Keeping Healthy With Type 1 Diabetes: Staying healthy is essential for everyone but if you suffer from type I diabetes it can be the difference between life and death. There are a number of factors that have to be monitored and in some cases strictly controlled if you are going to remain active and able to enjoy life to the full. These include:
Blood Glucose Level
This is possibly the most important factor that needs to be monitored because you know that the level of glucose within your blood can change dramatically in a very short period of time. Many diabetics can feel to some extent when their blood glucose levels aren’t normal however if you are newly diagnosed you may not be akin to these feeling yet and so strict monitoring is essential.
Diet
Your diabetic diet is not a special diet as many people think; it is simply a healthy, well-balanced diet that is low in fat, high in fibre and contains an abundance of starchy foods, vegetables and fruits. You will be, more often than not, referred to a dietician shortly after you are diagnosed so that you can learn what to eat and what not to eat and how to balance your food intake with your daily insulin injections.
Insulin
Daily insulin injections are absolutely crucial to your well being and so they must be strictly controlled with regards to amounts and times. Getting it wrong or forgetting a shot could have dire effects on your health and it could even result in diabetic coma. You should try to stick to your schedule as closely as you can, even if that means popping to the toilet while out shopping to give yourself a quick boost.
Blood Pressure
If, as a type I diabetic, you find yourself with high blood pressure you could be at an increased risk of developing secondary complications, such as cardiovascular disease. For this reason you should have your blood pressure checked regularly and if you are prescribed medication to lower your blood pressure, then you must take it religiously. After all you can still lead a full life with diabetes but heart disease may limit your options slightly!
Exercise
Regular exercise will help to decrease the chances of you developing complications such as heart disease and blood vessel disease but it may also affect your blood glucose levels if you exercise to the extreme. A 20-30 minute walk around 5 times a week is sufficient and it will not leave you too exhausted to do anything else.
Weight
Excess weight is another factor that can contribute to serious complications such as heart disease, decreased kidney function and stroke when combined with type I diabetes. If you are overweight or obese then you should definitely try to loose some weight as not only will it help with your diabetes but you will feel a whole lot better within yourself as well.
If you are careful what you do and you monitor your blood glucose levels regularly then diabetes is not a hard illness to control and there is no reason why you can’t enjoy all the things you used to enjoy before being diagnosed.
