The "Five Horses Driving the Cart" Approach to Diabetes Prevention

Psychological factors played a significant role. Zhang and Li went to the hospital for a checkup. During the blood sugar test, they accidentally took the wrong test reports. The lab technician only called out numbers, not names, so the error went unnoticed. When the results came out, Zhang took his report, but it actually contained Li's results. Li took her report, but it actually contained Zhang's results. If both of them had health issues, or if neither had any, there wouldn't have been a problem. However, Zhang had high blood sugar, while Li was healthy. Taking the wrong reports changed both their lives. Li was naturally a bit overthinking, even when things were going well. Seeing his high blood sugar, he constantly worried about his bad luck, thinking that high blood sugar was diabetes and that the worst part of diabetes was its complications. Although the doctor told him to come back for a checkup in three months because he didn't have any symptoms of high blood sugar... (No one expected the lab reports to be mixed up.) Seeing the abnormal blood sugar report, he was constantly worried, feeling he was close to death. He drank alcohol, ate meat, and played mahjong every day, and his health deteriorated day by day. Then there was Mr. Zhang, who was naturally carefree. His blood sugar had always been high, but this time the test was normal, and he was overjoyed, thinking his problem was cured, and he was happy all the time. Although carefree, he remembered the doctor's advice and controlled his diet and exercised moderately.

Later, you can probably guess their results. Mr. Zhang, who actually had a problem, was cured because of his cheerful mood, controlled diet, and moderate exercise. His blood sugar returned to normal. Mr. Li, however, due to depression, irregular eating habits, excessive drinking, and a sedentary lifestyle, actually developed diabetes. If you discover your blood sugar is high, you should take active measures to treat it. Never blindly listen to advertisements or tabloids, and do not arbitrarily use medications or "health products." After discovering high blood sugar, you should go to a reputable hospital for a follow-up examination.

Once high blood sugar is diagnosed, the cause must be determined. If it's physiological, addressing the underlying physiological cause will restore blood sugar to normal. If it's pathological, the cause must be identified. If a diagnosis cannot be made immediately, follow the doctor's instructions, undergoing treatment while continuing testing for confirmation. Once diagnosed, be prepared psychologically, as you are facing a condition that medicine has not yet fully understood.

Therefore, consistent treatment is crucial. Controlling high blood sugar generally involves five aspects: Chinese scholars vividly describe these five aspects as "five horses pulling a cart." This metaphor illustrates that high blood sugar is like a difficult-to-pull cart; one horse's strength is limited, but five horses pulling it provide much greater strength and can move the cart.

The "first horse" is learning about diabetes and understanding which factors can raise blood sugar. After understanding the causes of high blood sugar, maintain a positive attitude towards the fact, avoiding pessimism and making blood sugar control a daily necessity. A strong mental attitude is the first line of defense against disease; with time, it will be effective. The "second horse" is dietary therapy. Dietary therapy is the most fundamental measure for preventing diabetes and controlling blood sugar. Generally speaking, the amount of food consumed should be enough to maintain the body's physiological needs, preventing overnutrition and high blood sugar. When calculating daily food intake, first calculate the amount of carbohydrates, then the amount of protein, and finally use cooking oil to supplement the required amount of fat. A personalized diet should be developed. In addition, it is best to establish a regular eating schedule and portion size to promote and improve pancreatic function.

The "third horse" is exercise. Long-term, moderate physical exercise is beneficial for regulating blood sugar. For example, spending half an hour on aerobic exercise daily can effectively burn calories. If you burn an average of 300 kcal more per day, persisting with exercise for a month is equivalent to burning more than 10 kilograms of fat.

The "fourth horse" is medication. If blood sugar remains abnormal after using the above methods, medication should be used cautiously under the guidance of a professional doctor. Abuse of medication or no medication is detrimental to blood sugar control. To prevent people from taking shortcuts and buying medication from pharmacies after reading the book, the names of blood sugar-lowering drugs are not listed in this book. The purpose is to remind people that high blood sugar must be controlled under the guidance of a doctor, and medication should be taken as prescribed when other blood sugar-lowering methods are ineffective.

The "fifth horse" is blood sugar monitoring. People with high blood sugar should regularly check their blood sugar and urine sugar levels, and adjust their control plan based on the test results. It's important to note that some people only test urine sugar and not blood sugar, believing that a negative urine sugar test means everything is fine. This is a misconception. In reality, urine sugar only appears when blood sugar exceeds the renal threshold (generally 10 mmol/L). Therefore, when blood sugar is higher than normal but has not exceeded the renal threshold, urine sugar will be negative. The definitive diagnosis of high blood sugar still relies on blood sugar measurement; urine sugar only reflects certain issues. To restore high blood sugar to normal levels as soon as possible, blood sugar testing is a scientifically effective method.