Changing your lifestyle is hard, because you have had the same routines for so long. But, if you have been diagnosed with this disease, change is imperative. If you do not live according to your disease, you could suffer tremendously. Here are some great tips you can use to cope with diabetes.
Handfuls of almonds can satiate you enough to slay your hunger spikes without disturbing your glucose levels. Unsalted almonds, especially raw ones, are packed with nutrients, protein and fiber to stabilize blood sugar and give you plenty of other health benefits. When you are craving a snack in the evening, keep a bowl in the living room so you can munch on them while you watch television.
A large number of foods have an assigned “glycemic index,” which is a number that tells you how much the food affects your blood sugar after eating it. The lower a food’s GI number is, the safer it is for a diabetic to consume.
Take the stress out of diabetes management by developing more consistent habits. 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. When you are testing, do it at the same time each day, and keep a list nearby of the steps that must be completed so that you don’t skip any.
Sodas, ketchup and many other processed sweet foods contain high fructose corn syrup, so read the labels on everything you are considering buying at the market, and pass on it if it contains this ingredient. In foreign countries such as Canada, this can be known as a combination of glucose and fructose.
Consuming a diet high in fiber can reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Choose whole wheat and whole grain foods over their processed counterparts, like white bread, which have a dangerously high glycemic index. There have been studies done that have shown that when people eat more whole grains, they have less of a risk of developing diabetes.
There are many other protein-packed foods you can eat, from dairy to eggs, beans to tofu. Try making some meals from the recipes in diabetic cookbooks.
Sometimes a quick snack, like a chocolate bar from a snack machine, or other goodies around the house, may be hard to avoid, diabetic or not. But it is important to forgo those snacks in favor of a complex carbohydrate like vegetables or fruit.
Watching what you eat is absolutely essential. Different foods will all have different effects on your blood sugar, so take care when choosing your meals and snacks. Large meals will need larger doses of insulin to process, and small meals require less. Monitoring your meals will allow you to more actively control your blood glucose levels.
It is a good idea for diabetics to have five or six small meals throughout the day, rather than three large meals. This will help you stay in control of your blood sugar levels. Eating frequently decreases the chance of binging because you will feel much more satisfied.
There are millions of diabetics in this world. This makes injections far more convenient than if you had to find a private place, and knowing that most people are comfortable with diabetic procedures should allow you to feel more comfortable too.
You are not at fault for gestational diabetes. Sometimes it happens and a lot of the time you cannot stop it from happening. It’s important to keep stress to a minimum and keep your thoughts positive.
This means there is an increased chance of your child developing diabetes, either when born or as he or she ages. Don’t give your child this terrible disease. Properly care for yourself today.
You need to remind yourself that managing diabetes is the best thing you can do. Think about the things in your life that you enjoy doing, what are the things that keep your from doing it and what should you do to help with that. Concentrate on the meaningful things in your life, and let them inspire and encourage you to remain proactive in the management of your disease.
If you have diabetes, be extremely careful when having a pedicure done. Because people with diabetes are likely to develop foot infections, even a small cut can have serious results.
Blood Glucose
If diabetes is a condition you have, cinnamon is a wonderful spice that you can use in your diet with inviting calories, sodium or sugar in. In addition to its own unique flavor, cinnamon can enhance the natural sweetness present in some foods, without the addition of blood glucose raising sugar. Some even believe that cinnamon will lower blood glucose levels, but the jury is still out on that one.
Particularly when you don’t feel like it, you must pay attention to glucose levels, and keep your appetite up by consuming foods that will impact your health in a positive way. Low glucose for long periods can make you feel dehydrated, so clear fluids are very important during that time.
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 Canada this item is labeled as “glucose/fructose”.
One myth of diabetes is you need to avoid all sugar. There is no need to cut sugar out entirely, but you do need to be vigilant about what sweets you eat. Portion control is key along with keeping the frequency of these treats low. Sweet desserts contain high amounts of carbohydrates, so on days when you eat dessert, reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat in your other meals.
Gestational diabetes does not always disappear after birth; keeping checking your glucose levels to make sure diabetes has not returned. It is a common misconception that once the baby is born, blood sugar levels will return to normal.
A few types of diabetes have a cure. Once you figure out that you need to make changes, be sure that you make them for life. The tips here can help, but it’s going to take more. It is your responsibility to put this advice to use.
You can lose weight and fight against your diabetes by going for a run. Use the local jungle gym for pull ups, and you can even weight lift with canned goods or other heavy household items, such as bottles of laundry detergent.