It can be difficult dealing with a disease like diabetes, but there’s no reason to lose hope. You can go on living a happy, fulfilling life even if you have this condition. Even while you’re watching what you eat and checking your blood sugar, there are things you can do to make things easier on yourself. Here are some tips for making life with diabetes more pleasant.
Birthday parties can be a nightmare for the parents of a diabetic child, but they don’t have to be as long as you communicate with the hosts of the party. Let them know as far in the future as possible about your child’s illness, and offer to send food with them so they don’t have to come up with alternatives themselves. Send enough for everyone at the party and they won’t feel like they’re different!
If you want a fun way to exercise, take your kids to the park! You can play a game of soccer or basketball, or just chase them around on the playground. Tennis is also fun and you can play with kids of any age. Pick something they enjoy and you’ll enjoy it, too!
Go online for help with your Diabetes! There are many forums and groups of people who are just like you and they love to help others. You’ll find all kinds of advice about every facet of Diabetic life, from coping with family members who are not supportive to recipes and diet tips.
Reduce or stop drinking caffeinated beverages to help lower your blood sugar naturally. Drinking caffeine, such as coffee or tea, releases the hormone adrenaline that is known to raise blood glucose levels. Limit the amount of caffeine drinks to fewer than four cups a day to lower your blood sugar.
The website Act1diabetes.org can help Diabetics with low incomes swap out their Diabetic supplies for new ones. It’s free for people who can’t afford to pay even a discounted price for the service, so look into it if you are having problems financially or have a limited income at the moment.
Get familiar with the glycemic index rating of foods to help gain better control of your diabetes. It is important to learn to recognize high glycemic foods like breads, fruit juices, cereals, pasta and rice. Eating more vegetables, lean proteins and other low glycemic index foods keeps your blood sugar from spiking after meals.
To decrease your risk of developing diabetes, quit smoking. Smoking raises your blood-glucose levels, which significantly increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Quitting smoking can lead to weight gain, which also increases your diabetes risk, but diet and exercise is an easy way to tackle that issue. Anyone with a family history of diabetes should be sure not to smoke.
If you feel like speaking with others who have diabetes, you may want to join a local diabetes support group. Many hospitals and health clinics around the country have these groups so that people can speak with others with the condition and share advice about how to live a healthy life with diabetes.
Have a bedtime snack. While you sleep, your blood sugar levels can drop seriously low. To avoid morning hypoglycemia, have a small snack to keep your blood sugar levels high. The perfect snack before bed? A peanut butter sandwich or a banana. Anything with fiber is a great idea for snacks at this time.
While it is very important to watch your intake of sugar when you are diabetic, you have to keep in mind that the amount of carbohydrates should be low, as well. Eating things like white bread, potatoes, flour, and white rice, can cause your blood sugar to rise fairly quickly.
Diabetics who smoke should stop immediately. Smoking is an unhealthy habit for everyone, but it can be especially dangerous for diabetics as it can cause elevated blood glucose levels. If you are finding it difficult to quit smoking, your doctor may be able to offer some help.
Be vigilant when monitoring your glucose levels. If your blood glucose levels are especially high before mealtime, this may be an indication that your liver is producing far too much glucose. Try taking your insulin 60 to 90 minutes before your meal, rather than 30 to 45 minutes beforehand. This will give your body’s insulin a head start needed to more effectively manage blood glucose.
It is vital to know that, while gestational diabetes fades after delivery, you must continue to keep checking your blood glucose levels. People think there is no way to still have issues with your blood sugar levels after you have given birth, but this is not true.
Egg whites are a perfect breakfast choice for a diabetic. Egg whites have the protein you need to get started each day, and they are also low in fat and calories. There are many dishes you can make with egg whites, including bacon and scrambled eggs, and egg white omelets.
Diabetes is known to be a cause of nerve damage in extremities particularly in the feet. Besides taking your Diabetic medications, you should therefore take extra care of your feet. Wash your feet on a daily basis and make sure to keep them dry. In addition, avoid walking barefoot and wear sneakers or slippers. At the very least, keep your socks on.
When it comes to dealing with diabetes, make sure that you are not doing it alone. It is important because it is much easier to deal with problems like this if you have a close friend there to help you cope with it. This can be beneficial either through advice that they can provide or just by having somebody to talk to.
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