Learn how to control diabetes with diet and exercise on BetterHealthKare.com
Are you struggling with diabetes? There are proven ways to manage and keep your diabetes in control. You may be able to improve your overall health once you begin following our tips for getting your diabetes in control. Managing diabetes means that you may have to make some important lifestyle changes. Some of these changes include learning how to control diabetes with diet and exercise in order to live a more fulfilling life.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommend making lifestyle changes to avoid the long-term problems that diabetes can cause. These changes include establishing a diabetic food plan that teaches you how to control diabetes with diet. Your diabetic food plan should consist of a variety of fruits, non-starchy vegetables, lean meats, fish, turkey and chicken without the skin, whole grains, beans, and low-fat milk and cheese. Meat, fish and poultry portions should be no more than three ounces. Avoid excess fats and salt, and eat more foods that contain fiber, such as breads, rice, crackers, pasta and whole-grain cereals. Your diabetic food plan will help you maintain the proper balance of your blood glucose levels. These are just a few tips on how to control diabetes with diet.
Weight is also an important issue in diabetes management. By learning how to control diabetes with diet and exercise, you will be able to maintain a healthy weight. If you need to shed some extra pounds you will need to be active for one hour each day. You can break up your activity into 20-minute segments throughout the day. Activities can include: quick walking, cycling, dancing, sports, weight lifting, swimming, even cleaning the house. Drink more water and cut back on juices and soda. Eat fruit instead of a bag of chips or candy, and eat smaller portions for meals and snacks. Limit your computer time and watching television to about two hours per day (if you do not work with a computer). Don’t sit for long stretches, but instead get up and walk around. Staying active is vital to good health and keeping your diabetes in control.
Another tip for how to control diabetes with diet is to be aware of foods that are high on the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) is a system of grading food according to its affect on blood glucose levels. High glycemic foods such as soda, white breads and rice will spike your blood glucose level. Avoid fast foods, trans fats, salt and refined carbohydrates that are counter-productive to keeping your diabetes in control.
Learning how to handle stress is another vital factor in maintaining good health and keeping your diabetes in control. Stress makes managing blood sugar more difficult, so it is important to learn stress relieving techniques such as: listening to soothing music, massage therapy, yoga, arts and crafts, prayer and meditation etc. Find what stress relieving techniques work best for you and avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy food at night. Stress can impede sleep, which can impair glucose tolerance, so consider implementing some stress reducing night time activities such as a warm bath or reading before bed instead of being on an electronic device.
If you smoke, you should quit because smoking narrows blood vessels and limits circulation to the extremities. Smoking also increases insulin resistance, which is counterproductive to keeping diabetes in control. Making the necessary lifestyle changes can help to avoid diabetes induced problems that affect the eyes, feet, digestive system and joint inflammation. A diabetic should have his feet and eyes checked often to ensure that no adverse problems are developing. He should also regularly check his blood glucose levels to prevent damage to nerves, organs and blood vessels.
Following these simple tips and making the necessary lifestyle changes will all add to keeping your diabetes in control, and allow you to live a fuller, healthier life.
