Don’t Be The Disease: Managing Your Diabetes

Generally, people aren’t all that scared at the prospect of testing their blood sugar or administering insulin. It is usually the threat of complications like diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes-induced eye disease, that scares people into taking their diabetes seriously. Avoid letting diabetes get to that level. Learn more about your condition, and find out what you can do to prevent it from getting worse by using this article.
Managing your everyday life in an orderly and consistent manner can make it flow with more ease. For instance, choose a spot to keep your insulin and meter, and make sure you put them there each and every night, so you know right where they are when you need them in the morning. When you test, make it a routine so you never forget a step or to write down your levels in your log.
If you are diabetic, you need to learn to indulge in a healthy manner. You will not necessarily have to give up everything sweet. When you can effectively manage your blood glucose levels, you shouldn’t worry to much about sneaking in the occasional sweet treat. Plan for desserts by removing an equal number of carbs from the main part of your meal.
If you are suffering from diabetes you should test yourself for sleep apnea. To keep yourself in optimal health, it is critical that you treat any sleeping disorder you may have as quickly as possible.
Grain Foods
Switch to a diet high in fiber in order to lower your risk of developing diabetes. Choose whole wheat and whole grain foods over their processed counterparts, like white bread, which have a dangerously high glycemic index. Research has shown that people who eat more whole grain foods have a reduced risk of developing diabetes.
You should have the ability to identify which foods are high in the glycemic index, which quickly elevates your blood sugar. Foods with a high carbohydrate or sugar content include breads, cereal and most fruit juices. Eating processed food will do your blood sugar no favors. Add more fresh vegetables and fruits, meats and fish to your diet.
Go to your doctor immediately if you notice anything wrong with your vision. Diabetes may cause a lot of different problems for your eyes, like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma. Fix these problems as soon as possible because they have the potential to cause blindness.
Blood Glucose
Diabetics should monitor their eating habits carefully. Your blood glucose will react to different foods in different ways so it is important to monitor what you are and are not eating. Large meals may call for large insulin doses, and a snack requires less. If you monitor your meals and are careful with your diet, you can manage your blood glucose levels well.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, use your fast-acting insulin up to as much as 15 minutes before eating a meal. Fast-acting insulins can be a very effective for maintaining blood sugars, but only if they are properly dosed and timed for each individual.
Ask your doctor about sugar pills if you have hypoglycemia. You can get a prescription for glucose in tablet form. Glucose tables are fast and easy to use, and are safer and more effective than eating a food with a high sugar content.
Favorite Dishes
Make your favorite comfort foods more diabetes-friendly. Many people find that the dietary restrictions placed upon diabetics is one of the hardest things to adjust to. Many people mistakenly assume that they will be forced to forgo their favorite dishes. Some people will eat what they like in even if it is not a good decision. A great idea is to make substitutions for your favorite dishes. You would be surprised just how many dishes can be made diabetic-friendly just by using healthier replacements for offending ingredients.
As the introduction of this article mentioned, it’s the potential to go blind and other debilitating side effects associated with diabetes that really scare people. You can work past the fear and use the information you’ve learned here to ensure that you’re never a victim of these nasty complications.