o
Weight loss — Many people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Losing even a small
amount of weight (5 to 10 percent of total body weight) can help the body to
produce and use insulin more efficiently. In fact, eating fewer calories can
reduce blood sugar levels even before the first pound is lost.
o Foods or meals that are high in fat (eg, pizza) may be eaten occasionally, although blood sugar levels should be monitored more closely. High-fat meals are broken down more slowly than low-fat meals. When using rapid acting insulin before a meal, the blood sugar level may become low shortly after eating a high fat meal and then rise hours later.
o To lose 1 to 2 pounds per week (a safe rate of weight loss),
subtract 500 to 1000 calories from the total number of calories needed to
maintain weight.
o
Avoiding weight
gain — Weight gain is a potential side effect of intensive insulin therapy
in type 2 diabetes. Weight gain is also a side effect of some oral medications
used for people with type 2 diabetes. To avoid weight gain, the following tips
are recommended.
o
Measure your weight on a
regular basis (eg, once weekly). Weight gains of more than 2 to 3 pounds
indicate a need to decrease the amount you eat or increase activity. Do not
wait until weight increases by 10 or more pounds to take action.
o
As blood glucose control
improves, it may be necessary to decrease your calorie intake by 250 to 300
calories per day to avoid weight gain.
o
If blood glucose levels are
frequently low at a particular time of day, decrease the insulin dose or
medication dose rather than add a snack.
o
Exercise — Exercising regularly can help to lose weight and keep it off. The
recommended amount of exercise is 30 minutes per day most days of the week.
o People who take insulin or oral medications that lower blood sugar
levels should check their blood glucose level before and after exercising. If
exercise is vigorous and prolonged (more than 30 minutes), check the blood
glucose every 15 minutes (if the exercise regimen is new and will be used
again). Frequent monitoring can help to get a sense of what effect exercise has
on the blood glucose level.
o Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol (up to one serving per day for
women, up to two servings per day for men) with food does not affect blood
glucose levels significantly. Alcohol may cause a slight rise in blood glucose,
followed hours later by a decrease in the blood glucose level. As a result, it
is important to monitor blood glucose response to alcohol to determine if any
changes in insulin doses are needed.
o Mixers, such as fruit juice or regular cola, can increase blood
glucose levels and increase the number of calories consumed in a day. Also,
calories from alcohol have little nutritional value and may interfere with
efforts to lose weight or contribute to weight gain. If you take oral diabetes
medications, you will not need to adjust your medication, as long as you drink
the alcohol in moderation and with food.
o
Total cholesterol should be
less than 300 mg daily. The main sources of cholesterol in the diet are foods
such as organ meats and egg yolks. Shrimp and squid are also moderately high in
cholesterol but can be included in your diet occasionally because they are low
in fat.
o
A diet that is high in fiber
(25 to 30 grams per day) may help to control blood glucose levels and glycated
hemoglobin (A1C).
o
A diet that is low in sodium
(less than 2300 mg per day) and that is high in fruits, vegetables, and low fat
dairy products, is recommended and can help manage blood pressure. For people
with diabetes and heart failure, further reduction in sodium may be necessary
to reduce symptoms.
o
Some sugar-free foods, such as
diet soda, sugar-free gelatin, and sugar-free gum, do not have a significant
number of calories or carbohydrates, and are considered "free foods."
Any food that has less than 20 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate is
considered a free food, meaning that they do not affect body weight or require
additional medication.
No comments:
Post a Comment