 |
 Controlling
diabetes is closely linked to diet and lifestyle.
Healthy eating
- Smart food choices help keep blood sugar, weight and cholesterol
in better control. Focus on fewer calories and eat less fat
and sugar. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish
instead.
- The amounts of fat, carbohydrate (fruits, vegetables, grains)
and protein (meat, fish, milk) you eat depend on your needs
and goals. A healthy diet usually includes 10-20% of daily
calories from protein, 30% or less from fat and the rest from
carbohydrates.
- Always read the labels before trying out diet foods. Some
of these specially labeled foods are "dietetic" because they’re
sugar free. Others are lower in calories. Some mention that
they're good for people with diabetes. But always read the
labels ― many diet foods that use sugar substitutes
are high in fat and calories. Words like "light" or "low"
can be deceptive.
- Just one alcoholic beverage on an empty stomach can drop
your blood sugar drastically. Limit yourself to two drinks
a day and steer clear of brandy, port, and liqueurs, which
have a high sugar content. Sip drinks slowly to avoid a rapid
rise in your blood sugar level and always drink alcohol with
a food in your stomach.
Exercising properly
- Exercise usually lowers blood sugar. It can help insulin
work better and improve your health and energy.
- Ask your doctor about the right kind of exercise for you.
Get a check-up if you're starting out. Never overdo it.
- Check blood sugar levels before and after you exercise.
This helps avoid low blood sugar. Also, you can figure out
how a new activity affects sugar levels.
- Exercise 1 to 3 hours after you eat a meal. If you take
insulin, avoid exercising when it's peaking.
- Walking, swimming and light weight-lifting are good types
of exercise to try.
Monitoring your diabetes
Home monitoring kits that test your blood sugar levels
are crucial. They show blood glucose levels. Put a finger-prick
of blood in a small blood sugar meter and get a reading. Your
doctor will instruct you on how often to measure your blood
sugar. It’s a good idea to keep a record of each reading
and at which time it was taken. This will allow you and your
doctor or pharmacist to see how well your treatments are working.
Do-it-yourself urine tests for ketones are useful during
times of illness of for diabetes that occurs during pregnancy
(gestational diabetes). Ketones are potentially dangerous
acids that build up in your blood when you lack insulin. Place
a test strip in your urine, wait for the strip to change colour
and compare it to a colour chart showing the amount of ketones.
Medium or large amounts are a sign to immediately call your
doctor. Small amounts may mean that a buildup is starting
and you should test again in a few hours. Ketone buildup is
much more common if you have Type 1 diabetes
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