People who receive the terrible news that they have contracted diabetes usually become instantly concerned, and rightfully so. This daunting sickness can be very hard to control and can lead to some really nasty issues if not treated properly. If you’re suffering from diabetes, you need to read this article.
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.
Want a tasty treat that won’t be forbidden by your doctor due to your Diabetes? Try nachos! Use a low fat cheese, low fat sour cream, homemade guacamole, and salsa, and you’ll be getting a ton of nutrition with a burst of flavor. If you add some beans to the salsa you’ll have an even healthier snack!
A Diabetic will need more than just a physician on his health care team. You should ask for a referral to an endocrinologist (they’ll help you with your insulin), a registered dietitian or nutritionist, an optometrist or ophthalmologist, a dentist, and a podiatrist. Once you have them all on your team you’ll be ready to fight Diabetes head on!
Find a free clinic in your area to have your Diabetes monitored if you can’t afford to visit your doctor every three months. You can call your local Diabetes association, ask at a local hospital, or inquire through your Health Department, to find out where the closest clinic is to you.
You may want to consider homeopathic medicine if you have diabetes. Some of these other natural treatments can help control symptoms just as much as medications do. For instance, Uranium nitrate helps to reduce your blood sugar while also decreasing sugar in the urine. Bryonia helps get rid of weakness and dry mouth.
Women, especially when in their teens and early twenties, may experience significant fluctuations in their blood glucose levels in the week immediately leading up to their menstrual period. Monitor your levels frequently during this time, then make any necessary adjustments in your insulin dosages and urinary ketone measurements, as this can prevent further spikes.
To make sure your glucose and blood sugar levels stay stable, eat at the exact same times every day. When your body knows when to expect food, it will have an easier time processing it, and dramatic rises or drops will be less common. Try setting an alarm that beeps every time you need to eat.
Understand that there is no single “magic number” when it comes to your A1C levels. However, you should aim to keep this number as low as possible in order to reduce your chances of developing complications from diabetes. Even slightly high A1C levels put you at considerable risk for stroke and cardiovascular problems.
To help you control your diabetes, write down the results every time you check your blood sugar. This will help you notice any patterns that may emerge. If your blood sugar seems to be low every day at 2:00pm, you can be better prepared at that time to deal with it better.
By way of advice one of the best suggestions for a diabetic is to know themselves. You know better than anybody how your body will react to that small ice cream, or how low your blood sugars will get if you wait to long for your meal. Know yourself, and use that knowledge to more effectively manage your diabetes.
If you have diabetes, and you plan on getting pregnant or are pregnant already, it is crucial that you take extra folic acid. Babies born to a diabetic mother are more likely to develop birth defects than those born to healthy mothers and folic acid can reduce the risk of birth defects.
A lot of people mistakenly believe that diabetics can’t eat any sugar at all. Although you don’t need to avoid all sugar, you can’t eat candy and cookies all the time if you’re diabetic. An occasional sweet dessert eaten in a small amount is allowable. Sweets tend to be high in simple carbohydrates, so offset an indulgence with reduced carbs in your other meals for the day.
Making the switch to high fiber foods will help lower your risk for diabetes. Try to eat only whole grains, they are packed with fiber that allows your body to digest foods without getting a spike in blood sugar which is what happens when you eat mostly refined carbs (white bread and any type of processed foods).
To reduce your body’s insulin resistance, eat plenty of rye. Whole-grain rye is rich in fiber, and has been shown to naturally increase your body’s insulin secretion. This is directly linked to a lower insulin resistance, and helps to increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Try eating rye pasta with a food rich in lycopene, like tomatoes.
To keep your fingertips from cracking when you check your glucose levels, clean them with an anti-bacterial soap. While using alcohol to clean your skin may be your first instinct, it has a drying effect that makes your fingertips more susceptible to cracking. Anti-bacterial soap will ensure your hands are free of bacteria without drying them out.
If you are planning to travel via plane, take additional precautions to protect your insulin during the trip. If your insulin is in a piece of luggage that is checked, you risk that it is exposed to especially hot or cold, even freezing, temperatures. Always keep it with you when you fly.
When it comes to dealing with diabetes, make sure that you are not doing it alone. It is important because it is much easier to deal with problems like this if you have a close friend there to help you cope with it. This can be beneficial either through advice that they can provide or just by having somebody to talk to.
Don’t allow your diabetes to become something that’s too difficult for you to control. A lapse in your treatment will bring out those nasty complications with the disease. Remember to use the above tips to help control your diabetes. It’s going to take some effort, but anything worth doing will require effort.