Changing portions of your lifestyle can sometimes be challenging. Although, when you are dealing with diabetes, it is crucial to make the necessary changes in your life that will benefit your health. The following are several great ideas for managing your diabetes.
Get tested for sleep apnea if you suffer from diabetes. Getting tested early for sleep apnea is advisable, as it may continue as a dangerous untreated health risk.
To help make your diabetes control efforts less of a hassle, get organized and keep a constant testing routine. For example, keep your insulin and meter in one place each night so it is easier found in the morning. When you test, make it a routine so you never forget a step or to write down your levels in your log.
You’ll be surprised at the number of items containing corn syrup, so check labels, and be prepared to put back common items such as ketchup, sodas, sauces and sweets. In Canada, high fructose corn syrup appears as “glucose/fructose”.
Consuming a diet high in fiber can reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Whole grains are low-GI foods, which reduces your risk of diabetes, while white foods are generally high-GI, which increases your risk. Many studies have proven that people who consume more whole grains have a lower risk of developing the disease.
A snacking diabetic will have a hard time resisting the temptation that surrounds them daily. Try to stay away from these bad snacks and eat some fruits and veggies that have complex carbohydrates instead.
If you suffer from diabetes, it is important to learn how to eat right. You don’t need to eliminate sweets entirely. If your blood glucose level is under control, it is fine to eat desserts occasionally. If you eliminate some carbohydrates from your meals, you will have more room to eat dessert.
If you have gestational diabetes, you should understand that you are not to blame. It occurs often, and is not something you can control. You need to positively focus on the health of yourself and your unborn child.
This will make it more likely that your child will have diabetes either when he is born or later in life. Do all you can to take care of your body and keep your baby safe.
Smoking is not a habit a diabetic should start, or continue. Smoking is unhealthy for you as it is, but when combined with diabetes it can lead to dangerous spikes in your blood sugar level. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
Use caution when having a pedicure if you have diabetes. You are more prone to getting a foot infection if you’re diabetic, so you need to try and be careful when you get a pedicure, especially if you get a puncture or cut.
Ask your doctor about sugar pills if you have hypoglycemia. You can get a prescription for glucose in tablet form. Glucose tables are fast and easy to use, and are safer and more effective than eating a food with a high sugar content.
Smoking is dangerous for anybody, but it is even mroe problematic for diabetics. Do not start smoking and if you already do, you should consider quitting. Cigarettes will make your body more resistant to insulin and can increase the risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
Having diabetes makes you prone to foot problems. Therefore, it is especially important to care for your feet; failure to do so may result in an amputation. These tips can keep your feet in tip-top health, whether you are a diabetic or not.
If you’re not sure how you can afford your diabetes medications, try looking at online pharmacies. You can usually set up a regular delivery schedule, so that you can’t forget to order it.
If you have diabetes, you must take excellent care of your teeth because you have an elevated risk of gum disease. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day, and you should floss at least daily.
Counter-intuitively, not eating causes your liver to secrete glucose to keep your body going, as it’s not getting the glucose it needs from food. By making sure your meals are constant, while having snacks that contain carbohydrates, then the glucose released will be reduced.
Keep a complete set of supplies in a bag you always have with you. But keep extras handy also so you are never caught without the supplies needed to treat your blood sugar, whether it is too high or too low. Keep syringes, insulin and hooks for your meter in a bag so you’re always prepared.
Diabetics need to be especially careful of the foods they eat. Different foods will affect your blood glucose levels in different ways, so you will want to carefully monitor your food choices. Large meals need larger insulin injections, and smaller meals need smaller injections. If you carefully consider what you eat, your glucose levels can easily be managed.
Educate yourself about ketoacidosis. This condition is increased acid in the bloodstream and occurs because of blood sugars that are incredibly high. Ketones appear as a byproduct of this process, which makes the blood more acidic than normal. It is extremely dangerous, and for some it can result in a coma. Signs of impending ketoacidosis include becoming very thirsty, delirium, and a fruit smell on your breath. Treat these symptoms by getting insulin immediately and hydrating yourself. Ketoacidosis is preventable by making sure that blood sugar levels are normal, taking insulin when needed, and making sure you know what symptoms indicate any sort of diabetes related issue.
Introduce vinegar to your dinner table. Studies have shown that having a few tablespoons of vinegar before your meal can actually cause your blood sugar to rise slower than it normally would after a meal. Vinegar helps you slow down your digestion process and keep your food longer in your stomach.
With some effort on your part, you can likely find healthier ways to prepare your favorite foods. Even though you have diabetes, you shouldn’t give up the food you love. A few simple changes or substitutions may be all you need to allow you to continue to enjoy them. You can find a lot of cookbooks or websites listing recipes designed for diabetics.
As a diabetic, rather than eating three meals a day, consider eating five to six lighter meals. When you have more frequent meals during the course of the day, your glucose level can be better stabilized. If you eat more often, you won’t get as hungry between meals — and you won’t eat as much.
Every once in a blue moon, someone who suffers from diabetes actually gets cured. So when you are told that you must modify your lifestyle, it is critical that you understand how significant the word “life” is. As much as this article will help, they will only go so far. Managing your condition is your responsibility.