My grandmother just celebrated her 90th birthday in November and it was fantastic. The celebration included her near and dear ones, except those who couldn’t make it. We, the grandchildren and great-grandkids, decorated the house, decided on a theme and had a ball of a time dressing her up in her favourite colour – purple.
Another priority was to look after her health as she faces many challenges of living with diabetes. We had to ensure that the food we ordered was to her liking and that she could taste what was on the lunch table. After all, it was her birthday! And, what’s the fun if the birthday girl herself cannot eat anything from her birthday spread, right?
There are several challenges to living with diabetes. It can affect physical health, mental health, daily food, exercise and medication decisions. However, we can manage diabetes in a few simple ways, with the guidance of our doctor.
Taking care of her diet is of utmost importance among other challenges of living with diabetes. For example, she has to avoid (or not be given) foods or drinks with saturated fats, alcohol, processed foods, refined foods, high-sodium meats, etc. She has to keep away from certain fruits, too.
Consuming fruits like apples, avocados, plums, papayas, guavas, pears, etc., in moderation, with lifestyle changes, has helped manage her blood sugar levels quite a bit.4
During this time, one of my friends suggested using Ensure Diabetes Care. Ensure Diabetes Care happens to be the #1 selling diabetes nutrition drink in the world.1 It is clinically proven to help manage your blood sugar levels in four weeks.2
As prescribed by your doctor, you can add it to your breakfast meals so that the Triple Care System3 of high-quality protein, high fibre and 36 nutrients can help with managing common diabetes symptoms like hunger pangs.6
A few months ago, my grandmother joined a senior citizen club in our locality. Initially, she was reluctant to meet new people, but gradually started looking forward to these weekly meetings. We realized that since she had something to look forward to, she was taking better care of herself.
In fact, research shows that social support can have a positive effect on managing blood sugar levels.5 I noticed that she has become quite active and more vigilant in her food choices. We don’t need to remind her all the time that she should not eat something.
Many of us need lifestyle changes in general. But people living with diabetes need to make those changes as suggested by their doctor to help manage blood sugar levels.
Some tips are: Stop smoking, stop eating junk foods, avoid excessive alcohol drinking, sleep well, avoid simple carbohydrates/sugar, etc.
Taking medication on time and visiting the doctor regularly can assure us that we are doing the best we can.
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. We are not alone. Many people with diabetes live well. To improve our overall well-being, we must focus on exercise, nutrition, medication, and improving our lifestyle habits. By following some simple steps mentioned above, we can make significant improvements to our health.
What are the challenges you face concerning diabetes?
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. The views expressed in this article are independent and unbiased, solely of the author. As a practice, you should always consult a nutritionist or doctor before making any changes to your diet. This is part of the public awareness initiative supported by Abbott Healthcare Private Limited (Nutrition Division).
Abbott ID – IN-ENV-MAY-2025-1747910346
References:
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Mister Tikku.
Feature image by Andrea Piacquadio
37 Comments
I just got my tests done, and guess what? I found I have high cholesterol and sugar suddenly. The irony is I am just in my pre-thirties. But I am not taking any medicine, as I know that once I start taking medicine, it will be forever. I am trying to maintain my healthy lifestyle, if that works… This article is really helpful to understand the condition better.
Take care of yourself, Pamela!
Thanks for sharing these tips cindy. Much useful when you take care of people having diabetes
Loved reading this—your grandma’s 90th sounds so heartwarming! Managing diabetes truly takes a village. We face similar food struggles with my father in law too—balancing taste and health is always a challenge.
I have used Ensure Diabetes Care and so does my uncle. It truly helps!
Good to know, Shalini.
My husband is also diabetic, so I could really relate to the challenges you mentioned. The focus on healthy nutrition and regular doctor visits truly resonates with our journey too. Thank you for sharing your grandmother’s inspiring story!
Hope it helps, Neha. Take care.
Your post is very informative and tips are easy to follow. My husband was a doctor and would always tell his patients to think of diabetes equal to one heart attack. They needed to be so careful.
