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.
Diabetics are recommended to increase their intake of cinnamon as it’s been shown in scientific studies to keep blood sugar from spiking during a meal. I love to add it to oatmeal or cereal, and I also bake banana muffins with at least one tablespoon of sugar each so I know I’ll get my recommended daily dose.
Seeds are an excellent snack for diabetics! They pack a nutritional punch that includes healthy oils and fats as well as fiber and protein. One can keep a container of unsalted sunflower seeds at their desk with a plastic spoon in it so a mouthful can be eaten whenever a pick me up is needed.
To keep exercise from dropping your blood glucose levels later, check your glucose levels every 45 minutes after a workout. If you see your levels start to go down, you can quickly treat the issue with a carb-loaded snack. As long as you’re proactive about tracking your glucose levels, work-outs shouldn’t be a problem.
Ask your Physician if they have any supply samples of your Diabetes medication or syringes. It is unlikely they will have monitors to give you, or test strips or lancets for that matter, but you can get those from your pharmacist instead. They often have monitors for free, so make sure to ask!
Depression can have a devastating effect on diabetes patients and should be dealt with. If you notice your loved one is acting or feeling sad or depressed, encourage him or her to see a doctor for treatment. Also suggest a support group for diabetics to find the help and emotional support of others in the same position.
Gestational diabetes can be a dangerous complication of pregnancy. It causes high blood sugar and can affect your health as well as your baby’s. Luckily, gestational diabetes can be controlled by a healthy diet, exercise, and sometimes medication. It usually resolves itself after the baby is born.
Pressure on your feet can cause major damage to a Diabetic, so be sure to buy shoes that are exactly the right size and have cushioning for your feet. There are even special shoes made for Diabetics that have specific features which are of benefit to sensitive feet like yours.
Even if you feel like your diabetes has gotten better, it is important not to stop taking your medications unless a doctor tells you it is alright to do so. The medications are most likely what is keeping your diabetes symptoms under control, so without them, your glucose or insulin levels could get out of control.
There is no cure for Type II Diabetes. You may be able to keep it at bay by losing the fat that causes insulin resistance, but it will always be there waiting for you to give it a foothold to take your body back over. Stay on track with your diet changes and increase in exercise for the rest of your life.
It is important that you keep your feet clean if you are a diabetic. The feet are a common place on the human body for infections to develop. For a person without diabetes, these infections can be easily taken care of. For a diabetic, the treatment process is not as easy.
When you have diabetes, you probably have a team of doctors helping you out. You need to make sure that all of your doctors are on the same page, and are communicating with each other in a manner that puts your best interests first. Be assertive when it comes to your health care.
You have to learn how to eat healthier foods in amounts that are not much too extravagant. Eating too much can cause a large spike in blood sugar levels, depending on what you are eating. Avoid buying items that are described as jumbo, deluxe, super sized, or jumbo.
When you have diabetes, it is important that you remain as active as possible. This is important to keep your overall immune system in as good as shape as possible as well as ensuring that you have a healthy circulation system. Park the car in a further away parking spot or take the stairs when they are an option.
To stay on top of your blood sugar levels, check for blood sugar drops after exercise. Exercising can affect your glucose levels even after it’s over. That’s because the glucose used during long exercise periods comes from your liver, and after you use it up, your body will later try to restore it. If you don’t eat around the time your body tries to do this, the level of sugar in your blood will drop. It’s a good idea to check your blood sugar every 45 minutes after exercising to make sure you can take action to correct any imbalances.
Many people, once diagnosed with diabetes, quit eating sugar and think that is sufficient. But what most people don’t know is that fatty foods can be just as dangerous to diabetic patients. If a person cuts out sugary and fatty foods diabetes can actually be cured and a person can add many years to their life.
As a diabetic, you may have trouble with your feet. Be sure to take good care of them by examining them and cleaning them daily with soap and warm water. Wear cotton socks in white so that you can be sure they are clean. Never walk barefoot, and never wear badly fitted shoes. Be sure to see a podiatrist regularly to have your toenails trimmed.
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.