Diabetes

Lifestyle Changes that Can Help You Live with Diabetes

 

When most people hear the word "diabetes" they almost immediately equate it with sugar, food and an almost ridiculously regimented diet. Not to mention the daily injections! Whoever says those needles don't factor in anywhere is lying through their teeth!  A diabetic diet is only half of the challenge in beating diabetes, however. Healthy lifestyle changes are going to do just as much as the food you eat to help you keep your life on track.

Regular exercise is usually one of the first lifestyle change recommendations made by doctors following a diagnosis of diabetes. Why? Because obesity makes it extremely difficult to control your blood sugar. Keeping your weight at a healthy level is vital for your ability to control your disease, and exercise is vital to your ability to keep your weight at a healthy level.

Give up alcohol and cigarettes. Do you have any idea how many carbs are in the average beer, or what those carbs can do to your blood sugar level? Your doctor does. Alcohol is processed through the liver in much the same way a fat is, causing your blood sugar to rise. Alcohol should be consumed sparingly, and only when your diabetes is under control.

It's a poorly kept secret (*cough* nationally advertised campaign *cough*) that smoking is bad for your health. Smoking when you have diabetes makes you up to three times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than a non-smoke. Smoking also raises blood sugar levels and reduces the body to use insulin. In fact, studies have shown that smoking can decrease your body's ability to use insulin by up to 15%. That's a loss you don't need when you're already struggling with diabetes.

You've undoubtedly heard that it's a lot healthier to eat 6-10 small meals throughout the day than to eat three large meals. Not only does this stop you from getting hungry, overeating and sending your blood sugar flying, it also makes it easier to maintain steady blood glucose levels throughout the day because you aren't constantly rolling through a series of peaks and troughs (extreme highs and lows that are going to affect you physically). Think of it as the difference between sailing across steady seas and taking the route with storm tossed waters. The smooth seas are going to give you a much smoother ride.

Finally, diabetics should make a concentrated effort to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Stress wrecks havoc on all of your body's systems, including (but not limited to) your endocrine system. That means being mentally and/or physically stressed can raise your blood sugar dramatically, increasing your chances of diabetes-related complications. Yoga, a low-stress lifestyle, meditation and regular exercise will go a long way toward reducing the amount of stress in your life and making it easier for you to live with diabetes.

And, as much as I hate to say it, medications are a lifeline to those suffering from diabetes. It is really important to take the drugs your doctor has prescribed on the schedule prescribed. If you can’t afford your drugs, you might want to consider finding a discount pharmacy online.

The Diabetes Diet

It doesn't matter how common Type 1 & Type 2 diabetes are. There's still something incredibly frightening about hearing that your own body and the food you eat are working against you to make you sick. No one expects that. No one wants that. But millions of people are living with it by sticking to a diabetic diet.

No, this isn't the part where I start telling you about counting calories, although carbs are going to come into play. This isn't an article about losing weight when you're a diabetic. You have more important things to worry about. Once you get your diabetes under control and you're actually healthy, the rest of it will take care of itself.

Many doctors have their own opinion about what comprises a diabetic diet, and if your physician has put you on a regimented diet based on your personal needs you should stick to it. If you're wandering around wondering what to do now, however, here's a place to start:

Carbs

As delightful as sandwiches, subs and pretzels are, eating the wrong amount of carbohydrates can be the kiss of death to the diabetic diet and therefore a great place to start. Carbs should make up approximately 50% of your daily diet, since lower carbohydrate intake has been associated with lower blood sugar levels. Eating excessive amounts of carbs, however, will send your blood sugar flying. You're going to need to count your carbs throughout the day. Starch, fruit and milk all provide carbohydrates.

Protein

Protein sources should make up 10-20% of your daily diet. Studies have shown that proteins are not documented to cause elevated blood sugar levels in the average diabetic. Fatty meats can, however, wreck havoc with the body's metabolism. Stick with lean meats, just as you would if you were making a concentrated effort to lose weight. In fact, protein has been shown to reduce abdominal and total fat mass win women with Type II diabetes.

Fruits/Vegetables

Because fruits and vegetables can provide sugar and carbohydrates to your diet, you're going to need to monitor your intake of both of these. Your doctor will probably recommend that you avoid "starchy" vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas and beans (among others) as part of your diabetic diet, as well as concentrated fruit juices and fruits like watermelon, mangoes, bananas, strawberries and grapes.

Dairy

Low-fat milk and other dairy products are a vital part of controlling diabetes, and there has been some research to support the theory that milk, cheese, yogurt and other low-fat dairy products can help protect against insulin resistance in overweight adults. (The direct correlation with chronic diabetes is still in question.) Skim milk and low-fat yogurt are ideal additions to a diabetic diet.

Sugars

Sugars are the biggest hazard to diabetics because of how quickly they are absorbed into the blood stream and affect the body's blood sugar levels. A diabetic diet does not necessarily mean "sugar free", although sugar free candy is probably going to become a permanent part of your lifefstyle! Be aware of foods containing lactose, sucrose, fructose and other sugars (anything ending in –ose is a sugar).