Interesting connection!
Diabetes can easily be controlled with a healthy lifestyle and regulated diet, as you very well explained in this post. Motivation from others surely helps.
That’s true, Varsha.
Such a beautiful reminder that small, consistent steps can make a big difference. I love how you blended care, joy, and practical advice — it’s encouraging even for those simply learning.
Practical and clearly explained. I especially appreciated the point about gradual habit change over all-or-nothing thinking. Managing diabetes really does start with mindset.
True, Meetali.
This is indeed an informative post, Loved reading about your grandmother’s 90th,.. she sounds amazing. The tips were simple yet so practical. It’s reassuring to know that with the right habits and support, living with diabetes can still be fulfilling.
Thank you, Anjali.
Loved how you broke down each tip into easy-to-follow steps! Your advice on building a strong support network and staying mindful of stress is spot-on.
It is quite useful for someone like me who has someone living with diabetes for few years now. Thank you for sharing this here.
These are some really great tips! I keep giving these tips to my patients diagnosed with DM. Will share your article from now on, for information in simple language.
Informative post. Though not a diabetic , I am living with hypothyrodism. I have also learnt to be regular with yoga and learnt swimming in my 59th year! A sense of accomplishment follows me throughout the day 🙂
That’s good, Chandrika! Stay healthy!
Cindy my Father is law is diabetic and having it for now more than 40 years …. What helped me run so long with this disease is his discipline towards life be it food or excercise in form of walking. He enjoys every food and even sweets too but he knows where to mark the line of limit and trust me atleast for me he is an inspiration for me.
It’s good when diabetics take care of themselves, Samata!
You have shared simple lifestyle tips to overcome diabetes. Each one is doable, and I am sure, Ensure is a complete food for diabetics. Monitoring glucose levels and regular healthcare visits are crucial.
It feels hopeful and motivating to learn about diabetes on a little lighter note. Most of the time diabetes is turned into something like end of the world. Of course it is series and needs good attention but the assurance that it’s ok is what is important and your blog provides that assurance so thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Sameeksha!
Diabetes is known as the silent killer. Your useful and easy to incorporate tips will surely help diabetics live a better quality of life. Insightful post, Cindy.
Thanks, Mayuri!
Good advice. My old friend has diabetes. And she does have food issues. We always keep in mind the sugar quotient.
Indeed an informative post ya! Yes some changes with the lifestyle and our circle will for sure make a huge impact..
saw the briefer version on your Insta reels yesterday. The detailed one seems even more helpful and informative. Will share it with those around me who have diabetes, and trust me there are many
Ensure, as you have written is all over the internet. All the tips you shared seem to be easy. Not taking carbs and adding fibre to one’s diet is the key.
As a diabetic, one thing I can vouch for is being active physically and mentally, being involved in productive activities. This post is a great guide. not only for geriatric diabetics but for anyone living with it.
Your post is quite insightful for me as a clinician. I learnt that social support can give a better outcome for someone with Diabetes.My patients often complain about hunger pangs and limited food choices can make them non-compliant so having something like Ensure Diabetes care can actually be something that meets their nutritional need without increasing the blood sugar.
I’m not a diabetic, but I found this post incredibly insightful and helpful it really opened my eyes to the daily discipline required to manage the condition. The way you broke down the tips into simple, actionable points made it easy to understand, even for someone like me who’s just reading to support friends or family. I especially liked the focus on meal prep and consistent routines; honestly, those are things we could all benefit from, diabetic or not. The bit about exercise being non-negotiable really hit me I’ve been slacking off, and this gave me a nudge! Also, the point about mental health and attitude made me reflect on how mindset plays such a huge role in wellness. I never realized how much effort goes into staying on top of medications and sugar levels it’s admirable. This post made me want to be more mindful of what I eat too. The way you mentioned supporting the body rather than punishing it really resonated with me.
Take care of yourself, Romila! All the best!