Are you living with diabetes? Diabetes does not have to be the debilitating disease that some make it out to be. You can have a “normal” life and have diabetes at the same time. Follow our tips on how to make the most out of your life with diabetes.
Lentils are an amazing food. They are full of quality protein and nutrients. They are ideal for people with diabetes (or indeed anyone) trying to lose weight. You can do a million things with them! You can cook them and then make them into patties and eat them as hamburgers! You can sprout them in a jar and then sprinkle them in a salad! They can be found in most stores and they’re not expensive – so add them to your shopping list!
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!
Diabetics need to avoid ketchup like the plague. I know it’s tasty, I love it to death, but it’s so full of sugar both from the tomatoes and the high fructose corn syrup that it’s more of a curse than a pleasure. I like to replace it with yellow mustard as it has little to no sugar added.
Diabetics should keep their water intake high, so take a bottle with you to save some money at the mall. You’ll find water fountains in most buildings, so make use of it and fill up. You can find collapsible bottles at many stores that literally roll up, so you can keep them in your purse or bag.
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.
People with diabetes are at high risk for sleep apnea, so get tested right away. If you have this condition, treatment will keep you more alert, healthier and happier.
Eat foods rich in fiber. By eating fruits, vegetables, and grains you will improve your diet. You will lose weight and feel great. Fiber can help give you more control over your blood sugar and lower your chances of getting heart disease. Other sources of fiber include nuts, seeds, and beans.
If you are a diabetic, it is crucial that you have your blood pressure checked regularly. Diabetes can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, which can lead to serious health problems, like strokes. Try to buy a home blood pressure machine or go to a pharmacy to check it yourself.
Lose weight. Bringing your weight down is not just a casual option; bringing down weight will result in more stable blood sugar levels and less damage. Eat a healthy diet and exercise so that you can drop some weight and help your condition. Some obese diabetics who lose weight find they are no longer diabetic.
If you feel that your medication is not working to control your diabetes, you may want to talk to your doctor about switching medications. There are a wide variety of different diabetic medications and what works for one person, may not work well for you. Or your dosage may need to be increased.
If you have diabetes, you should try to cut out alcohol or talk to your doctor if you can not. Alcohol can cause low blood sugar, which is called hypoglycemia. The effects can be very hard to predict with different people. Doctors will allow some people to have a drink or two with proper management, but it is best to avoid alcohol altogether.
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.
If your loved one, whether they be a family member or friend, has diabetes, it is up to you to make sure they are getting the care that they need. Often times people that have diabetes will not take care of themselves without proper support from the people most important to them in their lives.
Many people, once diagnosed with diabetes, quit eating sugar and think that is sufficient. But what most people don’t know is that fatty foods can be just as dangerous to diabetic patients. If a person cuts out sugary and fatty foods diabetes can actually be cured and a person can add many years to their life.
Many people think that people with diabetes have to stay completely away from items containing sugar. It is possible for these people to have their favorite foods and special treats as long as they plan for it and compensate with exercise and other healthy eating routines on a daily basis.
Make sure to know how ketoacidosis occurs. Ketoacidosis can be defined as a rise in the levels of acid in the bloodstreams which happens as a result of extreme hyperglycemia. This calls for ketones to be produced by the body, and they raise your blood acid level. This can be very harmful and may even result in a coma. Symptoms of ketoacidosis include confusion, nausea and stomach pain. These particular symptoms can be treated by increasing hydration levels and taking insulin. Ketoacidosis is dangerous and must be treated promptly, so monitor your blood sugar, use your insulin properly, and know the symptoms so that you do not hurt yourself.
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