Believe it or not, diabetes is one of the most common diseases out there. It can strike at any time and it doesn't rightly matter if you're living a preventative lifestyle. You can still contract the disease. If you have diabetes, it's high time you started learning about how to tame the disease. Use these tips to help you out.
Apples are so good for you if you're diabetic! They give you something sweet to beat a sugar craving, and they're high in fiber, which will help you keep your weight down. They don't provide a large blood sugar spike after eating, so they can give you a ton of energy without causing you any health problems.
Yogurt is an excellent way for a diabetic to convince their mouth that low-fat, sugar-free food IS enjoyable. Have a cup of non-fat yogurt mixed with seasonable fruit for breakfast with a high-fiber muffin and a glass of milk so that you'll have enough energy to last you right through until lunch.
Skip the french fries and ditch the baked potato – it's time to replace your carb-heavy side dishes with something that's actually GOOD for a Diabetic. Salad! I'm not talking potato or pasta salad, they're both carbohydrate disaster areas. Pick up some lettuce, shred some vegetables, throw on some tomato wedges and a nice light oil and vinegar dressing and dig in!
Stress can wreak havoc on a Diabetic's mental health, but it will also cause problems physically as well. Try to do stress-relieving activities like exercise, yoga, or deep breathing exercises at the end of the day or during any situation that is particularly stressful to keep yourself calm, cool, and collected.
Find a diabetic friend to support you through your journey with diabetes. You'll be able to swap ideas, share recipes and just have a shoulder to cry on when things get stressful. You can even give them a call when you're having a craving and they'll talk you through it! Friends can keep you sane and that's especially true, if they're going through the same hardship that you are.
It's okay to reuse lancets on your blood glucose monitor, or syringes when you inject yourself with insulin. As long as you're not sharing then there is next to no real danger in reusing either, so change them when they begin to hurt you, or at least once a month.
Treat yourself to a leg and foot massage once in a while to keep your circulation pumping. Diabetes causes peripheral neuropathy, which can be painful and not reversible. Have your spouse put some lotion on your calves and give you a soothing rub to relieve your stress and help your feet stay healthy.
Although it's too late to prevent diabetes now, it's not too late to take the steps necessary to rise above this disease. Learning how to deal with your diabetes is only half of the battle here. The onus is now on you to put a plan together in order to fight this disease.