What You Can Do to Manage Diabetes
Diabetes being one of the most common medical conditions in the world is expected to be more worrying with time because of the global obesity epidemic related to lack of physical activities and bad food habits. What we hope to achieve, in anyone with diabetes, is to be able to properly take control of our glucose levels at its optimum range and to lead a quality life.
Individuals who are overweight or obese have a greater risk of diagnosing with Type 2 Diabellitus Mellitus. Being overweight is largely related to 2 often overlooked main factors: Physical activities & Uncontrolled Diet
Assuming antidiabetic medications will take care of the problem of Type 2 Diabetes without putting effort in lifestyle modification is not a wise move. These medicines do not work like magic because without the right lifestyle modification, a good management of diabetes will not be achievable.
Diet
The big question here is: Can people with diabetes still eat normally? Of course they can! But here’s how you can still conquer your diabetes. Look at what you should have more and less in your diets:
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Less of these
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P.S: You know what’s the best choice of drink? Water! If water is not enlightening enough, you can still make your own drinks with a diabetic friendly sugar substitute instead!
When people say go for low GI foods to better manage your diabetes. But what exactly is a GI? It is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates and shows how quickly these foods affect our blood glucose levels. A GI of <55 is considered low and high as in >70. And why is this information important? Because multiple studies have proven that low GI diets can improve Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its complications related to our heart, kidney and eyes.
How do I schedule my mealtimes efficiently?
A diabetic patient should never skip breakfast and should definitely have three meals and one or two snacks each day if needed. Besides, American Diabetic Association advised a formula known as “Dinner type of Diet.” which is, on every 14 or 15 days, the patient can eat whatever he/she wishes in a limited quantity but during the other days the patient should strictly adhere to the prescribed diet. This formula helps the patient to reduce the craving for sweets and also helps to decrease the depressive feeling because of the disease.
How much to eat?
Eating the right food matters but eating the right amount is equally important to manage your blood glucose levels. The most practical effective way is the plate method.
- Half of your plate being the biggest portion of your meal is made up of non starchy vegetables loaded with fiber eg. salad, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy vegetables, carrots etc.
- A quarter are lean proteins eg chicken, beans, tofu, eggs
- Another quarter are your carbohydrates eg. grains, starchy vegetables (potatoes), rice, pasta, fruits etc
Physical Activities
90% of the time your healthcare professionals will ask you: Do you exercise? Why is it important? Let’s first look at why exercise benefits us then how we can achieve that.
Exercise as part of our daily physical activity, is not only an advantage for people with diabetes but for sure a key to healthy life. It can:
- Manage blood glucose levels by using up glucose in the form of energy
- Improve blood circulation to maintain a good blood pressure
- Burn the extra calories to keep us fit
- Improves mood, energy levels & brain cognitive functions
- Improves sleep
What physical activities can you do?
In order to get the best out of this strategy, experts say that we should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercises 5 days a week. If this sounds intense for you, you may aim to do at least 60 minutes or more of light exercises 5 days per week.
Simple exercises which you can incorporate in your daily routine:
- Start doing some chores if you haven’t done so! That includes, cleaning the house, washing the car and etc
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator! Did you know that some malls reserved elevators only for people with disabilities so as to encourage the others to walk more?
- Go for more sporting outdoor activities, such as, bike riding or a walk in the park
And if your jobs require you to be seated for long hours, try these light activities for 3 minutes or more every half hour (no more excuses as you can do these anywhere anytime!):
On top of these simple exercises you can challenge yourself to aerobic exercises at least 30 minutes per day which will make your heartbeat fast and sweat all your calories out.
Some of these exercises include:
- Brisk walking or jogging
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Cycling
- Taking exercise classes eg: strength training
- Playing sports eg: badminton
Remember to always stay hydrated before, during and after exercises!
The effect of lifestyle modifications may not be the most significant in just a short period of time but this method has been proven by many to benefit the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and also other associated diseases. Therefore, take that initiative to care for your health and the foods that you ingest into your bodies because as they always say: You are what you eat. For more detailed advice on how you can manage diabetes better, feel free to approach our friendly pharmacists at your nearest CARiNG Pharmacy!
References:
- Diabetes Diet, Eating & Physical Activity (2016). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIH). (Web Accessed October 2022). Web link: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/diet-eating-physical-activity
- Non-pharmacological Treatment Options in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus. (2018) National Library of Medicine: National Center for Biotechnology Information. (Web Accessed October 2022). Web link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182920/
- Non-pharmacological Approaches in Management of Diabetes Mellitus. (2019). Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical And Clinical Research. PDF File. (Accessed October 2022).
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