Diabetes is a serious medical condition which can cause some serious health problems, and may even lead to death. The critical element to living a good life, even with diabetes, is to learn all you can about the illness and to determine the right methods for caring for your health. In this article, you will learn numerous useful tips for coping with diabetes.
Foods fall on different places according to the glycemic index, a number that details how each food will affect glucose levels in the blood based on its chemical makeup. Having a low GI number is important if you are trying to manage your diabetes.
There are a lot of protein filled foods that you can try, including beans and tofu. Mix up your protein sources to keep from getting bored.
Due to the large number of diabetics, diabetes awareness has really grown over the past decade. You can make your life much easier to deal with and have less stress and shame due to diabetes.
Instead of cutting all sugar out of your diet, learn to control yourself and moderate your intake of sweets so that you can keep your diabetes under control while still enjoying life. Although, banning sweets altogether may not be necessary. As long as you keep your sugar levels under control, you can eat dessert on occasion. Make room for desserts by eliminating an equal amount of carbohydrates from your main meal.
The risk of getting diabetes can be reduced by having a diet that is high in fiber. To reduce your risks of diabetes, eat plenty of whole grains, and avoid foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed white bread. Research demonstrates that diets rich in whole grain are at lesser risk of suffering diabetes.
If you are hypoglycemic, you should always have gum or some other type of sugary food handy. You have to be prepared, because a hypoglycemia attack can happen anywhere or any time. This is even more likely if you skip breakfast and need sugar in your system.
Make a list of high glycemic index foods and learn to identify potential problem foods and ingredients. High glycemic foods are those such as cereal, pasta, juice, bread and desserts. Eating processed food will do your blood sugar no favors. Try replacing processed foods with the usual suspects: meats, seafood, fruits, and vegetables.
Go to your doctor immediately if you notice anything wrong with your vision. Glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye conditions, such as retinopathy, can be caused by diabetes. It’s crucial to have eyes tested for these conditions regularly; the worse thing that could happen is blindness, so it is essential to catch these problems early.
If you are a diabetic who is addicted to processed foods, it can be tough to stop grabbing snacks from the cupboard or the office vending machine. Try to stay away from these bad snacks and eat some fruits and veggies that have complex carbohydrates instead.
Blood Sugar
Don’t worry if your high blood sugar raises directly after having a type of low glucose reaction. This is caused by one of two factors: your body responds to low glucose by releasing hormones, and you may actually be eating or drinking more than is necessary in response to lowered glucose levels. Try reducing your meal by about half the next time and then check on your blood sugar level about 30 minutes later.
A variety of spices can add flavor to a diabetics diet without adding sugar, fat or calories. In addition to its own unique flavor, cinnamon can enhance the natural sweetness present in some foods, without the addition of blood glucose raising sugar. There are mixed studies about whether cinnamon can lower glucose levels, but no matter: it’s a wonderful spice to add to meals.
Smoking is dangerous to your health, but it is especially harmful to a person with diabetes. If you choose to smoke, you will face a lot of health hazards. Smoking causes you to be resistant to insulin, and even if you are currently not a diabetic, it will put you in higher risk of type 2 diabetes development.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that diabetics can’t eat any sugar at all. However, you will need to exercise caution and discretion when you do enjoy a small dessert. Save your favorite dessert for a special occasion and limit yourself to a small serving. But when you do this it is wise to eat fewer carbohydrates, especially starches, with the meal. This will compensate for the carbohydrates in the dessert.`
Knowing how to stay healthy and manage the symptoms of diabetes is essential in order to avoid the damage that is common with this disease. This article has some good information that will prove helpful for diabetics and their families.
