Diabetes may be seen as a hindrance in your life, but with a few techniques you can manage it and live a healthy and happy life. Despite the physical limitations it presents, with the right medical intervention and prevention on your own behalf, you can make diabetes just a small part of your life that isn’t so bothersome.

Hospitals will often have Diabetes clinics for local patients to attend, and they will have great advice for you. They’ll give you tools to track your blood sugar, nutritional information for your diet plan, and even exercise tips. They can also be a great support group for you and will answer any questions that you might have.

A Diabetic needs to have eight good hours of sleep every night to be well-rested, alert, and healthy. People who get enough sleep tend to be able to lose weight, probably because they have the energy to exercise and lack the apathy that can lead to less than healthy eating choices.

Don’t use alcohol swabs on your skin before you give yourself an injection of insulin. They will dry out your skin and cause you more trouble than they’re worth, which will make you even less happy about having to take your treatment. As long as you clean your skin with soap and water, you should be fine.

Read labels on the foods you buy to determine which foods are likely to cause your sugar to spike. While it’s easy to see in unprocessed foods where the sugar or other ingredients are, it’s not so simple with processed or packaged food. Read the labels and avoid items that have been known to interact with your sugar.

If your salad is lacking nutrients, give it a boost with some walnuts! Walnuts are rich in monosaturated fats, which can help you manage your diabetes by improving the way the cells in your body process insulin. Walnuts also have omega-3 and other essential minerals and vitamins that give you extra energy, and they taste wonderful.

If you live close to the Canadian border and drive, consider going to Canada to pick up your Diabetes prescriptions. The Canadian government regulates the sale of prescriptions so that they can’t have huge fees added to their cost. Often you can get the exact same medications for a huge discount, and they’re safe to take as they’re under the same or even stricter health regulations.

If your spouse or partner is suffering from diabetes, one way to help and encourage a healthy lifestyle is exercising together. Exercise has been shown to reduce or help reverse the effects of diabetes. Encourage your partner to go on walks with you, or find a local gym where you can spend time together as well as getting healthy!

Baking your own bread, canning your own vegetables, and even grinding your own flour is far more healthy than purchasing it at a store. You’ll also save a ton of money, and you’ll know what is going into the foods you eat. A diabetic has to be careful about every ingredient, and if YOU measured and put them all in there, it will make keeping track easy!

If you find that your A1C levels are disproportionately higher than your typical blood glucose levels, the problem may be that you are measuring your pre-meal levels, which does not give you an accurate reading. Your average levels may not accurately reflect readings that are taken before, during, and after eating your meals.

A tip to prevent or manage diabetes is to eat high-fiber foods such as whole grains as much as possible. Processed foods, including white bread, have a high glycemic count due to being full of refined carbohydrates and these can increase the diabetes risk. This is because they lead to spikes in the blood sugar levels whereas the more natural the food, the easier it is to be digested.

Join a support group for those with diabetes. It’s not because you don’t fit in anywhere else, it’s because talking to others with your condition will help you to feel that you aren’t quite alone in the world. Other people are going through what you are going through and a support group can help.

If you have diabetes and you smoke, try to stop. In addition to increasing your risk of lung cancer, smoking can cause a spike in your blood sugar level if you have diabetes. If you have a hard time quitting, talk to your doctor about what methods you may use.

Keeping up with your restrictions and following a doctor’s directions will help you control your diabetes the best you can. Sure, there may be complications, but they will be few and far between if you take a few preventative measures. Lots of people have this disorder and lead happy and healthy lives, and I’m sure you will too!

Tips That Can Help You Live With Diabetes was originally published on Spring