There are so many things to consider when managing your diabetes that you may not know where to start. Your road to a healthy life can be made easier by reading the helpful tips in the article below. They will give you the information you need to take care of yourself in the best way possible.
If you want to get oats into your diet but you don’t like eating a bowl of oatmeal, put them in your muffins and have one for breakfast. You can take any muffin recipe and add as much oats as possible, and throw in some cinnamon for an extra diabetes-fighting punch!
Do you know what your A1C is? If you’re Diabetic, you should know it along with your weight. This number indicates how well you’ve been controlling your blood sugar over the long-term, which will tell you if you need to be checking your fasting blood glucose levels more often to see what’s going on.
Keep track of your blood sugar levels in a log book, so you know where you’ve been and how you’re doing currently. If you can’t afford enough test strips to check multiple times a day, check at a variety of different times, so that you can get an idea of how your sugar is going throughout a typical day.
It’s okay to reuse lancets on your blood glucose monitor, or syringes when you inject yourself with insulin. As long as you’re not sharing then there is next to no real danger in reusing either, so change them when they begin to hurt you, or at least once a month.
To save money, the American Diabetes Association approves the re-use of testing lancets. These are the needles used by your glucometer to test your blood sugar. Re-using them does result in them becoming dull, so be sure to change them out when you notice the pain level of your testing rising. Never share lancets.
To reduce your risk of heart disease, carefully monitor your triglyceride cholesterol and blood pressure levels. One of the most common complications of diabetes is heart disease, and the best way to avoid that risk is to set goals for all of these levels and then, stick to them. Ask your doctor where your levels should be.
Don’t allow anxiety about going on medication for your gestational diabetes to get out of hand. Keeping your diabetes under control is the most important thing that you can do for your baby right now. The diabetes can do far more harm than taking the safe medicines your doctor will prescribe! Talk the matter over at length with your doctor. This will alleviate your concerns.
Educate yourself. Being diagnosed with diabetes can be a scary prospect, so seek out information in order to be prepared and know what to expect. You can look into a class at your local community college, or check with the American Diabetes Association, as they have a team of educators who hold informational meetings you can attend.
If you have diabetes, it is important that you learn to recognize high glycemic index foods. These types of foods will make your blood sugar rise very fast, which can be dangerous. If you are not sure which foods fall into this category, take your time when food shopping to read the food labels.
Making the switch to high fiber foods will help lower your risk for diabetes. Try to eat only whole grains, they are packed with fiber that allows your body to digest foods without getting a spike in blood sugar which is what happens when you eat mostly refined carbs (white bread and any type of processed foods).
Diabetes does not have many symptoms and when you do not take your medications, there is often no immediate effect. However, it is very dangerous as untreated diabetes can easily lead to more dangerous health conditions such as heart disease. If you have diabetes, make sure to stay vigilant about taking your medications to prevent further complications.
With diabetes, it is important that you consult with professional help right away. This is important because there is plenty to be learned about the disease that only someone who specializes in it will know. Other than paid doctor visits, there are also toll free numbers that you can call for guidance.
To maintain healthy blood sugar levels, maintain a healthy, regular routine. That is, try to eat around the same amount of food daily and eat at the same times, and also exercise and take medications at the same times of day. In combination with healthy practices, spacing things out like this helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel throughout the day.
Armed with the helpful advice above, don’t wait a minute more to get control of the important aspects of managing your diabetes. You have the knowledge you need and now it is just a matter of putting the advice into practice. You now have a place to start on the road to a healthier you.
