The vast majority of those who contract diabetes are going to have the disease for life. With any luck, you will be able to properly manage it and stop it from becoming worse, but that’s going to take a lot of effort and the right knowledge. Here are some tips you can use to gain the knowledge necessary to manage diabetes.
Apples are so good for you if you’re diabetic! They give you something sweet to beat a sugar craving, and they’re high in fiber, which will help you keep your weight down. They don’t provide a large blood sugar spike after eating, so they can give you a ton of energy without causing you any health problems.
Diabetics have to watch their carbohydrate intake, and bread is a major player in a typical American’s diet. Try to find a bread with at least 5 grams of fiber AND protein per slice so that eating it is validated by the nutrients it’s carrying. Also avoid preservatives as they’re not healthy either.
If you have diabetes, talk to your insurance provider and healthcare provider to see if an insulin pump might be a helpful and affordable thing for you. While expensive and more difficult to maintain, it can provide your body with a more stable insulin level, which may be helpful for some patients.
A great breakfast food for a Diabetic is grapefruit! It’s been known to assist people with weight loss even when they do nothing else. Be careful that you aren’t on any pills, like atorvastatin for cholesterol, that have adverse reactions when you ingest grapefruit. It can actually increase their potency and potentially lead to an overdose.
Diabetics should beware of caffeine as it can lead to potentially life-threatening blood pressure. Diabetes already has harmful effects on your organs, high blood pressure included, so you don’t want to tax your body any more than it already is. Caffeine can lead in a massive spike in blood pressure after ingesting it, so just stay away from it completely.
Treat yourself to a leg and foot massage once in a while to keep your circulation pumping. Diabetes causes peripheral neuropathy, which can be painful and not reversible. Have your spouse put some lotion on your calves and give you a soothing rub to relieve your stress and help your feet stay healthy.
To allow yourself to still enjoy your favorite foods, make simple substitutions. Collard greens can be made with turkey broth instead of ham hock, and ground beef can easily be replaced by ground turkey. Try purchasing a diabetes cookbook. You may find that you can keep on eating many of your favorite meals.
Find out if there are any public gardening areas near you where people grow their own produce. This is an excellent way for a Diabetic to get some exercise by doing weeding, watering, or planting new seedlings. Often you get to keep some of what you grow as well, giving you some wonderfully fresh and organic treats to enjoy when you get home!
To reduce your risk of heart disease, carefully monitor your triglyceride cholesterol and blood pressure levels. One of the most common complications of diabetes is heart disease, and the best way to avoid that risk is to set goals for all of these levels and then, stick to them. Ask your doctor where your levels should be.
Educate yourself. Being diagnosed with diabetes can be a scary prospect, so seek out information in order to be prepared and know what to expect. You can look into a class at your local community college, or check with the American Diabetes Association, as they have a team of educators who hold informational meetings you can attend.
Make wise decisions in your choices for treating to low glucose levels. If your levels are less than 70 milligrams per deciliter, the ADA advises you to consume a food or drink with about 15 grams of sugars. Opt for something that can easily and quickly be absorbed by your body, such as hard candy or jellybeans.
Drinking alcohol is something you need to be very careful with when you are diabetic. You need to talk to your doctor to see if alcohol will affect your blood-glucose levels. If you are really not much of a drinker, it is best that you refrain from drinking at all.
Watch out for liquid sugars. It is just as important for diabetics to watch what they drink as it is to watch what they eat. High-fructose corn syrup found in soft drinks is especially harmful to diabetics, and while fruit juices can be healthy, they can also cause a dangerous spike in blood sugar and should be consumed in moderation. Water is the best choice when you are thirsty, followed by unsweetened beverages.
Write up some quick emergency instructions for you to keep with you at all times. In these instructions makes sure to describe your care regimen in case you are rendered unconscious or unable to speak. This can be of great help to those who have a serious diabetic condition and can go into shock.
If you have Diabetes, journal your eating habits and blood sugar levels. Do this every day, for every meal. The information contained in your journal can help to explain blood sugar spikes, or dips, throughout the day. It can also provide your physician with real life information that can be used for your on going treatment.
Take special care in choosing your shoes if you are diabetic. Avoid plastic or steel toes, as well as waterproof material. These materials can encourage fungal growth, which is particularly dangerous if you are diabetic. Diabetes can negatively effect your feet, so be extremely cautious and make sure your shoes don’t make any problems worse.
The type of diabetes you have will dictate whether or not you have it for life, but even if you have a mild case of diabetes, you should still be doing everything in your power to regulate your blood sugar levels. Using the above information to assist you, you can work toward being an overall healthy person.