When you find out you have diabetes, you subsequently have two choices. You can let the disease own you or you can turn it around and own the disease. Which camp are you in? If you’re opting for the latter and want to own the disease, follow the steps necessary to empower you in the process.
Stay active.
Staying active will not only help you to feel better and also take your mind off of what you’re struggling with, but you will really be helping your body to regulate blood sugar and to metabolize fats. Our bodies are amazing. With moderate activity and healthy hormone function, hormones are produced that regulate sugar and help to control weight. Once diabetes sets in, however, these functions suffer and it’s up to you to supplement them with exercise.
Include lots of fiber in your diet.
How is fiber beneficial to you if you have diabetes? Well, fiber is something special for a variety of reasons. It helps aid in digestion and really improves your overall digestive health, and it will also help your body deal with metabolizing fats. As it goes for eating healthy, fiber will also help you to feel fuller for longer, thus enabling you to cut back on what you eat. You definitely need to review your diet to include the proper amount of fiber, either through a supplement or through fiber-rich foods.
Eat whole grains.
Whole grain foods are so beneficial to you because you cannot totally eliminate carbohydrates from your life. Even though carbohydrates are still treated as sugar by your body, and sugar is something you have to regulate, you cannot get rid of them completely. So if you switch from white flour and simple sugars to whole grains, you are doing your body a huge favor. The body can regulate whole grains a lot easier with diabetes.
Lose a little weight and get fitter.
Okay, so maybe not every single person suffering from diabetes is overweight. However, there are many who can stand to lose a few pounds. The fitter and healthier you are, the better you will look and feel overall. Your body will have a much easier time when dealing with fats and sugars if you’re not as heavy. Plus, to deal with lifelong diabetes, it’s much easier on you if you can lose weight now and get into the habit of eating right and exercising regularly. Waiting longer to pick up these good habits may result in waiting too long and suffering dire consequences.
Get informed.
How informed are you about your disease and how to treat it? While it is true that you can learn a lot by articles like these, you still need to know a lot more. Following the tips will allow you to better prepare yourself for the road ahead, but when it comes to crucial information on diabetes and dieting in general, only a doctor can properly help you to deal with what you’re in store for. This means seeing your doc on a regular basis.
As mentioned above, these tips will definitely help you deal with your diabetes. But you need to know that there’s more to handling the disease than what you read in any one article. Always look to stay as informed as possible.