It can be somewhat scary to be told you have diabetes, but if you have the right knowledge, you can manage the disease well and still live a healthy life. The advice in this article will help you learn more about diabetes and what may be the best approach for you to take to keep yourself in optimum health.
If your child gets diagnosed with diabetes it can be overwhelming, but you can get through it. The advances made in the care of diabetes have made it possible for your child to have a mostly normal life. As a case in point, the oldest living diabetic is now 90, and he lived with diabetes without the benefit of modern treatments.
Diabetics should be very cautious when going for a pedicure. Foot infections are common in diabetics and therefore if you should puncture your foot, care should be taken.
If you are a diabetic, you have to learn to snack in a healthy fashion. You most likely do not need to give up those sweet treats for the rest of your life. Eating desserts is not bad for you all the time if your blood sugar level is under control. Allow room for the after-dinner treat by cutting out carbohydrates from your entree.
Sleep Apnea
You should test yourself for sleep apnea if you suffer from diabetes. If you have sleep apnea, get it treated as soon as possible to keep yourself healthy.
Changing your diet can be a great way to help lower your risk factor of contracting diabetes, and switching out fats and sugars with fiber is a great place to start. Increase the amount of whole grain foods that you consume, and at the same time, reduce your daily intake of processed foods and white bread. Studies have shown that whole grains foods are very efficient in preventing diabetes.
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. Also, be aware that outside of the United States corn syrup may be listed as something else, such as glucose or fructose if you are in Canada.
You can decrease the chance of developing diabetes by converting to a diet that is high in fiber. The consumption of whole grain foods reduces the consumption of the more high glycemic foods, such as white bread, and this can lower your diabetes risk. 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.
Blood Sugar
Move into the 21st century and save money on diabetes testing supplies and medications by buying from an Internet pharmacy. These stores also allow you to arrange for monthly deliveries of your drugs, so you never have to worry about running out.
Learn which foods can raise blood sugar. High glycemic index foods are those that can raise your levels quickly. For instance, bread, cereal, pasta or juices have a very high glycemic index. In addition, these processed foods are bad on your blood sugar. Eat foods such as fresh veggies and fruit, fish, and lean meats.
If you have diabetes and you happen to be experiencing some troubles in vision, you should speak to your doctor. Diabetes can cause a lot of different kinds of eye issues; cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma are some of them. You will need to take care of these issues because you may become blind.
If you’re a diabetic who enjoys snacking, it may be difficult to resist vending machine goodies. You need to do everything that you can though to avoid this temptation, and instead eat some veggies, fruit, or any other complex carbohydrate.
Pregnant women should remain in contact with their doctor to facilitate early detection or prevention of gestational diabetes. If you don’t control gestational diabetes, not only your health, but your baby’s health, is in jeopardy. Your doctor will be able to tell you what you should eat and perhaps give you some medications.
As a diabetic, rather than eating three meals a day, consider eating five to six lighter meals. This will help you stay in control of your blood sugar levels. These meals will also keep you from getting over-hungry and indulging.
After treating lower levels of glucose, you should not be surprised to see your blood sugar actually spike. This is caused by one of two factors: your body responds to low glucose by releasing hormones, and you may actually be eating or drinking more than is necessary in response to lowered glucose levels. Try eating half as much next the time when your levels are low. Then check the level again in a half an hour.
If you have diabetes, you may want to put down that pack of cigarettes. Smoking is unhealthy for you as it is, but when combined with diabetes it can lead to dangerous spikes in your blood sugar level. Talk to your doctor about the best ways to quit smoking.
If you start to have vision problems, you need to talk to your doctor. Many eye problems can be caused by diabetes, such as cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. This can eventually lead to blindness if you do not take care of these issues.
As mentioned earlier in the article, diabetes should only be scary if you are not educated on how to live with it daily. If you follow the tips in this article, you will come to realize that knowledge is the best tool you have for improving your health.