Top Five Tips To Help You Keep Your Diabetes Under Control
Do you need help with managing your diabetes? Go over this article for some useful tips.
Purchase large quantities of testing strips, a quality monitor and some insulin. You can either use small syringes to inject insulin or use an insulin pen, which allows to dose the amount of insulin you inject more precisely. Find a good health insurance policy that will cover the cost of the supplies and do not hesitate to purchase your supplies in bulk to save money and make sure you always have plenty of testing strips. Get a small bag to carry your supplies and make sure you do not expose your insulin to extreme temperatures.
Make some changes to your diet. You need to eliminate a lot of unhealthy foods; check the labels of the foods you buy and avoid anything with a high amount of sugar, fat or preservatives. You will probably be surprised to find that your favorite foods are more unhealthy than you thought. Do not purchase foods that are advertised as sugar-free or fat-free; these foods might contain a large quantity of high-fructose corn syrup or other unhealthy ingredients.
It is best to purchase ingredients you can use to prepare your own meals rather than buying processed foods. There are plenty of easy recipes you can try. If you do not have time to cook, make a sandwich, have some soup or prepare large quantities of your favorite dish so you can freeze individual portions. When eating out, do not hesitate to ask your waiter or waitress about the ingredients used.
Be more active. If you are overweight, you need to focus on losing enough pounds to reach a healthy weight. Give yourself enough time to get used to a new diet and start exercising regularly. Be careful at first, especially if you have not worked out in years. You should focus on losing weight in your midsection by doing abs and crunches before you can think about working out regularly or doing other exercises. Join a gym and work with a personal trainer if you need help.
Keeping your blood sugar under control will reduce your risks of developing complications. However, you need to be very careful about your hygiene since high blood sugar will cause infections to spread quickly. Your feet should always be protected, cleaned and kept dry. You also need to develop an excellent oral hygiene to avoid gum disease and visit your dentist regularly. Get your eyesight checked regularly since diabetes can affect your eyesight and inspect yourself on a daily basis to make sure you do not have any cuts or bruises that could turn into an infection. Do not let the possibility of developing complications make you feel stressed, but do your best to keep your diabetes under control so you never have to deal with complications.
Use these tips to manage your diabetes and talk to your doctor if you need help. Keep in mind that your condition will be a lot easier to manage once you have reached a healthy weight and adopting an ideal diet.