The vast majority of those who contract diabetes are going to have the disease for life. With any luck, you will be able to properly manage it and stop it from becoming worse, but that’s going to take a lot of effort and the right knowledge. Here are some tips you can use to gain the knowledge necessary to manage diabetes.
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!
A good night’s sleep is a great way to lower blood sugar. Studies show that uninterrupted sleep aids the body’s ability to regulate the production of insulin. Maintaining a normal blood glucose level is important to a diabetic’s overall health, so work on setting a consistent bed time each night.
Don’t use alcohol swabs before an insulin injection. It’s actually unnecessary, as long as your skin, hands, and needle are clean. Alcohol swabs will dry out the skin, making it more likely that the injection site will stay open. This can actually increase the risk of an infection at the site.
A great way to save money and still eat healthy is to plan out all your meals. If you can reuse a food bought in bulk multiple times, like a loaf of bread or a specific vegetable, you’ll be able to save money on the purchase. Plan out every meal to make the most of your grocery buys.
Eat a well-balanced diet. Since there is no official diabetes diet, it’s important that you handle your condition by eating a healthy diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and lean meats and low in fat, sugar and simple carbohydrates. If you eat everything in moderation and are controlling your diabetes through medication, you should have fairly stable blood glucose levels.
Join a support group for those with diabetes. It’s not because you don’t fit in anywhere else, it’s because talking to others with your condition will help you to feel that you aren’t quite alone in the world. Other people are going through what you are going through and a support group can help.
One of the most difficult things to remember for a newly-diagnosed diabetic is the importance of monitoring glucose levels diligently. Over time, failure to do so can lead to irreversible damage to the nerves and blood vessels throughout the entire body. These types of damage can lead to problems with emotional, cardiovascular, and sexual health.
By way of advice one of the best suggestions for a diabetic is to know themselves. You know better than anybody how your body will react to that small ice cream, or how low your blood sugars will get if you wait to long for your meal. Know yourself, and use that knowledge to more effectively manage your diabetes.
A good tip for people dealing with diabetes is to never skip meals, especially breakfast. If you do not eat for several hours for whatever reason, your body relies on glucose released from your liver for energy. People with diabetes continue to produce glucose even when their body has had enough so make sure to eat something to let your liver know to stop producing glucose.
If you’re looking to help balance your blood sugar levels, eat more whole grain foods. While no one is completely certain why it works, research indicates that whole grains are good for maintaining healthy blood sugar and also for reducing a person’s risk of developing diabetes. An easy way to include more whole grains in your diet is to switch at least half the grain products you eat — like pasta and bread — to whole grain versions.
The type of diabetes you have will dictate whether or not you have it for life, but even if you have a mild case of diabetes, you should still be doing everything in your power to regulate your blood sugar levels. Using the above information to assist you, you can work toward being an overall healthy person.