Diabetes & Smoking

Put the butt out! Sure, everyone knows smoking can lead to cancer but did you know smoking can affect diabetes complications? Smoking raises blood sugar levels, increases blood pressure, increases blood fats, and damages arteries. Those with diabetes who smoke are more likely to die due to cardiovascular disease compared to those with diabetes who do not smoke.

Unsure how to quit? Consider these tips to put the butt out for good.

• Talk with your doctor about quitting and any recommendations he or she might have to help with kicking the habit.
• Make a list of reasons for quitting. Post this list on your mirror, computer monitor, refrigerator, etc. as a reminder of why you are quitting.
• Evaluate why you smoke. Is it habit, social, or stress? Consider ways to modify those habits.
• Examine situations that might prompt you to smoke. You might consider avoiding those situations to limit temptation.
• If you are concerned about weight gain, chew sugar free gum or drink water to avoid high calorie foods when quitting.
• Reward yourself for sticking with your commitment to quitting. If you do smoke a cigarette, remind yourself of your reasons for quitting and stick with it.
  

Reap the benefits of quitting. Almost immediately, circulation improves and carbon monoxide levels begin to decrease. Within a few days, sense of smell and taste returns & breathing becomes easier. After 10-15 years, premature risk of death of a former smoker is close to that of a non-smoker.

For more information on caring for Diabetes, visit:

http://GlucoMenu.com