Guidelines for Healthy Eating

Your meal plan is one of the critical factors in managing your diabetes. You should eat a well balanced diet of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables (5-9 servings a day), fish, lean meats, dry beans, whole grains and low fat or skim milk and cheese. A high fiber diet may help to lower your cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Eating less salt can also help with your blood pressure.

Nutrition experts recommend that you:

• Eat a wide variety of foods so you get enough of each nutrient
  
• Balance the number of calories you eat with your activity level
  
• Choose a diet rich in grains, vegetables and fruits
  
• Limit your intake of fat, cholesterol, sugar and salt,
  
• Space your eating throughout the day
  

The Food Guide Pyramid is a useful guide for healthy eating. Your meal plan will specify the number of servings from each food group. Most of the foods you eat will come from the lower portions of the food pyramid.

The number of servings you should eat from each food group will depend on how many calories are in your meal plan. Your meals will be balanced if you eat the right amount of servings from each of the food groups every day. Have 2-3 servings of high protein foods like lean meat, fish or poultry. You’ll also need 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. You also need to pay attention to serving sizes. Some examples of 1 serving:

• ½ cup cereal, rice or pasta
  
• 1 slice of bread or small roll
  
• 1 medium piece of fruit
  
• ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetable
  
• 1 cup milk or yogurt
  
• 3 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
  

Snacks between meals or at bedtime may also be part of your meal plan. Snacks can be important as they can help satisfy hunger before meals and also help to prevent low blood glucose. A typical snack for an adult with diabetes may be a medium-sized apple or orange.

Healthy eating does not have to be complicated if you follow these guidelines:

• Eat a wide variety of foods to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients
  
• Follow a diet rich in grain products, fruits and vegetables as these foods are high in fiber and may help lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels
  
• Balance the amount of calories with your activity so that you can lose excess weight or maintain a healthy weight
  
• Drink plenty of water to help your body use the fiber you eat.
  

It’s best to use less. Health experts recommend that you limit your intake of fat and cholesterol. This is because over time too much of these substances can lead to heart or circulatory problems. Unsaturated fats are a healthier choice for cooking. You’ll also want to limit your intake of sugary food. These foods generally have a lot of calories and are of little nutritional value. Sugar substitutes can be used if you want a sweet taste without the calories. You should also limit your sodium intake as this can lead to blood pressure problems. Look for low-sodium foods when shopping and use herbs and spices to enhance your food’s flavor.

Dining Out

When dining out be sure to ask questions about the menu and how the food is prepared. It is best to choose foods that are grilled, baked or broiled. Also look for “heart-healthy” foods as they tend to be prepared with less sodium, fat and cholesterol than other foods. You should also pay attention to serving sizes as they tend to be large in restaurants. Take home extras and enjoy the next day. Be careful when ordering meals or snacks at fast food restaurants as they tend to feature food that is high in calories, fat and salt. If you are invited to someone’s home, be sure to watch the size of your portions. Also you may need to take a snack depending on when the meal is being served.

Exercise and Your Health

Regular exercise has many benefits for everyone but it is especially important for people with diabetes. Regular physical activity can help you:

• Manage your blood glucose levels
  
• Lower your blood pressure
  
• Reduce your need for insulin
  
• Reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke
  
• Manage your weight
  
• Strengthen bones and improve flexibility
  
• Increase energy
  
• Relieve stress
  
• Improve how you look and feel
  
  

During exercise and often for hours afterwards, blood glucose levels go down. Exercise can also help your body use insulin better. In fact, you may not need as much insulin on days you are more active.

Exercise can also help protect your heart, lungs and blood vessels in several ways. Physical activity helps keep blood flowing freely through your arteries by reducing bad blood cholesterol (LDL) and boosting the good cholesterol (HDL). Regular exercise can also help lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack. These benefits are especially important for people with diabetes given that they are at greater risk for heart disease and circulatory problems.

Before starting an exercise regime, however, always consult with your health care professional . This check-up will help ensure that your exercise program will not increase your risk for other complications. Moderate physical activity such as walking is best. The only equipment that’s necessary is comfortable clothing and well fitting shoes and socks. Other types of exercise might include bicycling, swimming and dancing.

To get the most benefit from your exercise program, exercise 4-5 times a week for 20 to 30 minutes. You should also add another 10 to 20 minutes to each session for warming up and cooling down. If you are short of time or out of shape, you should try exercising in 10 minute segments and gradually building up your stamina.

The best time to exercise is generally 1-3 hours after meals. This is because your blood glucose will be at their highest levels. It is best not to exercise when your insulin or diabetes pills are having their peak effect. Check with your diabetes health care professional if you’re not sure when your medicine is having its peak effect. You should also carry hard candy or a fast-acting carbohydrate like fruit in case your blood glucose drops suddenly.

Always carry identification when you exercise. Your ID should state that you have diabetes and a list of emergency contacts/phone numbers and list of medicines.

If you inject insulin or take diabetes pills, check your blood glucose level before you start or change your exercise program. Do not exercise if your glucose levels are too low and always have a high carbohydrate snack handy.

Other Safety Tips:

• Dress in layers so you can remove clothing if you get too hot
  
• Drink plenty of water during and after your physical activity
  
• Don’t exercise if you are sick or not feeling well
  
• Protect your feet
  
  • Check inside your shoes and socks for anything that might injure your feet
    
  • Wear comfortable shoes and well-fitting socks
    
  • Notify your doctor right away if you injure your feet