Diabetes can have far-reaching effects, touching every aspect of your life and influencing not just your diet, but also your mood, your overall health, and your appearance. There are ways to manage it, however, and here’s some useful advice for learning to live with diabetes instead of feeling like diabetes is defining your life.
The “glycemic index” number for a food indicates how likely the food is to impact blood sugar levels due to the ingredients. Remember, the lower the GI number, the better for a diabetic!
Diabetics need to avoid ketchup like the plague. I know it’s tasty, I love it to death, but it’s so full of sugar both from the tomatoes and the high fructose corn syrup that it’s more of a curse than a pleasure. I like to replace it with yellow mustard as it has little to no sugar added.
If you’re going to go a non-traditional route for your diabetes treatment, continue to be under the supervision of a doctor. Make sure to visit him at least every 3 months, so he can check your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. He should also test your organ functions, at the intervals he sets for you.
People with diabetes are at high risk for sleep apnea, so get tested right away. To keep yourself in optimal health, it is critical that you treat any sleeping disorder you may have as quickly as possible.
Make a plan for everything you do to battle your Diabetes. Plan out your exercise routine for the week, and vary it to keep it interesting. Make meal plans so you know what you’ll be eating on any given day, what you need to pick up at the grocery store, and what should be defrosted the night before. This will keep you on track and organized.
If you consume more foods that are high in fiber, your chance of diabetes will decline. High glycemic index foods, including processed foods and white bread, can raise your risk for developing diabetes, so you should eliminate these foods from your diet and replace them with whole grain foods. There have been quite a few studies that prove the point that those who choose whole grain will have a lesser risk of getting diabetes as opposed to those who do not.
If you suffer from diabetes and you are going to exercise, it is important that you check your blood glucose afterward. Strenuous activity can cause your body to burn off blood glucose and if your body does not have enough glucose, you can develop hypoglycemia. If your glucose levels are too low, try eating foods that have carbs to raise your glucose levels.
Find out if your state government offers neighborhood health services where you can get discounted medical treatment, supplies, and prescriptions to help you battle your Diabetes. Some states also offer discounted health insurance, which can be an even bigger help by allowing you to seek treatment in your own city or town.
Try buying food at local farmer’s markets or at the farm itself to get discounts on healthy foods. A diet for Diabetes doesn’t have to be expensive, you just have to look for deals and sometimes shop in different locations. Eating farm fresh eggs for the first time will make you a believer!
To keep your diabetes from hurting your teeth, be sure to brush and floss several times a day. Diabetes increases the levels of glucose in your saliva, which means your teeth are much more susceptible to decay. Anyone suffering from diabetes needs to be extra vigilante when it comes to taking care of their teeth.
Do not rely on chocolate for a quick fix if your blood glucose levels drop. While most diabetics feel that this is a harmless remedy, it may actually have the opposite effect. The body absorbs fatty foods far more slowly, so you will notice a faster increase in glucose if you opt for a sweet, but fat-free, food.
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.
If you can’t stand drinking plain tap water but must to help control your Diabetes, try switching to sparkling water instead. There are many flavored options which have absolutely no sugar added and no carbohydrates at all. Try taking plain sparkling water and add lemon juice as it is known to help keep blood glucose levels stable.
If you are feeling symptoms of depression, consult with your physician. If you become depressed it will have a severe impact on how you are managing your diabetes. You will lose interest in food, have a lower activity level and increase your stress levels. Targeting these symptoms early can avoid unwanted complications later.
If you suffer from diabetes, a great tip is to replace your soft drinks with green tea. This will help you cut the calories and carbohydrates from your drinks, and they are very healthy for you. Research is mixed as to whether green tea can directly lower your blood sugar, but nevertheless, green tea is an excellent substitute drink for other unhealthy drinks.
If you were overweight before getting pregnant, and you want to reduce your chances of getting gestational diabetes, you should try to cut back on calories instead of eating more. By being overweight in the first place and adding weight when you are pregnant, you risk your blood sugar levels getting too high.
With tips like the above, you can take control of your life and make sure diabetes isn’t the sole determining factor in what you do, how you feel and the choices you make. While you should definitely keep it in mind, that doesn’t mean it has to prey on your peace of mind. Even with diabetes, you can live a full, fun and happy life.