[ad_1]
So I Have Diabetes – What Do I Do Now?
Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with diabetes? It is very important that you understand the basics of the disease and how it can affect your life. How you manage your diabetes can literally mean the difference between having a healthy life and having to deal with any of the many complications that can go along with the disease. It truly may be the difference between life and death. Controlling or reversing diabetes is possible by doing the right things.
Blood Sugar Control:
You need to learn how to check your blood sugar as often as needed, and also learn what other things you need to do to manage your diabetes. It is important to know how certain foods and other factors can affect your blood sugar. Your emotions can also affect your diabetes. It is important to develop a "can do" attitude and to learn how to live as normal as possible with your diabetes. If you do not keep your blood sugar at safe levels and manage your diabetes appropriately, the illness can lead to many other physical complications including heart disease, eye problems, kidney problems, and circulatory issues to name a few.
Lifestyle issues such as nutrition, exercise, and maintaining your appropriate weight for your body style are very important. Every newly diagnosed diabetic will need to learn how to make wise food choices and how to plan meals that will lead to better diabetic management.
Diabetic Diet Guidelines:
Diabetics have the same basic nutritional requirements as anyone else. Nutrition is one factor that definitely needs to be controlled. You can no longer eat based on your desires and in any amount you want. Diabetics need to follow a well-balanced meal plan that includes correct amounts of appropriate foods to manage your blood glucose level and keep it as close to normal (non-diabetes level) as possible.
Healthy food choices for you include:
– Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables daily.
– Add high quality protein sources such as lean meat, fish, lentils, and beans to your diet.
– Choose whole grain foods instead of products made with white flour.
– Eat brown rice and whole wheat pasta instead of white rice and pasta made with white flour.
– When making your lean meat choices such as turkey or chicken, baking it with the skin removed is best.
– Choose non-fat dairy products, and non-fat yogurt and cheeses.
– Liquid oils should be used in cooking instead of solid fats.
– Be careful about portion sizes; especially if you are trying to lose weight.
– Stay away from high calorie snack foods and desserts; instead opt for fresh fruit for your sweet tooth.
– Use Stevia, it is the safest sweetener to use on a regular basis.
– Water, green or herbal tea, and lemon water are your best choices for beverages.
– Try to avoid or cut down on sodas (regular or diet) as they are not a healthy choice for beverages.
At the very least, you should take a good quality multi vitamin daily. There may be other vitamins and supplements that may be beneficial for you to consider. As a general rule, capsules, gel caps, and liquid preparations are better than hard tablets as they are absorbed and assimilated by your body more efficiently. Also, try to find vitamins and supplements that do not contain a lot of additives, food colorings, and fillers.
Healthy Weight Control:
Unfortunately, most people diagnosed with diabetes are overweight. If you are diabetic and overweight, losing some weight will help you better manage your diabetes. When you decide to lose weight your first step should be speak with your doctor or a diabetic counselor. They will give you healthy guidelines to lose weight safely and successfully. The important thing is to keep working at getting to your healthiest weight.
Exercise Program:
You should plan to exercise on a daily as this has many obvious benefits. Exercise can be considered any activity that gets you up and moving. You do not have to do it all at one time. Plan several shorter exercise activities spread out over the course of the day. Usually the toughest part of exercising is taking that first step. Start slowly, and work up to 30-45 minutes 3-5 times per week if possible. Remember, anything you do is better than doing nothing!
There are different types of exercises: aerobic, strength training, and flexibility exercises. Walking is an excellent exercise for anyone because it improves circulation and mobility; it promotes weight loss and can even help reduce your stress level.
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle:
Your lifestyle not only includes your work, home life and what you do for fun, but it also includes detrimental health habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, or using recreational drugs. Your lifestyle includes your eating habits and risks that you take such as if you drive a sports car, motorcycle, or go bungee jumping. It also includes implementing important positive habits like wearing your seat belt! You need to realistically look at the different aspect of your lifestyle. If there are factors about your lifestyle that interfere with the control of your diabetes such as consuming alcohol or smoking you need to seriously consider avoiding or at least cutting down these habits if you want to remain in control and work on reversing your diabetes.
I know it's hard to learn new habits and make lifestyle changes when you find out you have diabetes. Learning as much as you can about Diabetes is critical to the quality of your future, because you can control or reverse diabetes.
[ad_2]
Source by Judy Mercer