Diabetes is a long-lasting health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy. Normally, the body breaks down most of the food eaten into sugar and releases it into the bloodstream. When the blood sugar of a person goes up, the pancreas releases insulin, which acts like a key to let the blood sugar into the cells of the body to be used as energy. However, people with diabetes do not produce enough insulin or can’t use it as it should. With this, too much blood sugar stays in the bloodstream, which, over time, can cause serious health problems like kidney disease, heart disease, and vision loss.
Today, there isn’t a cure for diabetes yet, but keeping it under control can help in preventing other health conditions from arising. There are also many products being introduced in the market that may help people dealing with diabetes, and an example is diabetic foot care. There are also various types of diabetes, and no two people with the condition are the same. This means that there is no one-size-fits-all diet and living methods for all people with diabetes. But in this post, we have gathered essential tips on how to live a healthy life for people with diabetes.
Lose Some Weight
If you are overweight, shedding a few pounds can help improve your body’s ability to use insulin. This may also help lower your blood sugar levels and improve your blood pressure and blood fats. Losing weight also helps in providing your body with more energy. Therefore, if you are diabetic, it is ideal that you aim to burn more calories than you eat. Try to cut excess fat, sugar, and calories from the food that you eat. In addition, exercising regularly may also help you in losing some weight along with a healthy diet.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting not enough sleep or too much sleep can increase your appetite and cravings for foods that are high in carbohydrates. This can lead to weight gain and may increase your risk for diabetes complications, such as heart disease. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are getting enough sleep, around seven to eight hours per night. If you are suffering from sleeping disorders, such as sleep apnea, getting treatments for it may help improve your sleep and lower the levels of your blood sugar.
As we’ve mentioned earlier, exercising is one of the keys to losing weight. In addition to working out, you can pick out activities that will keep you moving, such as walking, biking, dancing, or simply marching around while doing chores at home. Staying active even for just half an hour a day can be beneficial for you. Exercising can help lower your cardiovascular risks, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. It can also help relieve your stress and may possibly aid you in cutting back on diabetes medication.
Keep Your Blood Sugar Monitored
People who have diabetes should always check their blood sugar levels. This way, you can avoid complications like nerve pain and keep them from getting worse. Also, checking your blood sugar levels also helps in learning how fast foods and activities affect you and if your treatment or medicines are working. Doctors can help you set a target glucose level range. The closer you are to the target level, the better you will feel.
Manage Your Stress
Stress can also cause blood sugar levels to rise for those who have diabetes. Therefore, you have to get rid of whatever mental or physical stresses that you have if you can. There are some who are getting stressed about their finances, but you can always reach out to your loved ones or reliable services like BluMortgage floify to help. Try to learn different coping techniques to deal with problems and stress. You can try practicing breathing exercises like meditation and yoga, which are usually effective for those who have type 2 diabetes.
Avoid Salty Foods
Reducing salt in your diet may also help in lowering your blood pressure and keeping your kidneys healthy. Aside from not salting your food, you also need to avoid processed foods as they are also high in sodium. When you cook, you can use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavors to your food. Try to talk to your doctor about how much to reduce your sodium intake. Generally, people who have diabetes need to decrease their salt intake to less than 2,300 mg daily. But doctors may also recommend lower amounts.
Take Care of Bumps and Bruises
When you have diabetes, you have a higher risk of infection and slow healing. Therefore, you have to treat simple cuts and scrapes fast. Make sure that you clean the wound properly and use an antibiotic cream and sterile bandage. If you notice a cut that is not getting better in a few days, make sure that you see your doctor immediately. Also, always check your feet daily for blisters, sores, cuts, redness, and swelling. Always keep your skin moisturized to prevent cracks.
If you are a smoker and you have diabetes, you need to break your smoking habit. It’s because people with diabetes who smoke are twice more likely to die prematurely compared to those who don’t. In addition, quitting your smoking habit may help your heart and lungs. It also lowers your risk of stroke and heart attack, as well as nerve damage and kidney disease. You can also ask your doctor for help when it comes to quitting smoking.
Always Choose Healthy Foods
There is no single diet for diabetes. But you can enjoy superfoods, such as fish with omega-3 fatty acids, berries, dark green, leafy vegetables, and sweet potatoes. If you live in America, you might find it challenging to come up with a healthy diet as a lot of processed foods are available in the market. That’s why if you are thinking of moving to the country, you can click here to learn about important factors before you do. When buying foods from the grocery store, look at labels and avoid those with saturated fat and trans fats. Choose foods that have mono and polyunsaturated fats instead, such as olive oil. You can also reach out to a registered dietician for personalized advice.
Visit Your Doctor Regularly
It is very important to have regular checkups with your doctor if you have diabetes, especially if you are taking insulin or need assistance in balancing your blood sugar levels. Getting a physical and eye exam every year is also beneficial, along with getting screened for nerve and kidney damage and other complications. This way, you will be given proper treatment that can prevent other health issues from arising.
These are some of the best healthy living tips that we can give to people with diabetes. While there is still no cure for diabetes, following the tips we shared in this post may help you prevent other complications and live a healthy and normal life every day. Just always stay active and eat healthy foods to reduce your risk of other health problems. We hope this post helped you learn more about managing diabetes.