Diabetes is a very serious and potentially devastating disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide. Although being diagnosed with diabetes is often very scary, it does not have to be. You can still enjoy a great quality of life. It is important for diabetics to fully understand their disease and learn how to take proper care of their health. The following article contains a number of tips for dealing with diabetes.
Diabetics have to watch their carbohydrate intake, and bread is a major player in a typical American’s diet. Try to find a bread with at least 5 grams of fiber AND protein per slice so that eating it is validated by the nutrients it’s carrying. Also avoid preservatives as they’re not healthy either.
Fish is an excellent choice of protein for a Diabetic who is looking to lose weight. It’s full of Omega fatty acids which are great for your body, and the calcium in the bones (if you include them) can meet the daily recommended doses.
When a child has Diabetes, you need to ensure that everyone in their life is aware of the consequences of not adhering strictly to their new eating rules. If they go to their Grandparents’ house, ensure they know how important it is for the child to only receive healthy snacks.
Diabetics MUST visit their doctor regularly to keep tabs on their blood sugar, weight, and medications. Your physician might know of a new treatment that could be useful to you, or see something in your blood work that indicates there is a problem. Having your doctor weigh you will also give you an accurate measurement of how well you’re keeping your weight under control.
If you’re having trouble finding organizations in your area that can help you get help with your Diabetes, dial 211. The United Way can point you in the right direction towards support groups and other organizations who will help you get discounted supplies and prescriptions so you can stay healthy.
There are several ways to prevent developing diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and can be prevented by regular exercise, losing weight, eating more fiber, and consuming whole grains. Don’t attempt to shortcut living a healthy lifestyle by using fad diets; talk to a physician or nutritionist and make an effective plan together.
Gestational diabetes can be a dangerous complication of pregnancy. It causes high blood sugar and can affect your health as well as your baby’s. Luckily, gestational diabetes can be controlled by a healthy diet, exercise, and sometimes medication. It usually resolves itself after the baby is born.
Do not rely on chocolate for a quick fix if your blood glucose levels drop. While most diabetics feel that this is a harmless remedy, it may actually have the opposite effect. The body absorbs fatty foods far more slowly, so you will notice a faster increase in glucose if you opt for a sweet, but fat-free, food.
Improperly managing your diabetes and blood sugar levels can lead to binge eating and overeating. Failure to accurately assess your body’s individualized responses can lead diabetics to continuously eat for fear of allowing their blood glucose levels to dip below acceptable and healthy levels. Diligent monitoring can give you a more accurate assessment than your feelings of fullness.
Closely monitor how much trans fat and saturated fat you are taking in. The trans fat in vegetable oils and fried products contribute to heart disease and severely affect patients with type 2 diabetes. Also, the saturated fat in red meats and other foods does the same thing. Eat these types of fats at healthy levels.
When you have diabetes, you probably have a team of doctors helping you out. You need to make sure that all of your doctors are on the same page, and are communicating with each other in a manner that puts your best interests first. Be assertive when it comes to your health care.
Diabetes is not necessarily caused by the excess intake of sugar, but in general calories. A person that consumes primarily fatty foods can be in as much danger for the disease as people consuming a high amount of sugary food. They best way to avoid Type II Diabetes is to live a healthy lifestyle.
If you’re a diabetic looking for a snack, make sure to choose something with 150 calories or less. Snacks have a tendency to make you go overboard and replace a full meal. Make sure you are truly hungry when you are reaching for a snack and not just using it as a boredom buster.
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.
If you are a diabetic that is insulin-dependent, it is important for you to teach your friends and family about how to properly inject the insulin. If you get to the point of not being able to inject yourself, they need to be able to inject it for you. This could be a life saving lesson.
You need to find out as much as you possible can about diabetes, when you are first diagnosed. Many people make the mistake of assuming that their doctor will pass along all of the information that they need to know. There is a lot of information and there is just no way that you can learn it all in just one doctor’s visit.
As was mentioned in the beginning of this article, diabetes is a serious medical disorder that affects millions of people throughout the world. The key to managing diabetes, and living a long, healthy life in spite of the disease, is to educate yourself and learn the proper ways to care for your body. Follow the advice in this article, and you will be well on your way to living a healthier, happier life.