Diabetes can affect your well being in general. This article explores the steps you can take to help keep you healthy and less prone to infections. Having a strong will is going to get you far with diabetes, yet everyone needs a little bit of advice now and again.
Peanut butter is an excellent way to satisfy a craving for something sweet when you’re diabetic. It contains healthy fats and is relatively low in sugar, so grab a spoon and dig in. Lick it like a lollipop and it will outlast any craving you have. Be careful if you put it on crackers or bread because you will need to include those carbohydrates in your daily counts.
Diabetics can have problems in their eyes due to their condition, so make sure you go to the optometrist for testing at least once a year. Many optometrists have special machines, which can look inside your eyeball to check for the typical damage of a diabetic, and can sometimes diagnose your disease before you even have symptoms!
Feel free to ask your doctor any question about Diabetes you might have, from how it affects your bowel movements to if it can cause sexual dysfunction (yes, it can!) No question should be too embarrassing or uneducated for you to feel comfortable finding the answer to as your doctor is there to help!
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!
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.
If you find that you are frequently unable to keep your blood glucose levels under control, consider asking your primary care physician about whether an insulin pump may be a good choice for you. You may find that a pump can help you reach your targets, but it requires diligence and willingness to monitor insulin frequently.
It is important that you have your cholesterol checked at least once a year if you have diabetes. Having diabetes increases your chances of developing high cholesterol, which can cause serious health problems like heart disease and stroke. There is a simple blood test called a fasting lipid profile that checks your cholesterol levels.
Find out if there are any public gardening areas near you where people grow their own produce. This is an excellent way for a Diabetic to get some exercise by doing weeding, watering, or planting new seedlings. Often you get to keep some of what you grow as well, giving you some wonderfully fresh and organic treats to enjoy when you get home!
Eating out at restaurants or getting take out is not only bad for a Diabetic’s health, but also their checkbook. Save money and your blood glucose level by eating at home instead. You can find many copycat recipes online for all your favorite foods, and even healthier versions which are better for you.
To keep your diabetes from hurting your teeth, be sure to brush and floss several times a day. Diabetes increases the levels of glucose in your saliva, which means your teeth are much more susceptible to decay. Anyone suffering from diabetes needs to be extra vigilante when it comes to taking care of their teeth.
To keep your insulin resistance from increasing, always eat a good breakfast. Breakfast provides a kickstart to your metabolism that plays a crucial role in helping your body properly process insulin. Grabbing a quick snack instead of a balanced meal will make it hard to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
To make sure the carbohydrates you consume don’t cause an issue for your body, eat them alongside protein. Protein will make sure your body absorbs the carbohydrates you eat slowly, which will help prevent dramatic changes to your blood sugar levels. Protein rarely increases blood glucose levels, and it’s a great way to balance carbohydrates out.
As a diabetes sufferer, it is important to know about the latest medical advancements. New medical advancements mean that there could be new treatments for diabetes in the near future. Be sure to ask your doctor about any new treatments that may arise and see if you qualify for them.
Taking care of your teeth is extremely important when you have diabetes. When you have high levels of glucose in your system, you will also have that in your saliva which will bring about tooth decay. When you have diabetes, it is harder for you to fight any type of infection, so if you get gum disease it will be more serious than if a healthy person develops it.
A good tip for people suffering from diabetes is to carry around diabetes bars to use as meal replacements when they can’t find the time to eat a proper meal. There are bars and shakes made specifically to address the needs of people with diabetes so it is an easy way to get your nutrients without any hassle or measuring.
Use single serving bags for your snacks. Usually after one bag, you won’t eat more than that. Sometimes, the cost of single serving snacks can deter you away from buying them, but you can also buy them as you normally would and separate them into snack bags when you get home from the grocery store.
As you read, there are many different tips on how to manage your diabetes. Get your head clear and follow sound advice to keep you healthy. You can take control of your health in many ways and the above advice will assist you in doing so. Diabetes is a manageable condition when you know how to manage it!
