Diabetes is very serious and will lead to some serious health problems or death if not taken care of. The key to a happy and healthy life is learning about how to take care of your diabetes most effectively. This article contains a number of useful diabetes tips.
The “glycemic index” number for a food indicates how likely the food is to impact blood sugar levels due to the ingredients. For diabetics, the GI numbers should be as low as possible.
If your child gets diagnosed with diabetes it can be overwhelming, but you can get through it. Diabetes is common these days, and there are new and effective treatments that can provide your child a long, normal life. There is a person that is in his 90s that has lived with diabetes his entire life, which was before the advances in medicine that can properly treat diabetes.
If you have diabetes, be extremely careful when having a pedicure done. People with diabetics are highly prone to foot infections. Therefore it is important that you are careful with any cut that you might get on your foot.
Changing your diet can be a great way to help lower your risk factor of contracting diabetes, and switching out fats and sugars with fiber is a great place to start. Consumption of whole grains will cut your intake of white bread and other high glycemic foods, which are not beneficial for you. Research has shown that people who eat more whole grain foods have a reduced risk of developing diabetes.
If you are hypoglycemic, you should always have gum or some other type of sugary food handy. Attacks from hypoglycemia can pop up any place and at anytime; therefore, it’s vital you are properly prepared in case one occurs. Skipping breakfast is a bad idea that makes attacks more likely, because your body will be especially desperate for sugar.
Gestational Diabetes
If you are a pregnant woman and believe you might be a carrier of gestational diabetes, you should consult with a trusted doctor immediately. You can damage the health of you and your baby if you do not seek treatment for your gestational diabetes. A physician can offer guidance about dietary adjustments; he or she may also choose to prescribe medications to control your condition.
The chips and candy in a vending machine may seem to promise quick energy, but a diabetic should avoid these snacks. Keep these snacks out of your kitchen cupboard also. Try to stay away from these bad snacks and eat some fruits and veggies that have complex carbohydrates instead.
When you are experiencing diabetes, it’s a good idea to consume several small meals, as opposed to having three bigger meals. By eating regularly during the day, you will be able to stabilize your blood sugar. Eating more frequently also helps to decrease the risk of binging, as you will feel more satisfied.
Do not take blame for having gestational diabetes. Most of the time gestational diabetes simply happens for no apparent reason. Keep your stress to a bare minimum, and think positive and happy thoughts about your child and yourself.
If you have diabetes and smoke, you should definitely consider quitting. Smoking is especially harmful for a diabetic because it has the ability to raise blood sugar to a dangerous level. If you are having problems quitting smoking, ask your doctor for quitting methods.
Keep in mind the advantages to managing your diabetes effectively. Remind yourself of life’s enjoyments, what is stopping you from enjoying those things, and how you can work around those blocks. Make sure you remain focused on what is important, and use this as a motivational tool.
Smoking isn’t healthy for anyone but can be even more unhealthy for a person with diabetes. When you smoke, you cause many complications to your health. When you smoke it makes your insulin resistant and if you are not already diabetic, it will increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
It is imperative to keep checking your blood sugar routinely, even though gestational diabetes will usually resolve itself after the birth of your child. Some people think that testing blood glucose levels isn’t needed after giving birth, but they are wrong.
Glucose Level
To measure blood glucose level, urine ketone testing is not the right thing to be doing. Testing through urine only shows that your glucose level is over 200mg per deciliter, and is not specific enough for an accurate reading. The ADA suggest that diabetics use testing strips and finger sticks for more accurate testing.
It is essential for diabetics to learn blood sugar control techniques as soon as they are diagnosed. This article has some effective tips that are useful for diabetics and the ones they love.