Living On A Schedule

If you're like me, or most Americans, your schedule is overbooked. Between your work, your family, your kids, your pets, your friends, your hobbies, and your "free time", it's tough to find room to squeeze in your health. If you're one of the lucky ones, you've scheduled exercising as a regular activity. But what about the rest of your health?

As a diabetic, the "rest of your health" means managing three things: your blood sugar, your medication, and your food.

Managing blood sugar throughout the day can be tough. Your glucometer must always be with you, or at least close by. At work I leave my testie (check out my recent post to see why I call it that) in my purse under my desk. I pull it out regularly and whenever I have a chance between meetings. If there's a break during a meeting, I usually test it. I never want to be stuck in a meeting that you can't leave and find myself shaking and unable to concentrate.

Managing medication is a bit like your blood sugar. You've got to take it with you everywhere. Don't even consider it an option to leave it at home or in the car. I take my insulin when I eat, and when my blood sugar is high. And you never can tell when you'll encounter these two things, so it's safer just have have it with you.

I find managing food to be the toughest. First off, I'm extremely aware of where food is in my surroundings. If I walk into a building with a friend, I guarantee that my friend will first notice the color of the room, while I'm noticing the vending machine in the corner. Luckily my job has tons of food on hand, so I don't worry there, but at my last job I always kept one desk drawer stocked with snacks and sugar, just in case.

Food at home is another story. I was always paranoid that we'd be out of something I'd need or food wouldn't be regularly available. Recently, my husband and I decided to start meal planning (I know you're probably saying "Duh, Sarah"). Each Sunday we decide some meals to make during the week and create a shopping list. We're even picking out some new recipes out of cookbooks. Then I buy it all that day. So now, our fridge is always stocked and we have yummy food every night. Plus, we're saving a lot of $ by planning!

Suddenly the stress of managing food is gone, and it feels so good to cross this off my list each week. I'd love to hear how you manage your food!