Diabetes can have far-reaching effects, touching every aspect of your life and influencing not just your diet, but also your mood, your overall health, and your appearance. There are ways to manage it, however, and here’s some useful advice for learning to live with diabetes instead of feeling like diabetes is defining your life.
If you’re Diabetic, you must quit smoking. End of story, period, that’s that. You cannot have any bad habits while your body is already having these types of problems or else any treatment you’re receiving will be sabotaged. It’s time to make a choice – do you want to live a long, healthy life, or smoke?
If your doctor tells you that your Diabetes pills aren’t doing enough to keep your blood glucose levels in check, don’t panic. You won’t necessarily have to use needles as insulin pens are now available that give you the dose you need without being painful. If you can’t afford these pens, some pharmaceuticals have programs to assist you like Needy Meds.
Reduce or stop drinking caffeinated beverages to help lower your blood sugar naturally. Drinking caffeine, such as coffee or tea, releases the hormone adrenaline that is known to raise blood glucose levels. Limit the amount of caffeine drinks to fewer than four cups a day to lower your blood sugar.
Sleeping well is especially important for diabetics and if you experience problems sleeping, it can be helpful to be tested for sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is diagnosed and treated quickly, it won’t have a chance to negatively affect your health.
Sodas, ketchup and many other processed sweet foods contain high fructose corn syrup, so read the labels on everything you are considering buying at the market, and pass on it if it contains this ingredient. “Glucose/fructose” is how this product is labeled in Canada.
Ask your Physician if they have any supply samples of your Diabetes medication or syringes. It is unlikely they will have monitors to give you, or test strips or lancets for that matter, but you can get those from your pharmacist instead. They often have monitors for free, so make sure to ask!
Allowing your blood glucose levels to reach dangerous lows may over time impair your ability to think clearly. In order to prevent this from happening to either yourself or a diabetic child, blood glucose levels should be monitored frequently. Your brain uses glucose for energy and nourishment, and depriving it of glucose can have a significant and long-lasting impact on it’s ability to process information and respond.
Join a support group for those with diabetes. It’s not because you don’t fit in anywhere else, it’s because talking to others with your condition will help you to feel that you aren’t quite alone in the world. Other people are going through what you are going through and a support group can help.
There are many tasty snack ideas for diabetics; you just need to find the items you like. How about an apple with peanut butter? – weird but wondeful! A great alternative to peanut butter is almond butter, which is great on high-fiber crackers like ones made with rye flour. Or make your own snack mix out of a variety of nuts and dried fruit! Try grapes and feta cheese with balsamic vinegar.
A Diabetic diet can include many “bad” foods as long as you reduce your portions. MANY studies have shown that people who live to a hundred eat a diet that is very restrictive on calories. This leads them to have healthy organs, strong minds, and a long, happy, vigorous life.
To make sure you choose the right carbohydrates, avoid white foods. White bread, pasta, or rice are all made from refined carbohydrates, which means they are also high glycemic index foods. Getting your carbohydrates from whole wheat products will ensure that your glucose levels stay stable, and that your body is able to digest them properly.
If you were overweight before getting pregnant, and you want to reduce your chances of getting gestational diabetes, you should try to cut back on calories instead of eating more. By being overweight in the first place and adding weight when you are pregnant, you risk your blood sugar levels getting too high.
Even though carbohydrates have a huge impact on a person’s blood sugar levels, a person who has diabetes does not have to totally avoid them. However, you should be wise about what types of carbohydrates you consume. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grain brown rice and rolled oats, cause you to stay full longer since they digest slowly. They also aid in keeping your blood sugar level more stable.
If you are a newly diagnosed diabetic, the number of medications that you are prescribed can seem overwhelming and confusing. Rather than simply stopping or improperly dosing any of your medications, ask to speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more in-depth knowledge about when and how you should take your meds, as well as what side effects you may experience.
When you have diabetes, it is important that you remain as active as possible. This is important to keep your overall immune system in as good as shape as possible as well as ensuring that you have a healthy circulation system. Park the car in a further away parking spot or take the stairs when they are an option.
If you have diabetes and still crave sweets, just remember to eat them in moderation. It’s a myth that diabetics can’t eat any sugar at all –but it is true that diabetes means you need to consume sugar with care. If you eat sweets, eat small amounts, and remember that the sweets count toward your carbohydrate tally for that meal.
With tips like the above, you can take control of your life and make sure diabetes isn’t the sole determining factor in what you do, how you feel and the choices you make. While you should definitely keep it in mind, that doesn’t mean it has to prey on your peace of mind. Even with diabetes, you can live a full, fun and happy life.