Diabetes is a very common disease and we all probably know at least one person who is currently dealing with this disease. If you receive the news that you have diabetes, you will need to know how to fight back against it. Check out these useful tips to fight the disease.

Beans for breakfast, beans for tea, beans for you and beans for me! Beans are packed full of protein and fiber, which are both very important in the meals of a diabetic. Try to include as many beans and lentils in the foods you eat as possible. Just cook them up and throw them into everything, from chili to salads!

Skip the french fries and ditch the baked potato – it’s time to replace your carb-heavy side dishes with something that’s actually GOOD for a Diabetic. Salad! I’m not talking potato or pasta salad, they’re both carbohydrate disaster areas. Pick up some lettuce, shred some vegetables, throw on some tomato wedges and a nice light oil and vinegar dressing and dig in!

There are many Diabetic communities throughout the nation, so ask your doctor to find one nearby for you to visit. You’ll find that the people who attend have great tips and tricks that they’re using, and the medical personnel who attend can answer all of your questions. They’re all in the same boat as you and are there to support you in your journey!

It’s okay to reuse lancets on your blood glucose monitor, or syringes when you inject yourself with insulin. As long as you’re not sharing then there is next to no real danger in reusing either, so change them when they begin to hurt you, or at least once a month.

If you feel someone is giving you unwelcome advice about diabetes, ask them to back off. If you do it politely they won’t be offended, and you won’t have to listen to them rattle on about things you either don’t care about or already know. If you have the knowledge to back it up then you’ll become the master of your domain!

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.

Make sure to go to your podiatrist often if you have Diabetes to get routine foot check-ups. Your feet are susceptible to peripheral neuropathy and infection, so having them looked over will ensure you don’t end up with them being amputated. It only takes a small amount of time to ensure your feet are healthy, so do it!

Diabetes is a complicated disease, which leads to many new precautions you’ll need to take. One is to make sure that your dry ,cracked hands and feet remain moisturized. Your extremities will be at an increased risk of getting an infection, so ensuring dry skin doesn’t crack open and let the germs in, is vital.

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.

For people who suffer from diabetes, try to take a multivitamin with minerals, Vitamin C and Chromium every day. These have all been proven to help keep your blood sugar at a reasonable level. Just remember that these should be taken along with medications, not as a substitute for them.

When it comes to diabetes, it is important that you do all that you can to prevent it by having a healthy lifestyle. This is important because this disease can be prevented simply by eating a well balanced diet and getting enough exercise. You owe it to yourself to keep yourself healthy.

The most interesting thing about Type II diabetes is that in a lot of cases it is curable. Often when people have a excess amounts of adipose tissue this can lead to diabetes. So if a person can lose weight they can reverse the effects of the disease. So if a person can lose weight, they can cure themselves.

When you are testing your blood glucose levels, take the time to wash your hands properly before you perform the test on yourself. Use an antibacterial soap that is mild in nature so that you keep your fingertips moist. This will make the test much more effective and your hands more moisturized.

If you are a diabetic looking to control your blood sugar, then switch over to while grains. Scientists, although they cannot pinpoint exactly the cause and effect relationship have determined that there indeed is a clinically significant effect on blood sugar levels by eating more whole grains. This means various cereals, breads, and pastas.

Drink plenty of water. Water is very important for diabetes sufferers, helping with a number of issues. If you are properly hydrated it will help kidney function, flushing out waste products and toxins, help to stabilize blood pressure, and dilute sugars in the blood. Talk to your doctor about your daily water requirements.

There are many forums and blogs where you can connect with other diabetics and people whose loved ones have diabetes. Getting connected with people who share this disease will make it easier for you to keep up with the latest news and treatments and learn tips from them that will help.

Be sure to understand how ketoacidosis occurs. Ketoacidosis occurs when blood sugar is at critical levels. The pH of the blood is unusually low in this state. This will produce ketones, which is an acidic byproduct, which will raise the blood acid levels. This is extremely dangerous, which can end up in coma in some cases. Common symptoms of this are a fruit odor on the breath, confusion and extreme thirst. These particular symptoms can be treated by increasing hydration levels and taking insulin. Prevent ketoacidosis by monitoring blood sugar, taking your insulin, being aware of the symptoms and knowing treatment options.

Diabetes being so common means that the information about how to manage it is abundant. However, information alone will not help you to control the disease. You will still have to work to apply the advice, like what you’ve just read above, if you want to stay in front of the illness.