Diabetes is a chronic or long-lasting disease that is caused by our body’s inability to either effectively produce insulin or use the insulin it produces to regulate blood glucose. When not treated properly, diabetes can lead to high blood sugar levels that can cause serious damage to our nerves and blood vessels.
Studies show that changes in temperature contributes to our blood sugar levels. While in summer, warm weather can enhance insulin absorption that reduces blood sugar, however, dehydration caused by the warm weather can cause blood sugar to rise as the glucose in our blood becomes concentrated. On the other hand, in winter, our body increases the body temperature by increasing our blood sugar levels.
This can cause a myriad of problems to the health of diabetic people. In this article, we will share several winter tips for diabetic people to help control their blood sugar levels.
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Exercise- It is important that you keep on moving and partake in as many physical activities as you possibly can in winter. We know that everybody prefers snuggling in their warm blankets throughout winter but that is not conducive to your health. Go for a walk, a light jog, or exercise while watching your favourite show and try to find the motivation to do this every day.
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Eat healthy- Everything tastes delicious in winter. Most people are prone to indulging in fatty, fried food and comfort eating during this period as well. For people with diabetes, the cold weather can make them crave food that will spike their blood sugar levels.
Therefore, it is important that diabetics practice mindful eating at this time. Continue to avoid processed and deep-fried food items. Control your food portions and minimize the number of sweets and carbohydrate-rich food. Try eating only home-cooked foods and make sure that your food is rich in all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients.
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Pay close attention to your feet- It is very important for diabetic people to take care of their feet, especially during winter. It is also very common for people with diabetes to experience loss of feeling in their feet and toes when not taken care of properly. Therefore, make sure to keep your feet moisturized because dry and cracked feet are prone to infections. Also, if you notice that an infection or wound is not clearing up properly, then go see a doctor immediately.
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Keep your body warm- Make sure that your entire body is warm. You should cover yourself up properly and exercise to keep yourself warm because then your body will not have to increase the production of glucose to keep you warm. Pay extra attention to keeping your hands warm at all times too otherwise it becomes difficult to test your blood glucose accurately.
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Hydrate yourself properly- Since people with diabetes are prone to dehydration, it is important that you hydrate yourself properly in order to control your blood sugar levels.
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Work on staying mentally healthy- Most people feel sad, unmotivated, and unproductive during winter. They tend to cancel plans due to the cold weather and prefer staying indoors at all times. Not socializing, eating healthy, and exercising can negatively affect our mental well-being. Therefore, it is important that you manage your anxiety and stress properly by doing things that make you happy and also eating healthy foods and exercising.
The cold weather usually deters us from our healthy habits. It is important that we stay motivated to exercise and eat healthy foods rather than indulging in bad habits to regulate our blood glucose. We must also remember, that indulging in a dessert or not exercising once in a while will not make us sick but making it a habit to not stick to healthy practices will deteriorate our health significantly.
