Diabetes must be taken seriously, because its effects can be devastating to the person’s health without proper care. In order to live a happy life, those with diabetes must know how to keep healthy. The tips that follow will help you make the best of your life with diabetes.
The “glycemic index” number for a food indicates how likely the food is to impact blood sugar levels due to the ingredients. Having a low GI number is important if you are trying to manage your diabetes.
Simplify your life with organization and routine. Place your insulin meter in the same location all of the time to ensure you can find it easier. Stick to a routine when testing your blood sugar, and you are less likely to miss a step or forget to log your levels.
If you suffer from diabetes, as soon as you can, get tested for sleep apnea. If you have this condition, treatment will keep you more alert, healthier and happier.
Add more fibers to your diet to reduce the risks of getting diabetes. By eating more whole wheat and grains and more fiber-rich foods in general, you will be reducing your overall intake of foods high on the glycemic index that are packed with sugar. This will definitely help decrease your risk of diabetes. There are many studies that show that people who eat whole grains, and low-GI foods in general, get diabetes less often than those who don’t.
If you are dealing with hypoglycemia, it is critical you have gum or some other sugar food on hand wherever you go. A hypoglycemic attack can happen at any time, so it is important that you are always prepared. If you have skipped breakfast, this is definitely true because your blood sugar will already be low.
Cting Insulin
Unless your doctor tells you different, you should take your fast-acting insulin no more than 15 minutes before eating. An option for maintaining blood sugar levels is fast-acting insulin. However, it has to be carefully dosed and timed dependent on the individual.
Always remember why it is important to you to maintain adequate control over your diabetes. Remind yourself of life’s enjoyments, what is stopping you from enjoying those things, and how you can work around those blocks. Stay focused on what is important to you so those things will keep you motivated to continue to manage your disease.
If you are dealing with diabetes, cinnamon is a great spice that can be included in your foods because it does not add sugar, sodium or calories to your diet. Cinnamon can enhance the sweetness of some foods without posing a risk to your health. Studies are mixed as to whether cinnamon can actually lower your glucose levels, but regardless, it is an excellent spice to add.
Alter each of your favorite foods or meals instead of crossing them off your list. This loss of foods you enjoy causes people difficulty in adapting to a diabetic diet. A majority think that they have to get rid of favorite dishes. Others tend to ignore the diet and eat their favorite foods anyway. The smart thing to do is to find delicious substitutes for your favorite foods. In a lot of cases, substituting healthy ingredients for diabetes-unfriendly ones can make a great dish healthier, without compromising its flavor.
Smoking is dangerous to your health, but it is especially harmful to a person with diabetes. When you smoke, you cause many complications to your health. When you smoke, you increase your chances of being insulin resistant; if you don’t yet have diabetes, it can make your risk of getting type 2 disease much higher.
Blood Sugar
Keep in mind that even though gestational diabetes may go away after childbirth, you should still check your blood sugar regularly for any abnormalities. People believe that after you give birth, your issues with blood sugar levels magically disappear, but sadly that is not true.
For employers, turning down a job application because the prospective employee has diabetes is illegal. You do not have to tell employers about medical issues during the hiring process.
Eat egg whites for a healthy and wonderful breakfast. Egg whites provide protein for energy, and limit calories while also being very low in fat. Make an omelette of egg whites, or scrambling the whites and eating them with some ham.
As mentioned at the beginning of this piece, proper management is essential for a serious condition like diabetes. It is imperative that those with diabetes learn about the disease and the right methods of caring for their own health. Diabetics should take the advice in this article to heart and work toward improving their health.