Great Info Tips

Stress… a major problem for diabetics as it raises your blood sugar levels. I am currently under a lot of stress which makes my numbers a bit higher than I would like them to be. Most of the cause of my current stress are family issues and concerns. Things I will need to deal with on my own level.

Exercise will help with stress. Not just a little, but at least 20 minutes worth to get your heart beat rate up. If you can hear your heart beating you are doing great. I don’t seem to find enough time in my days to do a good exercise program. If you can get exercise squeezed into your day at least 3 to 4 times a week that should help you to keep your blood sugar levels lower.

Now I am going to tell you a few things about diabetes that I recently read:

High fiber foods can lower your blood sugar. Good sources of high fiber include apples, grapes, cantaloupes, bananas, peaches, green beans, sweet potatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Women under age 50 should have 25 grams of fiber a day, men 38 grams. Over 50 women should have 21 grams a day, men 30 grams.

Neuropathy (nerve damage) is very common among diabetics. It can be a side effect of some medications. High doses of Vitamin B6 are known to cause nerve problems, leading to uncoordinated movements like staggered walking or poor balance. I sometimes get what I term a “twitch” in my leg muscles which causes my leg to jerk. I can feel the slight tingling in my feet and toes at times, telling me it’s time to get busy again and do some more walking or exercise. That seems to help me. There are some lotions on the market for diabetic neuropathy. I have used some, but haven’t found them to be extremely helpful. In other words, they won’t take the tingling away, but will help lessen it at the time you put it on. Best thing to do about neuropathy is to discuss it with your doctor and see what he/she recommends you to do.

Dieting is something most diabetics need to do since most of us are overweight. For me it’s a huge struggle to diet. I watch what I eat, but the pounds don’t want to come off as fast as I would like them to. Crash diets are not good since they are unhealthy and don’t last for long. Cutting 250 calories a day can help you lose at least half a pound a week. Now I never said this would be fast! But losing a little at a time will help you to keep it off longer. If you think about the pounds lost in a year you would lose 26 lbs. Now that sounds so much better, doesn’t it? Diet pills on the market are not generally good for diabetics. READ THE LABELS! I can’t stress that enough. It’s much better to lose weight on your own than to think the quick way is the best. Pills just don’t work for most diabetics. Once again, consult your doctor on dieting. You can help by switching to low fat or no fat foods, grilling foods so the fat runs off, drink water to feel fuller, and do allow yourself a treat each day so you won’t feel deprived. That treat may be 1 cookie not the whole pack! Use your brain here!

One diet you don’t want to try is the Atkins diet. It’s definitely not diabetes friendly. Cutting carb intake to almost nothing without adjusting your diabetes meds could cause you to bottom out on the blood sugar levels. You would put yourself at risk. Once again, discuss this with your doctor before even trying it.

What to lower your blood pressure? Have at least 3-4 low fat milk servings a day. Besides, calcium is good for your bones.

The bottom line here is that exercise and watching what you shove in your mouth every day are going to make a difference for you. Get yourself a date book and write down what you eat every day. Make columns for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and supper. Be honest to yourself when you write these things down. Then at the end of the week see just what you ate. You may need to make adjustments for the following week or you can pat yourself on the back for being so diligent in your eating pattern for the week. There are days when I HAVE to have some chocolate. A small piece like a Hershey’s kiss will satisfy me. Or that 1 chocolate cookie. You have to decide what you want to do and now is the time to get started.

Until a cure is found for diabetes we will struggle, but we will survive if we do what we should for ourselves. Check back with me because I will continue to give out different information about diabetes. We can never learn enough about our own bodies.