If you, or a family member, has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, getting educated is the first step to dealing with the disease. The article below has tips and ideas to help you combat this disease and lead a happy and healthy life. Being proactive now is the best way to avoid serious problems in the future.
Every type of food has a number that states its effects on blood sugar. This number is called the “glycemic index”. Remember, the lower the GI number, the better for a diabetic!
You can get protein from a variety of other foods, including dairy products, eggs, tofu, and beans. Try making some meals from the recipes in diabetic cookbooks.
It is tough to be told that your child has diabetes, but there is so much you can do to make it easier for them. Because diabetes is so typical nowadays, there are treatments that are available that can provide your child with a typical life span. The oldest diabetic is 90 years old. He was living before all the medical knowledge we currently have.
Learn which foods can raise blood sugar. High glycemic index foods are those that can raise your levels quickly. Avoid carbohydrates with elevated glycemic indexes like bread, cereal and pasta. Processed foods are bad for your blood glucose levels. Instead, include meat, fish, veggies and low-glycemic fruits in your diet.
If you’re a person who likes to snack and a diabetic, it can be extremely difficult to fight the urge to eat a treat you see in your kitchen, or in vending machines. A piece of fresh fruit, carrot sticks or any complex carbohydrate is an energy-producing snack that is good for you. The chips, soda and candy will make your diabetes worse, so you should shun them.
Do not be surprised if your blood sugar levels spike after treating a low glucose situation. That is because of this: your body releases hormones when you have low glucose levels, and because of that, you might inadvertently be consuming more glucose than you need to correct the hypoglycemic episode. Next time, eat or drink half the amount you would normally ingest, then check your levels after 30 minutes.
It is important that, as a diabetic, you eat nutritional foods on a regular basis and check your glucose levels, even when feeling unwell and you have no appetite. Long periods of low blood sugar can leave you dehydrated, so drinking a lot of liquids can help you through this.
Smoking is dangerous to your health, but it is especially harmful to a person with diabetes. Having this habit only brings about detrimental health effects. Smoking causes you to be insulin resistant, and if you’re not already diabetic, you put yourself at a higher risk for developing diabetes.
One of the myths associated with diabetes is that you must avoid sugar at all costs. All you need to do is be more conscious about your sugary decisions, sugar does not need to be banished completely. You can still have a small sweet treat every now and then, though make sure to keep it to a minimum. If you’ll be enjoying some sweets, eliminate other carb containing foods to fit the sweets in.
Always make time for exercise. Exercise helps your body handle glucose and insulin more efficiently. For diabetics, exercise is an essential addition to the lifestyle.
Information will always give you the best chance of winning any battle, and that’s especially true when dealing with something as dangerous and as unpredictable as diabetes. What you’ve just read here, are a collection of tips that you can use to empower you, when working hard to conquer the disease. Don’t waste time; get started today.