Living with diabetes can be quite the challenge. Between frequent doctor visits, testing your own blood sugar, and managing your diet, it can be so much for a person to handle. Knowing what you need to do is half the battle. Read the rest of this article, and hopefully it will make it easier for you to manage your diabetes.
Check the glycemic index to determine how much different foods will affect your blood sugar level. For diabetics, the GI numbers should be as low as possible.
Exercise is a key lifestyle habit for a diabetic person. You need to get moving as much as possible to help keep your weight at a reasonable level and your organs in tip-top shape. Try to go for a long walk after dinner or take the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
Diabetic children can often feel ostracized or different than their classmates. You must remind your child that everyone is different, and that they're just like any children with peanut allergies or a pair of glasses. Their Diabetes is just a bump in their life, not a hurdle, and they'll be a stronger person some day for working hard at keeping it at bay.
You can get a free blood glucose meter from your pharmacy just by asking. They usually have coupons or rebates so that you can get the latest model at no cost, the caveat is that you'll be buying their brand of blood test strips for the rest of your life.
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.
Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. When you let too much time lapse between meals or skip a meal completely, you risk having your blood glucose levels drop too low. Diabetics who eat breakfast, lunch and dinner without skipping any meals are much more likely to have normal glucose readings.
To save money, the American Diabetes Association approves the re-use of testing lancets. These are the needles used by your glucometer to test your blood sugar. Re-using them does result in them becoming dull, so be sure to change them out when you notice the pain level of your testing rising. Never share lancets.
Buckwheat is an excellent choice to include in a Diabetic diet. It can lower your blood glucose levels after a meal, keeping you from having a spike. You can eat buckwheat instead of rice, or enjoy soba noodles with your dinner. It's available at almost any grocery store and is sometimes known as kasha.
As it was said in the beginning, diabetes is quite the challenge. There are so many things that a patient with diabetes needs to remember and consider. Hopefully, reading this article helped to ground you, and allowed you to understand how in a practical way this disease can be managed and effectively controlled.