The prospect of a finger-stick test isn’t usually enough to frighten most diabetics. Complications such as diabetic retinopathy, which can seriously hinder vision, generate the most fear. Keep your diabetes in check so that your chance of developing complications will be minimized. To manage diabetes, utilize the following tips.
You must educate yourself on healthy indulgences if you are a diabetic. Although, banning sweets altogether may not be necessary. If you maintain the proper blood sugar levels, every so often it is alright to indulge in sweets. Eliminate some carbohydrates from your main meal if you want to eat desert!
If your child has diabetes, do not make things more stressful than they need to be. You can cope! Diabetes is quite common, and there is no reason your child can’t maintain a high quality of life after being diagnosed. The oldest known diabetic is in his nineties, and he was obviously born and living before modern medicine got to where it is.
Sleep Apnea
You should test yourself for sleep apnea if you suffer from diabetes. In the event that you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, following up on treatment options is essential to avoid the chance of serious complications.
Many items on store shelves have this ingredient, so make sure you’re choosing products without it before you put them in your cart. Most soda drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, but so does ketchup, so check the labels. When in Canada you will notice this product is called “glucose” or “fructose”.
Many people have diabetes. This will help you come to terms with your diagnosis, not to mention prevent you from being inconvenienced.
If you suffer from hypoglycemia, it is important that you carry gum or another sugary food with you at all times. Stay prepared for the advent of a hypoglycemic attack, as they can take place out of nowhere. This is especially true if you have not eaten breakfast, as your body is craving sugar.
Glycemic Index
Learn to spot what foods have a high glycemic index and can raise your blood sugar quickly. For example, most juices, breads, desserts, cereals, and types of pasta are high glycemic index foods. Many processed foods also make it difficult to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Fresh produce, fish, and lean meats should be your main focus.
If you are a diabetic, you have to learn to snack in a healthy fashion. It is unlikely that you have to withhold all consumption of sweet food. If you have good blood sugar levels, it is not bad for you to consume deserts every now and then. Remove carbs from your meal to make room for dessert. Try to stick to equal amounts to make sure your entire meal stays balanced.
If you have diabetes and you happen to be experiencing some troubles in vision, you should speak to your doctor. Cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can be the result of uncontrolled diabetes. Be sure to have your vision checked as soon as possible to prevent further damage, which can include blindness.
Sometimes when you’re a diabetic, and you are tempted to snack, it is hard to resist the goodies that surround you. However, do yourself a favor and avoid such snacks in favor of complex carbs, like fruits and vegetables.
Be careful with what you eat if you’re diabetic. Different foods will all have different effects on your blood sugar, so take care when choosing your meals and snacks. Bigger meals will need higher injections of insulin, and small meals might require less. Monitoring your meals will allow you to more actively control your blood glucose levels.
Ketchup, pop, and other sweets contain this item. That is why it is necessary to read the food labels, and return it to the shelf when you know that it contains corn syrup. In foreign countries such as Canada, this can be known as a combination of glucose and fructose.
As a diabetic, rather than eating three meals a day, consider eating five to six lighter meals. By eating on a more regular basis, your blood sugar will be a lot more stable. This routine also will keep your hunger at bay, decreasing the urge to binge.
Blood Sugar
Don’t worry if your high blood sugar raises directly after having a type of low glucose reaction. There can be two reasons for this. One, your body may be releasing hormones in response to low glucose levels. Two, you may be eating too much in response to the low reading. Try drinking or eating half your previous dose, then checking your blood sugar level 30 minutes later to see if the spike is smaller.
Make sure you keep some kind of sugar-based treat with you if you are hypoglycemic. Hypoglycemia attacks can happen at any time, so you need to be prepared for that. This definitely rings true if breakfast hasn’t been eaten yet, as your body still needs its sugar.
Always remember why it is important to you to maintain adequate control over your diabetes. Think about what you like to do in life, what’s keeping you from doing them, and what could help you do them. Maintaining focus on what’s important to you can help keep you motivated with managing your diabetes.
You do not need to avoid all sugar when you have diabetes. This is simply untrue. There is no need to cut sugar out entirely, but you do need to be vigilant about what sweets you eat. You will still be able to indulge in small servings of your favorite sweets on special occasions. Sweets tend to be high in simple carbohydrates, so offset an indulgence with reduced carbs in your other meals for the day.
Even though gestational diabetes will generally clear itself after birth has occurred, you must still have your blood sugar tested regularly. Many women believe that once they are no longer pregnant, they will not continue to have problems with their blood sugar; that is not always the case.
Move into the 21st century and save money on diabetes testing supplies and medications by buying from an Internet pharmacy. Sometimes they will even deliver for you each month.
As the introduction of this article mentioned, it’s the potential to go blind and other debilitating side effects associated with diabetes that really scare people. You can work past the fear and use the information you’ve learned here to ensure that you’re never a victim of these nasty complications.