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American Diabetes Foundation Article
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What To Do To Take Charge of Your Diabetes
Diabetes does not have to mean the end of an active normal life. It does mean that your lifestyle will need to be healthier. Type 2 diabetes can be delayed, and the longer you can delay it, you have less chance of developing severe complications. Heart disease, kidney problems, and blindness are severe complications that can results from untreated diabetes.
A diabetic will need to take extra precautions with their feet. Because diabetes damages circulation, often the feel lose all sensation. They are then more vulnerable to injuries, even small ones that can develop into severe complications that may even cause a loss of a limb.
The American Diabetic Association has several recommendations to prevent or slow down diabetes. Remember, if you can delay the beginning of diabetes, you also will reduce your chance of complications from the disease.
Controlling your weight is one of the first steps in controlling diabetes. Watching your dietary intake, losing weight if you are overweight, and reading the labels of the packages you buy at the grocery store will help you delay the onset of diabetes. Switch to sugar free colas, replacing whole grains instead of pasta, watching your fat intake, and drinking more water will help you to lose weight and be healthier.
Losing or controlling your weight will make a difference in your blood glucose levels. Even a small weight loss can make a big difference in those levels.
Watch your carbohydrate and sugar intake are especially important if you have a history of diabetes in your family. Not all carbohydrates are bad for you. Try to cut out the refined carbohydrates such as sugars and fats. Eating balanced and regular meals will help in keeping a healthy weight. You may find by eating three regular meals a day, and small nutritional snacks in-between meals, you will feel fuller, and will help overcome the urge to binge on sweet treats.
The American Diabetes Foundation recommends exercise as a part of delaying or halting diabetes. If you have a family history of diabetes, exercise is important not only in controlling weight, but helps the body use fuels more efficiently. They recommend exercising at least five times a week for 30 minutes a day. Start walking. Studies show that even taking small walks a day, even if you are walking slowly, will help your body. Slowly you can work up to longer walks. Once you begin to walk, you will find you feel so much better after your walk, it will seem odd if you don't walk!
If you are a woman who experienced gestational diabetes, you may be more at risk for developing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes when you are older.
For anyone, a healthy lifestyle will be a help creating a healthy body. Diabetes is not the only disease that will be helped by living a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a good diet, and exercising.
If you have a history of family diabetes, or have had gestational diabetes, plan to be test regularly. This will insure you will catch the disease early and avoid serious complications in the future.
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