Diabetes can be a difficult ailment to deal with. It requires a drastic change in diet and extensive care and maintenance. A lot of things can help you deal with this condition. Here are some great tips that you can use to help you stay healthy and manage your diabetes.
Check all the foods you eat for the “glycemic index”, which is a number that shows you exactly how your blood sugar levels will be affected. Diabetics should always look for foods with the lowest possible GI number.
Grab a handful of almonds to curb your hunger cravings while not upsetting your diabetic blood sugar levels. Unsalted almonds are full of fiber, protein, and other nutrients, which are extremely healthy for you to ingest. Place a bowl of almonds next to your easy chair and munch on them while you are watching television.
Many foods, such as eggs or beans, are packed full of protein and are great for someone with diabetes. Try shaking up your routine so your taste buds do not die of boredom.
If you are diabetic, be very careful when getting a pedicure. Because people with diabetes are likely to develop foot infections, even a small cut can have serious results.
If you are hypoglycemic, you should always have gum or some other type of sugary food handy. Hypoglycemic attacks can happen anywhere, and you need to be prepared. If you suffer from hypoglycemia, avoid attacks by never skipping meals.
Blood Sugar
Figure out foods that have high glycemic levels, which are bad for your blood sugar. Breads, desserts, pastas, cereal, and even juices are products that are high in the glycemic index. In addition, these processed foods are bad on your blood sugar. Rather than consuming these terrible foods, eat fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Make sure you talk with your physician if you’re pregnant and feel you might have gestational diabetes. If you don’t act proactively, you are putting your health, as well as the health of your child, at risk. Your doctor can give you a prescription to help with the diabetes, and also help with a food plan.
If you suffer from diabetes, it is better to eat as many as six small meals, rather than three large meals a day. Eating small but frequent meals over the course of the day helps to maintain your blood sugar at a steady level. If you eat more often, you won’t get as hungry between meals — and you won’t eat as much.
Acting Insulin
Unless your doctor has given you different instructions, fast-acting insulin should be taken between one and 15 minutes before you eat. Fast-acting insulin is very effective at keeping blood sugar steady, only if used correctly though.
Smoking is bad for anyone, but it’s especially bad for diabetics. Having this habit will expose you to a lot of unhealthy effects. Smoking causes you to be resistant to insulin, and even if you are currently not a diabetic, it will put you in higher risk of type 2 diabetes development.
In most cases, gestational diabetes only lasts for the term of the pregnancy, but it is still essential to keep watch on your blood sugar levels at regular intervals. You can still have problems with blood glucose levels when you have your baby!
Blood Glucose
There are more effective ways to measure where your blood sugar levels are at, than urine ketone testing. If you have a high ketone level it will only show that blood glucose is higher than 200 mg per deciliter. The ADA advises instead that diabetics rely on better and simpler methods of testing blood glucose levels, such as testing strips and finger sticks.
Egg whites can be an ideal breakfast for diabetics. Egg whites contain lots of protein, and are very low in both fat and calories. You can eat your egg whites scrambled, or even use them to make a delicious omelet.
Take a small insulated bag with your insulin and supplies, if you plan on traveling. Keeping your insulin in a bag that is insulated will maintain the proper cool temperature required for this medication.
It is common for those people with diabetes to have serious undiagnosed health conditions, such as sleep apnea. This problem makes you temporarily stop breathing while sleeping due to airway constriction. If you’re tired during your day, get checked for your sleep apnea.
Diabetics do well when their diet incorporates healthy carbs. Diabetics should not follow extremely low-carb diets; they may not provide the body with the nutrients it needs. Keeping a good carb balance in your diet is also crucial to maintaining your energy level.
Blood Sugar
Scientific studies show that exercise lowers blood sugar, and it also increases insulin sensitivity, which helps control blood sugar levels in a healthy way. Do resistance training and aerobic exercise for best results.
If you skip meals, you might trigger a spike in your blood sugar. Your liver sometimes releases glucose into your bloodstream when you are starving so that cells can get the nutrients they need. This can cause a dramatic rise in your blood sugar if you are diabetic. To keep your blood sugar levels stable, eat regular meals and sensible carbohydrate-rich snacks.
Get more exercise if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Not only will exercise help you lose weight, it can also increase your insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar. People who suffer from diabetes should not be sitting around all day.
You must carefully monitor your diet and condition. Diabetes can be a challenging condition to cope with, but this article has tips that will make it seem less so. It’s about time you stopped fighting with your diabetes, and enjoy yourself. Instead, you can start living a healthy, productive life; even with diabetes.