Managing your blood sugar levels as recommended by your doctor is most definitely a fulltime job. That’s because just about everything contains carbohydrates─and they increase your glucose levels. You can’t avoid carbohydrates altogether. And everyone has to eat, especially people with diabetes. The next section of this article explains how foods affect your glucose and provide and action plan to keep everything under control.
How to unlock the right combinations of foods you eat. Here’s Your Action Plan:
A key to a lot of diabetes management strategies is understanding how to count carbs. Carbohydrates are the foods that have the most significant impact on your glucose. And for people taking mealtime insulin, so it’s vital to be aware of the number of carbohydrates in your meals, so you get the correct insulin dose. Learn what portion size is acceptable for every sort of food. Simplify your meal preparation by writing down portions for the foods that you eat regularly. Yes, it’s extra work, but you have to measure your food to ensure proper portion size and an accurate carbohydrate count.
Make each meal well-balanced. As much as you can, plan for each meal to have a great blend of complex carbs like pasta, fruits, lean meat, and healthy fat. You have to special attention to the kinds of carbs you choose. Choose fruits, vegetables and whole grains over complex carbs or starches. These can help keep your blood sugar more stable. Speak with your doctor, nurse or dietitian regarding the best food options and the appropriate balance of food types.
Coordinate your foods and drugs. Too little food in proportion to some diabetes drugs — especially insulin — may lead to dangerously low blood glucose or hypoglycemia. An excessive amount of food might cause your blood sugar level to climb too high or hyperglycemia. Work with your medical team to best coordinate meal and drug programs. It’s too important not to take advantage of the resources at your disposal.
Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. For example, in the South sweet tea is part of the regional culture, but, that sweet taste is from tons of sugar they add. In short, these types of drinks are a disaster waiting happen for people with diabetes.
You can’t skip exercise. It’s an essential element in your life with diabetes. When you are exercise, you use the sugar in your bloodstream. Daily exercise also helps your body use insulin smarter. In general, the more strenuous the workout, the more the effect continues. But even light actions — like housework, gardening or being on your feet for prolonged periods — may enhance your blood glucose.
Here’s Your Action Plan:
Ask your physician about to get started. Generally, most adults need to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day on most days of this week. Some researchers recommend at least 250 minutes of exercise every week. They can suggest a balance of aerobics and weight lifting. Please, get a thorough exam from your medical provider before you launch your program.
Also, talk with your doctor about the best time of day for you to exercise so that your workouts are coordinated with your meal and drug programs. Also ask about what blood glucose levels are safe for until you start exercising.
Assess your blood glucose level. Assess your blood glucose level before, during and after exercise, particularly if you take insulin or medications that lower blood glucose. Exercise may reduce your blood sugar levels a day after, especially if the action is new with you, or whether you’re exercising at a more intensive level. Take note of warning signs of high blood sugar, like feeling nervous, weak, tired, hungry, lightheaded, irritable, or confused. In case you use insulin, and your blood sugar level is under 100. Have a little snack before you begin working out to prevent a low blood sugar level.
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water while working out since dehydration can affect blood sugar levels.
Be prepared. Constantly have a little snack or glucose tablets with you during exercise in case your blood sugar drops too low.
Adjust your diabetes treatment program as required. If you take insulin, you might have to lower your insulin dose before working out or wait after you exercise to inject insulin. Your doctor or nurse practitioner should advise you on proper changes in your medicine.
You can’t skip exercise. It’s an essential element in your life with diabetes. When you are exercise, you use the sugar in your bloodstream. Daily exercise also helps your body use insulin smarter. In general, the more strenuous the workout, the more the effect continues. But even light actions — like housework, gardening or being on your feet for prolonged periods — may enhance your blood glucose.
Here’s Your Action Plan:
Store glucose correctly. Insulin that is improperly stored or expired might not be effective. Insulin is particularly sensitive to extremes in temperature.
Report issues to your doctor. If your diabetes medicines cause your blood glucose level to fall too low or if it’s consistently too high, your doctor may need to change your dosage or timing.
Be cautious with new medications. If you are thinking about over-the-counter drugs or your doctor prescribes a new drug to treat another illness — such as hypertension or high cholesterol ask your doctor or pharmacist if the medicine might affect your glucose levels. Liquid medications could be sweetened with glucose for flavoring. Sometimes another medication could be recommended.
Taking any new over-the-counter drugs, and that means you know how it may affect your blood glucose level.
When you’re sick, your body generates stress-related hormones that help your body combat the disease, but they also can increase your blood sugar level. Changes in your appetite and regular activity may also complicate diabetes management.
Here Is Your Action Plan:
In the case that someone with diabetes becomes ill, many doctors establish a sick-day plan for their patients. This includes instructions on what drugs to take, how to measure your blood sugar and urine ketone levels, the way to modify your medication dosages, and when to contact the doctor.
Continue to take your diabetes medicine. But if you are not able to eat because of nausea or vomiting, contact your physician. In these circumstances, you might want to adjust your insulin dose or temporarily discontinue taking your medication due to a possibility of overeating.
Stick for your diabetes meal plan. If you can, eating as normal can help you control your blood sugar levels. Maintain a supply of meals that are easy on your stomach, such as gelatin, crackers, soups and applesauce. Drink lots of water or fluids that don’t include calories, such as tea, to make sure to stay hydrated. If you’re taking insulin, you might need to sip sugar-sweetened drinks, such as juice or a sports drink, to maintain your blood glucose level from falling too low.
Your liver typically releases stored sugar to counteract low blood sugar levels. However, when your liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, your blood sugar level might not receive the boost it needs from the liver. Alcohol could result in low blood glucose shortly after you drink it and to as many as 24 hours longer.
Here Is Your Action Plan:
Get your doctor’s OK to drink alcohol. Alcohol could aggravate diabetes complications, such as nerve damage and eye disease. However, if your diabetes is under control and your doctor agrees, an occasional alcoholic drink won’t sabotage your efforts.
If you take insulin or oral medicines, be sure to eat before you drink or drink with a meal to avoid low blood sugar.
Pick your drinks carefully. Light beer and dry seeds possess fewer calories and carbohydrates compared to other alcoholic beverages.
Consult your health care provider or dietitian about to include alcohol toward your daily calorie
Check your blood glucose level before bed. Since alcohol can lower glucose levels hours after drinking.
Here Is Your Action Plan:
Search for patterns. Take care of your blood sugar readings from month to month. You may have the ability to predict changes related to a menstrual cycle.
Adjust your diabetes treatment plan as needed. Your doctor can recommend changes in your daily meal plan, activity level or diabetes medications to make up for blood sugar variation.
Assess blood sugar frequently. If you’re likely approaching menopause or undergoing menopause, talk to your doctor about possbile plan modifications. Indicators of menopause can occasionally be confused with symptoms of high blood glucose, so whenever possible, check your blood glucose before managing a suspected low to confirm the minimal blood sugar level.
Most types of birth control don’t cause a problem for women with diabetes. However, oral contraceptives may increase blood sugar levels in some girls. Stress wreak havoc on people with diabetes. It’s absolutely necessary to manage your stress levels.