Anyone will tell you that diabetes treatment starts at home. The most urgent factor in diabetes is keeping your blood sugar within a target range. A healthy diet and regular exercise regiment are key to being able to accomplish this.
If someone were to ask “what is the treatment for diabetes?” you could pretty much just answer ‘diet’, because it is so important that everything else seems to disappear in comparison. Diabetes and treatment of the disease is very much dependant on what food you tend to intake. This may seem overwhelming, but by following some simple guidelines, you should be able to keep your blood sugar pretty well under control.
Diabetes and Treatment with Diet
In diabetes treatment, diabetes diet rules are not fixed, but they generally they have the same basic elements. The first rule of thumb is to keep your diet low in carbohydrates. This is because carbohydrates have the most effect on your blood sugar level. If you are going to eat foods with carbohydrates try to eat the healthiest ones, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Now this doesn’t mean that you can never eat your favorite sweet snack again, just make sure that it is the only carbohydrate on the plate and that you don’t eat it too often.
Fiber-rich foods help you to control your blood sugar levels. They also may lower your risk of heart disease. Foods that are high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grain flour and foods containing wheat.
Lean meats such as poultry and fish are good for you. So are beans and whole grains. Non-fat dairy products are best because you want to avoid foods that are high in saturated fats. These can also include animal proteins such as hot dogs, sausage, and bacon. Furthermore, trans-fats should be avoided completely. Too much cholesterol and sodium can be harmful as well.
How much you eat and when you eat it matters as well. You should keep your meals and snack times the same everyday. This will help keep your blood sugar constant. Portion size matters as well. You don’t want to gain too much weight because this could bring about complications in the long run. Also, many people have found that, even if you don’t eat the same foods the same everyday, keeping the portion size the same for each food group helps ensure that you don’t over-indulge in any of them.
Treatment of Diabetes with Exercise
In the treatment for diabetes, exercise is extremely important. This is because exercise cuts down or the risk factors of complications such as high blood pressure that can lead to heart disease and bad circulation which can lead to amputation. Always remember, as a diabetic, you must stay active as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be a chore, however. It can be as simple as playing with your kids in the yard or taking a brisk walk with a friend.
Most doctors recommend exercising at least 30 minutes a day. Aerobic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, bicycling, or chair exercises. Do not exercise intensely, especially at first. Spending 5 to 10 minutes warming up in the beginning and cooling down for 5 to 10 minutes in the end is usually recommended.
It is also important to take precautions in this part of diabetes treatment. Diabetics tend to dehydrate easily anyway, and dehydration effects your blood sugar levels, so be sure to drink lots of water when exercising. Also, be sure to have a snack or a glucose pill with you in case your blood sugar drops too low. Last but not least, it is advisable for you to check your blood sugar before and after any type of exercise.
Diabetes 2 Treatment
What is the treatment for diabetes 2 and what does it involve? Here too, diet and exercise is essential. In fact, in type 2 diabetes, lifestyle is the main factor in the treatment of diabetes and can sometimes be the only treatment. If this isn’t enough oral medications could be prescribed and eventually insulin may be administered as well.
Diabetes 1 Treatment
In type 1 diabetes, the treatment for diabetes can be similar, but not the same. In diabetes treatment for type 1, blood sugar levels need to be checked several times a day, and insulin should be taken everyday. Diet and exercise is still important for treatment in diabetes 1 as well.
Individuals with type 1diabetes tend to be thinner than those with type 2. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas has been destroyed by auto-antibodies. Since this is the organ that secretes insulin, people with this type of diabetes always need insulin either injected or through an insulin pump (ABCnews.go.com, 2008).
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