Thread: Diabetes Management

This is a diabetes management guide that I search over the net for members who wants to know more about this condition.

Blood Glucose Monitoring
The best tool to keep diabetes in control is monitoring blood glucose level in the body. Frequent testing and good record-keeping give the most accurate possible picture of diabetes control. Self-monitoring of blood glucose or "SMBG" is the process of monitoring one's own blood glucose with a glucose meter.

SMBG also measured precisely the effects of exercise, diet and diet medication on blood glucose levels. At the same time, diabetes patient himself can respond to an elevation in blood glucose level therefore giving them a sense of control over their diabetes status.

Diabetes studies have shown that keeping blood glucose levels close to normal as possible by ensuring adequate and optimal control of blood sugar levels able to reduce the incidence of diabetes complications.

Physical Exercise
Exercise plus a good diet control helps in controlling diabetes. Beside burning calories, improving the body's response to the hormone insulin, a regular exercise plan will make oral diabetes medications and insulin more effective and directly help control blood sugar levels. Frequent exercise also helps in lowering fat and cholesterol levels in bloods thus reducing some risk factors for heart disease.

For an inactive person, walking will be a great exercise. Walk for about 20 minutes, three to four times a week, and increase he distance or speed of walks gradually. Avoid doing strenuous exercise especially for those on oral drugs and insulin as it can cause dangerous low blood sugar. Though exercise is highly beneficial to patients with diabetes, special precautions are necessary for those who have diabetes complications.

Bear in mind that each individual has his or her own metabolic response to exercise. An exercise program should be started slowly and with the advice of a doctor.

Good Nutrition
Learning about some nutrition facts is important for diabetes patients. A proper meal helps in maintaining a desirable weight for diabetes patient. Many people with diabetes can control their blood sugar by losing weight and keeping it off. Not only that, proper meal planning may prevent heart and blood vessel diseases that tend to occur in people with diabetes.

There is no one standard diet plan. A nutritionist or dietitian will make a recommendation based on individual nutritional needs, lifestyle and the action and timing of medications. Dietary restriction can't be avoided. Food which is high in fat, high sodium, alcohol, refined and simple carbohydrates should be avoided by diabetes patient. Need not worried. Dietitian can recommend a diet not only is healthy, but, interesting and delicious for you. Whenever possible, a dietitian will perform a nutritional assessment and educate the patient about the importance of balanced meals and snacks with consistent carbohydrate content, not to mentioned consumed at consistent times of the day.

I agree that there is no one standard diet plan for diabetes because the dietitian will make a recommendation based on individual nutritional needs, lifestyle and the action and timing of medications of the person with illness. Although the food that needs to be avoided are the same like too much fats, carbo, and sweets. Lifestyle has to be changed if you have diabetes because it's not easy to have this. Commitment and self control is important because your eating habit will be changed if you diabetes so the will to adhere to your diet plan is necessary to slow down the process.

Dr. Bernstein diet is designed for diabetics and it will help the person with diabetes all the help they need to keep a normal blood sugar count. Physicians will keep track of the development and give assistance to achieve the desired health condition.