Understanding diabetes can be hard, even for people who have suffered from it their whole life. Finding the right resources to become educated on the topic can be even harder. You, on the other hand, are in luck. You are about to read an article dedicated to help you comprehend what diabetes is all about.
A great breakfast for a Diabetic is oatmeal! Be selective, though! Don’t buy the kind that comes in pouches and has tons of salt and sugar in it! Buy quick oats or regular rolled oats. Make it every morning for yourself. Top it with cinnamon and apples for a tasty meal!
If you’re working to lose weight and keep your Diabetes in check but can’t find any healthy breakfast options with protein that you enjoy, try a smoothie. You can buy protein powder at a health food store (make sure to ask if it has any sugar or artificial sweeteners) and you can put a scoop in to up the nutritional punch!
When you’re planning to go to a doctor’s visit, write down any concerns you have. It doesn’t matter how outlandish they may seem, it’s much easier to read them off a page (or PDA or tablet, whatever works for you) than trying to remember them. Every bit of information you gain will help you keep your health in check!
It is important for diabetics to learn to eat a healthy diet and control portion sizes. Eating excessively large portions is a sure way to gain weight. Eating too much, even of foods that are good for you, will result in weight gain and blood sugar problems. Use smaller plates, put your utensils down between bites and eat slower.
If you absolutely must indulge in something sweet, have a glass of decaffeinated coffee with it. This will help lower the spike in blood sugar you get after eating, potentially stopping the need for you to inject more insulin. It must be decaf, though, as caffeine can have other, unwanted side effects.
Diabetics should make sure to always wear socks to bed and wear slippers or shoes inside the house. You’ll want to both provide shock absorption for your feet as well as protection from stepping on something sharp or damaging. Diabetes can lead to an increased susceptibility to infection, so be extra careful!
Before you test your blood glucose levels, you should make sure your hands and especially your fingertips, are clean. When you clean your fingers, do not use alcohol. Alcohol is drying and can cause your fingertips to crack. When cleaning your hands, use a mild antibacterial soap such as Dial.
Learning to eat right is an important factor in controlling diabetes. The key steps to developing an approriate diet is cutting back on refined carbohydrates, keeping portions sizes under control, establishing and maintaining a regular meal schedule, and consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Simply speaking, a diabetes-friendly diet is low in fats, high in nutrients, and contains a moderate number of calories.
Learn what foods have a high-glycemic index sweet like cookies, sugar-laden soft drinks, as well as carbohydrate filled breads. Cereals, and pastas are all high-glycemic index foods. These foods can cause your blood sugar to rise very quickly, usually referred to as a spike. Stick to the perimeter of the store, with fresh produce and meats, and avoid heavily processed foods.
To decrease the effect sugars and carbohydrates have on your body, consume plenty of fiber. Fiber works as a sort of natural buffer that will help keep your blood sugar down even when you’ve eaten things that normally make it spike. If you’ve eaten something you shouldn’t, a quick fiber rich snack can help counteract its effects.
If you suffer from diabetes, a great tip is to replace your soft drinks with green tea. This will help you cut the calories and carbohydrates from your drinks, and they are very healthy for you. Research is mixed as to whether green tea can directly lower your blood sugar, but nevertheless, green tea is an excellent substitute drink for other unhealthy drinks.
Clean out your pantry and fridge of all processed foods as well as foods high in sugar and trans fats. Eating trans fats and any food that has partially hydrogenated oils will increase your belly fat and put you at a higher risk for getting diabetes. These foods are not good for anyone to be eating, so it is best to toss them.
Before going to a restaurant for dinner you should have a piece of fruit or a few veggie sticks. This will prevent you from going to a restaurant and nibbling on the bread basket or chips that restaurants usually give patrons while they are waiting on their meals to be prepared.
One of the leading causes of Type II diabetes is the overconsumption of soda. Soda has a high amount of sugar, and many people just don’t realize just how much they consume (ridiculously large cups sizes are a factor!). Drinking large amounts everyday soon begins to have a toll on our bodies, and this may be hidden for some time. If you are one of the millions of Americans that drink soda everyday, the simple change of limiting your consumption to one small serving daily, can save your health and extend your life by many years.
If you are a diabetic, consider seeking the help of a nutritionist. A nutritionist is able to help you with problems as such as: what to eat, what you can’t eat, what diets to follow and what to eat as a bedtime snack. Nutritionists also provide assistance in answering questions you may have.
As was stated in the beginning of the article, diabetes is a hard condition for people to comprehend, including those who have it. By reading the above article, you are on your way to becoming educated about diabetes. Use the advice given to you in the above article to help you learn how to cope with diabetes.