My ex-husband and I have always remained friends and he has had diabetes for a long time. He never would eat properly and by that I mean yes a person can have a small bit of dessert now and then but they can’t have a ton of it all the time and he would eat as much as he could get his hands on.
They do have sugar free cookies, candies, ice cream and so on for people with this condition.
You have to maintain a proper diet for one thing and your doctor will give you a diet of what to eat and how much of it.
It is also important to keep your weight down. If you eat a lot and gain weight this can increase your sugar count.He never paid much attention to this either.
You need to get your eyes checked often as it is easy for some one with this condition to lose their eye sight.
There are many do’s and don’ts that your doctor will tell you about and you should follow what he says for your own good.
Your blood sugar level should be checked twice a day once upon arising and once before going to bed. It is very important to keep track of this. If the level drops too low you can go into a coma. My ex has to carry glucose tablets with him at all times and has been in the ER many times from his count being too low. He doesn’t even remember being there! He lives with his brother and he or I(when he is here to visit) if we spot the signs give him a spoon full of orange marmalade and one of peanut butter(both high in sugar) or in the case you don’t have that give a spoon of straight sugar and get the person to the hospital right away.
He is insulin dependant and has suffered conjestive heart failure which lead to a triple by-pass surgery. His kidneys are now failing and he is having treatments for that but may need a kidney donor.
Once you let yourself go and these conditions take hold they progress rapidly so if your doctor tells you something, please follow his advice.
Yes you will crave sweets but you have to get the sugar free ones. I suggest the ones made with natural fruit juices and not the artificial sweeteners.
You have to follow your diet and you have to keep your weight at a normal level. You do lose energy but you must force yourself to do some walking at the very least and more if you are not having heart trouble.
This disease can be a killer if you do not do what you are supposed to. I have lost one family member from it and 2 more are in bad shape because of it.
If it runs in your family make sure you are tested twice a year so that it can be caught in the early stages.