Watching The Level Of Sugar In Your Blood As A Diabetic

When you find out you have diabetes, you may think all you need to do for your blood glucose levels to stay down is to cut out candy and sweets. While that helps, there are other things you do that can make glucose levels rise. You have to find out what you may be doing to raise your blood sugar, so here are some common ways and tips to avoid sending your glucose levels sky high.

1. Be compliant with your treatment. Make sure you take prescribed medication the way your doctor told you to. When you have diabetes, medication is the number one thing you can consume that makes you healthier. Don't think that insulin means you can do anything you want, however. Know that you still have work to do.

2. Look for secret sugars in juices and fruits. Everyone knows you have to eat fruits and vegetables, but some fruit has a lot of sugar in it. After all, natural sugars like fructuose and sucrose are in fruits, and these things can cause your blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Not only that, but when you drink fruit juice, check out the ingredients. Some juices have a lot of high fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners added to the juice. Be careful when you eat these foods, and always have them with a protein, which will make the glucose rise more slowly.

3. Eat complex carbs instead of simple carbs. If you are not eating whole-grain bread, you need to. Complex carbohydrates usually have more fiber and cause the body to break the sugar in your blood more slowly. In fact, fiber can also help you feel fuller for longer, which means that you will probably eat less--which means less temptation from carbs!

4. Go out to eat and eat the right thing. Eating out can be a challenge. However, the important thing to remember is that you can eat many things as long as you keep in mind that you must control your portions and eating things that will make your blood glucose levels go up. Before going out, think about what you can eat at the place you're going to. Great ideas include meats and vegetables of all kinds.

5. Drink lots of water. You may not think this helps, but when you have high blood glucose levels, your body has to get rid of the glucose through the kidneys. When you drink more water you make that process happen easier. Not only that, but high blood glucose levels usually dehydrate your cells and you need to restore water to the cells before you start experiencing symptoms of chronic dehydration. Make sure you have 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.

With the right information, you are much better able to control your blood glucose levels. Use the tips in this article to help you avoid secret sugars and keep your levels low, so you can live a better life with diabetes.