Diabetes often goes hand-in-hand with obesity and heart disease, and steps can be taken to prevent developing this illness. Other people develop diabetes as a result of another illness. Read the tips in this article to learn more about this disease, and how to live a normal life with diabetes.
Keep track of all the medicines you are taking for your Diabetes and any other condition you have in case you ever need to know. You should carry with you information on their names, dosages, and how often you are taking them in case something happens to you when you’re out, or a doctor you’re visiting requests that information.
Make healthy choices when you go out to eat, but don’t go overboard. You don’t have to starve yourself on salads, but replacing the fatty fries that are served with steamed vegetables will make your meal less likely to spike your blood sugars. A Diabetic has to be careful, but doesn’t have to be anorexic!
Unless you drive a car that lacks air conditioning in super hot summer temperatures, or are on a safari in Africa, you probably don’t need ice packs for your insulin. If you’re worried about leaving it in the car at the mall, take it with you! I doubt you’ll have so much that it won’t fit in your purse, pocket, or bag.
If you are diabetic, one of the most important tips to follow is to have a proper diet. A proper diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. This type of diet is important for overall health for anybody, but for diabetics it’s important in order to keep blood sugar under control. As an added benefit, following a diet plan like this will also help you to lose weight.
Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. When you let too much time lapse between meals or skip a meal completely, you risk having your blood glucose levels drop too low. Diabetics who eat breakfast, lunch and dinner without skipping any meals are much more likely to have normal glucose readings.
If your spouse or partner is suffering from diabetes, one way to help and encourage a healthy lifestyle is exercising together. Exercise has been shown to reduce or help reverse the effects of diabetes. Encourage your partner to go on walks with you, or find a local gym where you can spend time together as well as getting healthy!
To spot foods that may be an issue for you, keep track of what you eat in a log alongside of your glucose levels. After a while, you’ll be able to notice the effect that certain foods have on you. This is a much better way to spot problematic foods than an elimination diet, and can also show you what foods benefit your health.
Diabetes is a complicated disease, which leads to many new precautions you’ll need to take. One is to make sure that your dry ,cracked hands and feet remain moisturized. Your extremities will be at an increased risk of getting an infection, so ensuring dry skin doesn’t crack open and let the germs in, is vital.
Be sure you have a bedtime snack. This will help to make sure you have enough glucose to get you through the night and that your glucose is stable while you sleep. It will also help to make sure you don’t feel the need to get up at night and raid your fridge.
If you are battling illness, you should increase the frequency of your glucose readings. When your body is devoting its resources to fighting off infection, blood sugars can fluctuate in response to the physical and emotional stress that is often linked with sickness. Check glucose and urine ketone levels as often as six times daily during your illness.
Get enough sleep! It is important to get a sufficient amount of sleep if you suffer from Diabetes. Lack of sleep can disrupt your hormones, which in turn could raise your blood sugar. If you find that you have tried everything to get more sleep, but nothing works, talk to your doctor for further options.
If you’re feeling burned out by your diabetes care don’t brush your feelings aside! Ignoring your emotions can lead to you slipping in your care, which can in turn lead to more serious health problems. If you’re stressed it will also be more difficult to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Talk to your doctor when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and work together to find a way to simplify your diabetes management.
Although diabetes calls for dietary restrictions and insulin injections, living with the disease does not have to negatively affect the quality of life. Remember the tips in this article if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with diabetes, or if you wish to prevent developing this disease.