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Liu Mingfang, a 63-year-old retired primary school Chinese teacher, suddenly fainted on a sweltering summer day.

Sent to the hospital for examination, her fasting blood sugar was as high as 11.2mmol/L, and she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The doctor told Liu Mingfang that type 2 diabetes mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, and is mainly related to unhealthy lifestyles such as overeating, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, etc.

Long-term high blood sugar can cause complications such as vision loss, numbness in the hands and feet, and even fatal diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Liu Mingfang was taken aback, recalling that she had always been sweet as her life, loved desserts and drinks, lacked exercise on weekdays, and was overweight, no wonder she had diabetes, and she was determined to change her lifestyle and control her blood sugar.

Doctors advised Liu Mingfang to manage diabetes from diet, exercise, medication, blood sugar monitoring, etc.

In terms of diet, it is necessary to limit the intake of refined sugars, mainly low GI foods, and eat more vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc.

In terms of exercise, stick to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every day, such as walking, jogging, etc.

If necessary, take hypoglycemic drugs as prescribed by your doctor, and regularly self-monitor your blood sugar and record your diet and exercise.

Liu Mingfang was determined to control sugar, she threw away all the candy and biscuits at home, consulted a nutritionist, learned to understand the concept of GI value, and selected ingredients with low GI value.

She replaced rice with oatmeal and brown rice, and she had to eat vegetable salad at every meal, and she also chose fruits with low GI such as apples and peaches.

At the same time, she walks for half an hour every morning and evening, and walks slowly in the community on rainy days.

After persisting like this for 3 months, Liu Mingfang measured her blood sugar again, and her fasting blood sugar dropped to 7.1mmol/L.

Half a year later, her fasting blood sugar dropped to 6.2mmol/L, and her glycosylated hemoglobin also dropped to 6.8%, achieving good control.

Liu Mingfang's life has changed a lot, she used to love to eat big fish and meat, but now she eats lightly, has three meals a day regularly and quantitatively, and no longer overeats.

In the past, I woke up naturally on holidays, but now I wake up at 6 o'clock every day to go for a walk in the park to breathe in the fresh air and feel refreshed.

She also regained her youthful hobby of gardening, planting all kinds of vegetables and fruits on the balcony and in the vegetable garden of the community, and removing weeds, watering, and fertilizing whenever she had time.

Liu Mingfang also often participates in senior activities in the community, square dancing and tai chi with old friends, and her busy and fulfilling retirement life makes her happy and her diabetes is well controlled.

She realized that although there is no cure for diabetes, it can be controlled through a good lifestyle, and there is every hope for living a healthy and long life.

Medical Analysis

Mingfang Liu's case vividly illustrates the positive effects of lifestyle interventions on type 2 diabetes.

Unhealthy lifestyles such as high-sugar diet, lack of exercise, overweight and obesity are the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes, and changing bad lifestyle habits is the basis for the management of type 2 diabetes.

At the dietary level, limiting the intake of refined sugars and high GI foods, mainly low GI foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, etc., can effectively reduce postprandial blood sugar and improve insulin resistance.

At the exercise level, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin, accelerate glucose utilization, and also help control weight.

In addition to diet and exercise, stress management and mental health are also closely related to blood sugar control.

Gardening, tai chi, etc. help relax the mind and reduce stress.

Benign emotions are conducive to activating the parasympathetic nervous system and promoting insulin secretion.

In summary, for patients with type 2 diabetes, the adoption of multi-pronged comprehensive intervention strategies such as diet, exercise, and psychology can significantly improve glycemic control, reduce the risk of complications, and improve the quality of life, which is worth advocating.

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