It can be scary when your primary care physician informs you that you have diabetes, which is happening to more and more people nowadays. You may have to make some lifestyle changes, which can be overwhelming. This diagnosis can affect your diet, finances, and daily health.
You may be wondering, how does my diagnosis affect life insurance? Life insurance rates are based on your age, gender, health issues, medical status, occupation, and location. Young and healthy adults have the lowest life insurance rates, but you can still find life insurance coverage for a chronic health condition.
We’ll help you learn about the connection between health and insurance and the basics of diabetes. You will also learn ways to best adjust to this news and help keep you on track with your goals to lessen the health and financial costs of this medical condition.
The Connection Between Health and Insurance
Life insurance is important to help protect your family’s financial future in case something unexpected happens to you. The healthier you are, the lower your insurance rates will be. Having a chronic health issue like diabetes can cause higher life insurance rates, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find life insurance coverage.
It’s important to manage your health conditions and practice healthy habits to get the best life insurance rates. When it comes to diabetes, living a healthy lifestyle is the best way you can find affordable life insurance coverage. You can work with an insurance agent or find life insurance quotes online.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how your body manages blood glucose levels. When we eat carbohydrates in our diet they are broken down into a substance called glucose, which is the body’s preferred source of energy. Glucose circulating in the blood is called blood glucose.
A hormone called insulin is needed to move glucose from the blood into the cells so it can be used for energy. Insulin is like a key that unlocks the cells to allow glucose to enter. Without a key or if the key doesn’t work, the cells won’t unlock to allow glucose in.
In Type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t produce any insulin or enough insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin, but it doesn’t work properly. In either type, when glucose cannot move from the bloodstream to the cells, it will build up, causing high blood glucose levels.
Gundry MD reviews provide valuable insights into the experiences of individuals who have used Gundry MD products, offering potential customers a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and efficacy of the supplements and health solutions offered by the company.
7 Tips to Improve Your Health
Anything you do to improve your health will enhance your well-being as well as save you money on life insurance. Here are 7 tips to manage your diabetes, boost your health, and enjoy your life.
#1 – Manage Blood Glucose Levels
The best way to manage your blood glucose levels is to spread out your carbohydrate consumption throughout your daily meals and snacks. If you don’t have a daily meal plan or don’t know how many carbohydrates you should be eating, it’s a good idea to meet with a registered dietician to make a meal plan.
You should also follow the recommended dosages for insulin or any medications that you are taking for diabetes. Managing your blood glucose levels also helps to prevent hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) and other health complications.
#2 – Eat a Healthy Diet
As already mentioned, spreading carbohydrates throughout meals and snacks will help manage your blood glucose levels. A healthy diet can also lead to safe weight loss, which helps manage diabetes. Try to eat well-balanced meals and snacks with a variety of different food groups.
A daily meal plan and knowledge about carbohydrates are important to help you eat a healthy diet with diabetes. Carbohydrates are found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, dairy products, grains, processed foods, and soy products. People with diabetes should eat a heart-healthy plant-based diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products.
#3 – Stay Active
A regular physical activity program has many health benefits which include managing blood glucose levels. Daily exercise can also lower your risk for heart disease, manage stress, and boost your mental health.
You should strive to be active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week for best results. You should follow the recommendations to check blood glucose levels before, during, or after exercise. If you need motivation or help with learning how to exercise, a personal trainer for diabetics can be helpful.
#4 – Keep Up with Regular Healthcare Visits
People that have diabetes must keep up with regular healthcare provider visits and medical appointments. Diabetes puts you at higher risk for other health issues, like heart disease, nerve damage, or vision problems.
You should see a physician that specializes in diabetes or an endocrinologist to help with managing your condition. You should have preventive screenings such as mammograms, colonoscopies, or prostate exams as recommended for your age. Other specialists that you may need to see include:
- An optometrist for vision and eye problems.
- A dermatologist for skin problems.
- A cardiologist for heart and cardiovascular issues.
- A neurologist for nervous system issues or concerns.
#5 – Take Care of Mental Health
It can be overwhelming to manage a chronic health condition, so make sure you are taking care of your mental health. Exercise, therapy, meditation, spiritual practices, journaling, and socializing with loved ones are all ways to boost mental health.
If your mental health affects other areas of your life or impacts your ability to take care of your regular daily activities, a trained mental health professional can help you with additional resources.
#6 – Manage Stress
We can’t avoid stress, but we can find ways to manage our stress effectively. High levels of stress release hormones that can impact your blood glucose levels. Stress can also negatively impact your diabetes self-management routine and strategy.
It’s important to find the best stress management techniques and coping methods to help you stop stressing the small things. Some people find that going for a walk in nature helps manage stress, while others enjoy a long bath.
#7 – Enjoy Your Life
A diabetes diagnosis may change your life, but it doesn’t have to change your outlook on life. A positive attitude and a desire to stay healthy will go a long way in improving your overall wellness.
These 7 tips can help you live a healthy lifestyle to manage your diabetes and boost your overall wellness. Staying healthy also helps ensure that you can find adequate life insurance coverage and keeps your life insurance rates reasonable.
Melissa Morris writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, Clearsurance.com. She is a university professor of nutrition, a certified exercise physiologist, and a certified sports nutritionist.