Diabetes is affected by much more than the prescription you are given; your lifestyle plays a huge part. The tips below will help you get the upper hand against this debilitating disease.
There are a lot of foods high in protein that you can eat, such as dairy, beans and tofu. Try to mix it up to keep your mouth interested!
Find healthy ways to indulge if you have diabetes. It is unlikely that you have to withhold all consumption of sweet food. As long as you keep your sugar levels under control, you can eat dessert on occasion. Allow room for the after-dinner treat by cutting out carbohydrates from your entree.
Add walnuts to your salad to make it even more nutritious. The monounsaturated fats in walnuts help to keep your diabetes under control by increasing your cells’ receptiveness to insulin. Walnuts also have omega-3 and other essential minerals and vitamins that give you extra energy, and they taste wonderful.
Sleep Apnea
If you suffer from diabetes, it is wise to undergo a test for sleep apnea as soon as you can. If you do have sleep apnea, start treatment right away to protect yourself from future health issues.
Many foods contain corn syrup, so make sure to read food labels. In Canada this item is labeled as “glucose/fructose”.
Blood Sugar
Learn to spot what foods have a high glycemic index and can raise your blood sugar quickly. Stay away from high glycemic foods, such as cereal, breads, baked goods, and pastas. In addition, these processed foods are bad on your blood sugar. Try eating fruits, veggies, meats, and fish instead.
You should watch what you are eating if you have diabetes. Different food affect your glucose levels differently, so you need to closely monitor what you eat. The amount of insulin that needs to be injected depends on the size of the meals eaten. Larger meals require more insulin. Take an active approach to dealing with your diabetes by managing your meals.
Replace your usual three meals with five or six smaller meals. It will be easier to stabilize your blood sugar levels if you have more frequent meals during the day. Another positive of eating frequently is you will be less likely to overeat because you will feel satisfied.
Diabetics who smoke should stop immediately. In addition to increasing your risk of lung cancer, smoking can cause a spike in your blood sugar level if you have diabetes. If you have a hard time quitting, talk to your doctor about what methods you may use.
Cting Insulin
Unless your doctor tells you different, you should take your fast-acting insulin no more than 15 minutes before eating. An option for maintaining blood sugar levels is fast-acting insulin. However, it has to be carefully dosed and timed dependent on the individual.
Cinnamon is an excellent spice that can be added to foods if you are a diabetic, since it has no sugar, sodium or calories. Cinnamon can also accentuate the natural sweetness of some foods without adding sugar that may raise your blood glucose levels. It has not been proven one way or the other if cinnamon can reduce glucose levels, but either way, it is a great spice to include in your diet.
Don’t completely eliminate your favorite foods, but rather try to make small changes to make them fit better into your diet. One of the hardest things about getting used to having diabetes is that the diet can be very restrictive. Most people believe that they need to get rid of a lot of the foods they love to eat. Others may continue to eat foods that negatively impact their health. The best thing to do is look at what you like to eat, and make substitutions. Many dishes can turn into diabetes-friendly meals by using healthier ingredients as alternatives when cooking.
There is a whole lot of information you should know in order to live a healthy life with diabetes. The disease can be like a dark cloud in your life unless you can start clearing it away by learning to manage it. Apply what you now know so that you can start cracking up those clouds.