Tips For People With Diabetes
Although diabetes is a chronic disease, it is possible to keep it under control by adopting certain healthy lifestyle habits.
To avoid reducing their quality of life and suffering complications, people with diabetes must not only follow a specific medical treatment for life, but must adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle habits over time.
This is because diabetes is a chronic disease that requires not only lifestyle changes, but also awareness, discipline and permanent self-care.
In addition to adherence to treatment, it is also convenient to implement special care in the way of eating and in daily routines. A person with diabetes can lead a relatively normal life if he adopts proper routines.
New lifestyle habits are nothing to write home about. You just have to take some basic steps to prevent your glucose level from getting out of balance. More than restrictions, they represent an opportunity to lead a healthier life.
Tips for people with diabetes
Here are some simple tips to cope with diabetes properly, without having to make great sacrifices or suffer from a lack of flavor or something similar.
1. Smart nutrition
Good nutrition is a decisive factor in the control of diabetes. The important thing is that nutrition contributes to balancing glucose levels and, in this way, exercising effective control over the disease, as this publication of Internal Medicine of Mexico points out .
A person with diabetes should eat in a similar way as a healthy person does. It is advisable to make five intakes a day : the three main meals and two snacks, mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
2. Constant hydration to regulate diabetes
People with diabetes have high blood glucose levels. Faced with this, the body reacts by trying to eliminate surpluses of this substance through urine. For that reason, diabetics are at higher risk of dehydration. And so this study published in the Medical Scientific Mail in 2012 points out.
To prevent this from happening, it is important that the person with diabetes hydrate constantly. The best thing is that the basic drink is pure water, without flavorings. Eventually, low sugar natural juices and light drinks can be integrated .
3. Exercise regularly for people with diabetes
Regular exercise is one of the pillars of good health. Much more for diabetics, as its frequent practice prevents complications, such as being overweight. Ideally, weight is controlled to avoid undesirable consequences.
Similarly, physical exercise helps keep blood pressure levels stable. It also helps regulate cholesterol and keep the cardiovascular system healthy.
The type and intensity of the activity must be adapted to the age and general health conditions of each patient. And so this article published in the Cuban Journal of Endocrinology shows .
4. Structured and frequent glucose control
A person with diabetes must frequently monitor their glucose levels. This is essential to avoid a crisis and prevent all kinds of complications. It is the only way to detect possible hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia in time.
It is advisable to do between 5 and 6 controls per day. Basically, before meals and shortly before going to sleep. This allows adjusting the insulin pattern and the treatment itself, if necessary. The important thing is to act quickly on any anomaly.
5. What should not be missing when going out
Insulin is the basic treatment for type 1 diabetes, but it also has applications in type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it is always advisable to have a dose of this substance on hand, particularly when the patient is away from home.
It is also important to carry something sweet with you everywhere. A drop in glucose can happen at any time and the best way to control it is by eating something sugary. And so this information from the National Health System on the treatment of diabetes points out.
6. What people with diabetes should avoid
It is best to avoid tobacco at all costs. This is harmful for anyone, but for a diabetic it can increase the risk of complications derived from the disease, such as blindness, kidney damage, etc. And this is shown by this study published in the Chilean Journal of Endocrinology and Diabetes .
Similarly, it is best to avoid alcohol consumption. In this regard there is no total agreement. Some doctors point out that a person with diabetes could have a daily drink of liquor without consequence. Other specialists, however, assure that this is not the case. When in doubt, it is better to abstain.
Any questions? Consult with your doctor
As you have seen, these tips for people with diabetes are simple and easy to put into practice. However, if you have any questions or notice any symptoms related to the disease, do not hesitate to go to the doctor to provide you with a proper diagnosis and treatment.
