Although diabetes is an incredibly widespread disease, it’s easily treatable. You have probably met multiple people throughout your life with this disease and couldn’t even tell that they had it. Learn more about controlling this disease and living a normal lifestyle in the article below. Use these tips to your advantage.
One key to beating type II diabetes is to lose weight. It’s actually all the fat on your body that is causing you to be diabetic, so getting rid of it can literally cure you if you are type II. Even a loss of as little as 20 pounds can have a profound impact on your health.
The glycemic index of foods indicates how much the food item can affect glucose levels. Select foods with a low glycemic index.
For people with diabetes, it is important to check your glucose level after heavy exercise. Exercise can keep consuming glucose for up to 24 hours later, so it’s best to check your glucose level every 45 minutes or so after your workout to see if your glucose level is dropping or remaining stable.
Diabetic children can often feel ostracized or different than their classmates. You must remind your child that everyone is different, and that they’re just like any children with peanut allergies or a pair of glasses. Their Diabetes is just a bump in their life, not a hurdle, and they’ll be a stronger person some day for working hard at keeping it at bay.
When looking for a substitute for something sweet, make it yourself! For example, if you don’t want to eat sugary store bought relish since it will spike your blood sugar and set your diabetes off, then make your own by chopping up dill pickles. Need a replacement for ketchup? Try mixing pureed tomatoes and honey.
Keep track of your blood sugar levels in a log book, so you know where you’ve been and how you’re doing currently. If you can’t afford enough test strips to check multiple times a day, check at a variety of different times, so that you can get an idea of how your sugar is going throughout a typical day.
Learning to read the nutrition data on food labels is key to eating the right diet for your Diabetes. Keep track of how much carbohydrates, sodium, sugar, fat, protein, and fiber are in each food you eat and try to only choose those which will keep your weight in check.
The best thing a person can do to avoid diabetes is to exercise. People who exercise 30 to 60 minutes per day, at least 5 days per week, can lower their risk of developing diabetes by almost 50 percent. Exercise improves the health of your heart and lungs, reduces stress, reduces fat, increases metabolism and lowers blood sugar levels.
Test your sugar regularly, and track the results. Keeping a log book of your sugar levels will help you and your doctor decide if your medication and diet plan are working to control your sugar. You can save money by sharing a glucometer with a family member or friend, so long as you do not share lancets.
If your spouse or partner is suffering from diabetes, one way to help and encourage a healthy lifestyle is exercising together. Exercise has been shown to reduce or help reverse the effects of diabetes. Encourage your partner to go on walks with you, or find a local gym where you can spend time together as well as getting healthy!
If you have diabetes, it is important that you take care of your feet. Simple cuts can turn into infections for diabetics, which in turn can cause serious health problems, such as gangrene and even amputation. Check your feet daily and if you notice any cuts or other irregularities, see your doctor.
Choosing the right blood glucose monitor is an investment in your health, and as such, you should avoid using price as the deciding factor in your purchase. If you are tech-savvy, you might do well with a monitor that has online tracking capabilities and storage functions. If you have dexterity problems, look for monitors with easy-to-handle strips and operation.
If you’re diabetic, beware coupons! Most coupons to be found, are often, for items that aren’t healthy, like pop, crackers or chips. Do not use a coupon just because you have it! You might save 50 cents today, but the cost of medications to deal with an obesity-related illness later, will add up to much more.
If you have diabetes, beware of certain diabetes supplements. People think these supplements will help control their diabetes symptoms when some of them can actually raise blood glucose or insulin levels. A good rule of thumb to follow when you have diabetes is to not take anything unless your doctor has approved it.
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).
Most diabetics are significantly overweight, and this is injurious to your efforts at controlling the effects of diabetes. It is very important to try and have a consistently healthy eating plan in order to lose weight and maintain proper nutrition. Losing weight doubled with exercise can in some cases completely control the symptoms of diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you simply must start dieting and exercising regularly.
With diabetes, it is important that you consult with professional help right away. This is important because there is plenty to be learned about the disease that only someone who specializes in it will know. Other than paid doctor visits, there are also toll free numbers that you can call for guidance.
As the top of this article alluded to, it’s fairly easy to treat such a common disease as diabetes. However, that doesn’t make it simple. It still takes a lot of time and effort on your part. Start out by using the tips you’ve just read here to form a plan of attack and work to thrive in the face of diabetes.