Millions of people are diagnosed with diabetes every single year. Diabetes is a very serious and frightening disease and it is critical for diabetics to educate themselves on the best ways to care for their health. Through proper research and education, diabetics can learn what they need to do, in order to ensure that they live long, productive lives.
If you need to sweeten your tea or coffee, but you have Diabetes, try using more natural sweeteners like honey or a sweetener and sugar substitute. These sweetener and sugar substitute can be found at many grocery stores today and is a plant extract, which is very sweet. It can even be found in a powdered form which mimics real sugar.
Diabetics need to eat small meals throughout the day to keep their blood sugar from spiking, so try to plan out at least five eating times if you can. Start with a large breakfast (but make sure it doesn’t have too many carbs or a lot of sugar), then have a snack before and after lunch. Eating some nuts or seeds before bed keep your metabolism going overnight.
When you’re on a plane it can be hard for a Diabetic to keep their feet moving. Try to do little exercises while you sit, like moving your foot up and down or turning it in circles. Keep wiggling your toes to ensure your circulation gets blood right down to your tippy-toes.
Walmart and Costco both provide prescriptions at a discounted cost which can save you a lot of money on your Diabetes medications. They also have Diabetic supplies like monitors, lancets, test strips and syringes and they’re carried in bulk at Costco. You can also find pamphlets at both pharmacies with information on Diabetes.
If you’re having trouble finding organizations in your area that can help you get help with your Diabetes, dial 211. The United Way can point you in the right direction towards support groups and other organizations who will help you get discounted supplies and prescriptions so you can stay healthy.
If you’re trying to keep your Diabetes under control, eating right is very important. Buying fruits and vegetables in season can help you eat healthy foods while not spending more than your budget allows. Root vegetables are best to eat in winter, while berries would be cheapest in the summer months.
If you find yourself yawning more frequently than usual at a time of day in which you are ordinarily high-energy, low blood glucose levels may be the culprit. Take your blood sugar measurements to confirm whether or not this is the case; over time you should be able to identify your body’s standard responses to changes in glucose levels.
Always have some sugar available, just in case your sugar level runs low. This could be in the form of glucose tablets, orange juice or candy. Instruct your family and friends about where your sugar is in case you ever have a hypoglycemic episode and need it right away. This way you’ll be able to bring yourself out of hypoglycemia without going to the hospital.
If you’re often too tired in the morning to make breakfast, figure something out that you can do while you’re half asleep. A diabetic MUST eat in the morning, so try something like a protein shake or a muffin and an apple. Pour yourself a tall glass of milk to go along with it!
Try drinking green tea if you suffer from diabetes. It is a great way to give into your sweet tooth without drinking a beverage that could affect your blood sugar. Also, although nothing has been proven, doctors are looking into the suggestion that green tea may actually lower blood sugar.
If you have diabetes, you should try to cut out alcohol or talk to your doctor if you can not. Alcohol can cause low blood sugar, which is called hypoglycemia. The effects can be very hard to predict with different people. Doctors will allow some people to have a drink or two with proper management, but it is best to avoid alcohol altogether.
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.
Improperly managing your diabetes and blood sugar levels can lead to binge eating and overeating. Failure to accurately assess your body’s individualized responses can lead diabetics to continuously eat for fear of allowing their blood glucose levels to dip below acceptable and healthy levels. Diligent monitoring can give you a more accurate assessment than your feelings of fullness.
To help control your diabetes with your diet, eat more vegetables. A good diet for many diabetics involves high fiber, high nutrients, low fat, and moderate amounts of calories, and eating vegetables is part of this kind of diet. Replacing some refined carbohydrates and sugar-filled foods and drinks with vegetables can also help keep your body healthier and regulate your weight, which will help control your diabetes naturally.
To reduce the risk of heart disease associated with diabetes, watch your fat intake. Avoiding unhealthy fats like saturated fats and trans fats is even more important for diabetics than for other people because of their association with heart disease. Replacing bad fats with good fats like olive oil is better for your overall health. Also, watch the amount of fats you eat, since weight control is an important part of diabetes control.
As was stated earlier in this article, millions of new cases of diabetes are diagnosed every single year. Treating diabetes is really a matter of proper education. If diabetics are educated properly, they will know the right things to do to ensure that they live a long life. If you suffer from diabetes, then it would be a great idea to start applying the advice contained in this article.