Living Well and Coping With Diabetes

In simple terms, what happens when you have diabetes is your body doesn't have the capabilities to product the correct amount of insulin in your body so that it can regulate blood sugar levels throughout your day. This may seem like something that is not very hard to manage, but it is in fact quite difficult. Remember the tips listed in the article to make it easier.

• Add walnuts to your salad to add a fresh, nutritious twist. The monounsaturated fats in walnuts help to keep your diabetes under control by increasing your cells' receptiveness to insulin. Walnuts also contain antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and omega-3's; they will increase your energy and they are delicious.
• Glucose tablets are an option for the hypoglycemic. These tablets generally come in small containers that fit in a purse or pocket, and can quickly boost your blood glucose levels.
• When you're measuring blood glucose levels, don't use urine ketone testing alone. Your urine's ketone level doesn't give you specific information about your blood sugar level; it only tells you that your sugar level is significantly higher than normal. The ADA tells us that diabetics should use finger sticks and blood tests for more accurate results.
• Be sure to keep your insulin at your side and accessible at any moment when traveling. Never place insulin in baggage that is checked because your luggage could be misplaced or unintentionally exposed to extremely hot or cold temperatures. Carrying insulin onto the plane with you is alright. If it is not subjected to extremes of temperature. Insulin can keep for up to a month without refrigeration.
• Smoking is not a habit a diabetic should start, or continue. Diabetes and the effects of smoking can both inhibit blood flow. Even worse, it can cause quite a spike in blood sugar levels. Your doctor can help you to determine the best way to beat your nicotine addiction.
• If hypoglycemia is an issue, make sure you carry some sort of sugar food with you always, such as gum. Hypoglycemia can strike at any time, and you must be prepared for an attack. This is especially true if you have not eaten breakfast, as your body is craving sugar.
• Learn about different foods and how they work for and against your diabetes. Some foods will help to boost your sugar levels quickly and others you are going to want to avoid to prevent doing any damage to your body now that you are diabetic.
• Season your meals with vinegar. Ingesting vinegar, before you eat your meals, can keep your blood sugar from going up too fast when you eat. Vinegar slows the speed of starch digestion, and can keep digested food in the stomach for longer.
• If you are hypoglycemic, you should always have gum or some other type of sugary food handy. Hypoglycemia attacks can happen at any time, so you need to be prepared for that. If you didn't eat breakfast then this is especially true, as skipping meals will make your body crave sugar.
• When you are diagnosed with the disease, everyone will have a story for you about a relative, friend or acquaintance who suffered devastating effects. Yes, things like this can happen, but the majority of the time they don't. Even if your doctor tells you that you are diabetic, you can still lead a normal and healthy life.
• One myth regarding diabetes is that it's necessary to always avoid sugar. However, you will need to exercise caution and discretion when you do enjoy a small dessert. You will still be able to indulge in small servings of your favorite sweets on special occasions. Sweet desserts contain high amounts of carbohydrates, so on days when you eat dessert, reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat in your other meals.
• Don't stuff your face with food, if you suffer from hypoglycemia. While it is important to get adequate sugars from the diet, excess sugar gives higher blood sugar levels, and this causes even more negative problems for the body.
• It is very important not always depend solely on the urine ketone analysis for examining your blood sugar. High ketone levels in the urine suggest simply that your blood glucose is approximately higher than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). Use a home glucose meter to measure the actual amount of sugar inside your blood instead. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) looks at this type of testing to be significantly more accurate compared to urine assessment.

The management techniques you learned in this article can help you keep diabetes under control and improve your quality of life. Remember that the information laid out here is just a bit of the information available, so keep learning all you can about managing your diabetes.