mdolla: 4 Useful Tips for Living a Normal Life with Diabetes

Recent reports from the Center for Disease Control estimate that about 10% of the U.S. population suffers from diabetes. That virtually guarantees that everyone has at least one close friend or family member that is affected.

One of the hardest things about having diabetes is having to make dramatic changes to your lifestyle. Many people do not realize the many significant changes that being a diabetic can force someone to make in their life.

Fortunately, as more and more research comes out about diabetes then more and more solutions also come out to help those suffering from diabetes to live normal lives. Here are five useful tips for those struggling to live the same life they lived before being diagnosed with diabetes.

Change your footwear

You may have noticed that as your diabetes got worse, your feet also started to lose their feeling. You may even have had a few injuries that you didn’t even notice because you couldn’t feel them. Other diabetics notice that they suddenly get cankles and the simple act of walking hurts.

In recent years it has become a popular trend to actually build socks specifically for people with diabetes. These socks tend to be better cushioned and put less restriction on the blood flow to the feet. You can read up on why changing socks can help and how to find the right diabetic socks here.

Eat fiber

Eating more fiber may be one of simplest and most unknown ways to help control your blood sugar. Most experts recommend somewhere between 25 and 35 grams of fiber each day,^[1] but unfortunately most people rarely come close to that. If you have ever eaten a box of Cheerios then you have likely seen the many claims they make about the benefits of fiber. Many of these are quite true. Fiber has the potential to work miracles on the body and has been associated with weight loss.

Shower less

Yes, this is one of the only situations where one might be advised to shower less. One of the most common and unfortunate effects of diabetes is itchy skin. As a diabetic, you have high blood sugar, which means your body fluid levels are almost always lower than they should be. This means that your skin will tend to feel dry and itchy. If that is the case, it is relatively easy to relieve the symptoms by purchasing the right kind of moisturizer as well as cutting down on the showers.

Another symptom is that you will sweat less, meaning you probably will not need to be showering as much as you used to. So try cutting the showers to once every other day instead of every day.

Stock up on treats you can eat

Most diabetics report that the hardest part about finding out that they had diabetes was having to make significant dietary changes in order to keep their blood sugar stable. Many diabetics became diabetic because of their love for sweets, and they are suddenly expected to turn away from these sweets forever. It can be depressing and incredibly hard to do.

Fortunately, many stores now have entire sections of treats that are made specifically for people with diabetes. These treats use alternative sugars and fruits to sweeten foods without overly affecting blood sugar. While they do tend to be a little more expensive, if you keep some of these on hand for when that sweet tooth kicks in, they can do a lot to help keep your chin up. Here are a few good snack options if this appeals to you.

Diabetes is tough; there is no doubt about it. However, life will continue to get easier as we better understand diabetes and as technology comes out to alleviate many of the worst symptoms.