Diabetes Diagnosis

Have you been given a Diabetes Diagnosis by a health professional?

3 Helpful Tips to Reverse a Diabetes Diagnosis

If your blood sugar levels are higher than the average person, your doctor may have examined you, performed a glucose tolerance test and then given you a diabetes diagnosis. While this diagnosis can seem scary, it doesn’t have to mean an end to your quality of life or a reduction in longevity. Now that you have received the diabetes diagnosis, the most beneficial thing you can do for your health is to work on taking proper care of yourself.

Taking care of yourself includes exercising and eating right. Doing just these two things can reduce or eliminate your dependence on insulin and prevent serious complications including diabetes shock, kidney failure and circulatory concerns. While making healthy lifestyle changes might seem complicated, it really isn’t impossible if you start with baby steps.

1. Add Many More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet

If you are a diabetic, it is best to avoid certain foods containing sugar and excessive calories. Examples are:

Bacon & Pork
Cake
Cookies
Donuts
Ice Cream

Instead of reaching for these unhealthy options, put more fruits and vegetables on your plate. It may not sound like the most appealing option in the beginning, but there are ways to make these healthier foods taste great.

Consider blending some fruits and vegetables together for a smoothie. If you add an avocado with a handful of blueberries or strawberries, a tablespoon of coconut oil and a cup of non-fat yogurt, you can enjoy a thick smoothie that will easily replace any fattening and excessively sugary breakfast you would normally consume.

If you are missing out on eating those crunchy potato chips, consider baking your own kale chips for an afternoon snack. Add your favorite seasoning to pieces of kale, spread them out on a greased baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and then cook them in the oven until they are perfectly crisp. There are many fun recipes available for making fruits and vegetables taste good, so consider looking into them and making small changes to your daily diet, one meal at a time.

2. Choose Alternatives When Preparing Meals

Diabetic nutritionists recommend anyone diagnosed with this disease avoid traditional potatoes, white rice, white bread and a few other carbohydrates that quickly turn to sugar during the digestive process. If you were eating those foods in the past, you may struggle to stop. However, there are some great alternatives that make it easier to give those specific carbohydrates up for good.

Instead of making mashed potatoes, start making mashed cauliflower. It is easy to prepare and will taste just like the real thing. Simply mash cooked cauliflower, adding in your favorite seasoning or even a dollop of butter or low-fat cheese. Other alternatives include enjoying baked sweet potatoes or baked sweet potato fries instead of having greasy French fries or a traditional baked potato.

You can even make gluten-free cloud bread as a replacement for traditional white bread. You’ll only need a few ingredients to make this healthy alternative, including cream of tartar, eggs and Stevia as a substitute for real sugar. Many people enjoy baking this bread at home, and they often use it to prepare healthy sandwiches.

3. Spend 30 Minutes or More Exercising Daily

Staying active is an important part of keeping your diabetes under control. You do not have to run around until you feel exhausted to make progress. In fact, these are a few great exercises you can do daily:

-Walk in the park for 30 minutes.

-Jog lightly on the treadmill.

-Do a 30 minute session of lunges, squats, jumping jacks and crunches.

-Go for a swim.

-Ride your bicycle with a helmet of course !

These are just a few ways to exercise, but there really is no limit to what you can do. In fact, you can have fun dancing, running, walking the dog, sliding and swinging in the park with your children or even working out at the gym with a personal trainer.

After a diagnosis of diabetes, it’s important to work on living a much healthier life. This can help to reduce your need for medications, increase longevity and in some cases, it may even allow for a change in your diabetes diagnosis. Consider making those necessary dietary changes and adding exercise into your schedule to help you live your best life ever.

About the Author
Louis Venter is the creator of Diabetes Scoop which is a website devoted to providing support and on-topic, frequently updated information for diabetics and those in their support network.