Diabetes can be a very difficult disease to manage. You have to both greatly alter your diet and closely monitor your condition. Although living with diabetes will never be easy, there are a number of things you can to improve the way you manage the disease. Here are some strategies and suggestions that you can use to manage and stay healthy while you deal with diabetes.
Almonds are a great snack to eat between meals that will help to maintain normal levels of blood sugar. Almonds without salt contain protein, fiber, and other minerals and vitamins that are healthy to eat. Keep a container or bowl of almonds handy by the television or computer so you have a handy snack whenever you need it.
If your child gets diagnosed with diabetes it can be overwhelming, but you can get through it. These days, many people have diabetes, and treatments have improved so much that children with diabetes can live quite normally. Keep in mind that diabetics are living into their 80’s, and the oldest diabetic is 90! Your child need not be the exception!
Consider meat-free, high protein foods like eggs, cheese, nuts and beans. Don’t let it get boring! Mix up the routine and keep your mouth at attention the entire time.
If you are a diabetic, you need to discover ways to pacify your sweet tooth safely. It’s probably not necessary to remove sweets altogether from your diet. If you are carefully monitoring your blood sugars, the occasional dessert is acceptable. Eliminate some carbohydrates from your main meal if you want to eat desert!
Walnuts can make a nutritious and tasty addition to a salad. They have mono-saturated fats. These fats cause your cells to be receptive to insulin, and this helps keep your blood sugar levels on track. They also have omega-3 fatty acids and protein, which will give you energy.
Do things the same way each time, and life will be easier and better organized. As an example, leave the meter and your insulin supplies in the same location when you head off to bed each night, so you know exactly where they are in the morning. Make your testing routine so you always remember to write your levels down in your log.
Sleep Apnea
People with diabetes are at high risk for sleep apnea, so get tested right away. If sleep apnea is diagnosed and treated quickly, it won’t have a chance to negatively affect your health.
If you have a baby on the way and show symptoms of gestational diabetes, call your general practitioner right away. By not controlling gestational diabetes, you are putting the health of yourself and your baby in jeopardy. Your doctor can give you a prescription to help with the diabetes, and also help with a food plan.
Learn to indulge healthily if you are living with diabetes. Although, banning sweets altogether may not be necessary. If you have good blood sugar levels, it is not bad for you to consume deserts every now and then. You can balance the consumption of desserts by not eating an equivalent amount of carbohydrates in your meal.
If you suffer from diabetes and you have vision problems, you must discuss this with your doctor. Cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy can be the result of uncontrolled diabetes. At worst, these problems can cause blindness, so it is crucial to take care of them.
Glucose Levels
Watch the foods you eat if you are diabetic. Different food affect your glucose levels differently, so you need to closely monitor what you eat. Bigger meals will need higher injections of insulin, and small meals might require less. It is possible to actively manage glucose levels if you are careful about what you eat.
If you suffer from diabetes, it is wise to undergo a test for sleep apnea as soon as you can. If you have this condition, treatment will keep you more alert, healthier and happier.
Fast-acting insulin should be taken up to 15 minutes before you eat, unless your doctor has ordered differently. Fast-acting insulins may effectively maintain blood sugar, but only if the dosage is correct, and timed correctly for the person.
Always keep in mind the reasons why you have to take care of yourself and your diabetes. Figure out what it is in your life that’s important to you. Is there something that prevents you from participating in those activities? Fix those problems first. Maintaining focus on what’s important to you can help keep you motivated with managing your diabetes.
Cinnamon is an excellent spice that can be added to foods if you are a diabetic, since it has no sugar, sodium or calories. Cinnamon can make foods sweeter without adding sugar. There is no consensus on whether cinnamon really lowers blood sugar, but it remains an ideal spice to put in a variety of dishes.
Many foods contain corn syrup, so make sure to read food labels. In Canada, high fructose corn syrup appears as “glucose/fructose”.
Glucose tablets are a helpful course of action to take for those with hypoglycemia, provided you speak with a physician beforehand. They are portable and small, providing an excellent way to get needed glucose into your system more quickly than consuming foods with sugar.
A common misconception regarding diabetes is that sugar is not allowed in your diet. You don’t need to eliminate sugar completely, but you have to be smart with sweets. You may still celebrate with an occasional indulgence in a sweet treat. Whenever you indulge in a sugar and carb-heavy treat, just be sure to balance your diet by cutting those quantities from other meals.
It is vital to know that, while gestational diabetes fades after delivery, you must continue to keep checking your blood glucose levels. Most people think your blood sugar will become normal once your baby is born, but that is not necessarily true.
You can reduce your chance of developing diabetes by ensuring you eat a high-fiber diet. White breads and processed food items usually are high-glycemic and up your chances of diabetes, but if you make a habit of choosing anything with whole grains, you are unlikely to eat them. Studies have shown that whole grains foods are very efficient in preventing diabetes.
It is illegal for a company to use diabetes as a factor for whether or not they will hire an individual. Thus, it is not necessary to inform anyone about your medical issues up front.
You have to take very, very good care of your health, and you have to constantly focus on your diet. Diabetes can be difficult to deal with, but this article can make it easier. You will quickly adopt healthier habits and as your lifestyle becomes more adapted to your condition; you will not have to struggle so much.