How To Manage Your Type 1 Diabetes

Unfortunately, diabetes affects millions of people the world over. Every day many people find out they have this disease. The tips below will help you change the way you live, so that diabetes does not change your life unnecessarily.

Look at the glycemic index on the labels of the foods you buy. This is an indicator of how this food will affect sugar levels. The lower a food's GI number is, the safer it is for a diabetic to consume.

If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, it's important that you get tested for sleep apnea. In order to remain healthy, obtain treatment for your sleep apnea as soon as you are diagnosed.

Many grocery store items contain this ingredient, so become label conscious. If you find HFCS on the label, pick something else. Watch out for "glucose/fructose" too; this is the Canadian term for the same ingredient.

Changing your diet can be a great way to help lower your risk factor of contracting diabetes, and switching out fats and sugars with fiber is a great place to start. When you add more whole grains to your diet, you will reduce how much high glycemic foods you eat, such as white bread, and you should also reduce how much processed foods you eat because these will increase your risk. Many studies have proven that people who consume more whole grains have a lower risk of developing the disease.

You don't need to sign up at a gym. Exercise for free by taking a walk or jogging. This will help with weight loss and overall fitness. Do some chin ups at the playground or when you are at home lift some canned goods.

If you suffer from diabetes and you are a smoker, you should try to quit. Diabetes and the effects of smoking can both inhibit blood flow. Even worse, it can cause quite a spike in blood sugar levels. If you have a hard time quitting, talk to your doctor about what methods you may use.

If you suffer from diabetes, a great spice you can add to your foods without adding calories, sugar or sodium to your diet, is cinnamon. In addition to its own unique flavor, cinnamon can enhance the natural sweetness present in some foods, without the addition of blood glucose raising sugar. Some studies have shown promising results when it comes to cinnamon, concluding that it can lower glucose levels. Results on this are mixed, but cinnamon is a fantastic spice regardless of its glucose benefits.

If you find that hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a problem, ask your doctor if you should take glucose tablets. Glucose tables are fast and easy to use, and are safer and more effective than eating a food with a high sugar content.

When you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you do not have to stop living. If you follow the advice from this article, you will be better prepared to live with this common condition without allowing it to define you.