. List five things you're grateful for.

Energy

Shade in your energy level. Notice if you have more energy on days when you try certain habits.

Choose the habits you want to build. Then, track your progress.

My habit tracker

Download the habit tracker

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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