Advice for Diabetics

Diabetes treatment focuses to control the sugar or glucose level in the blood. The treatment is started with proper diet, medicine and exercise. Proper food choices help to keep blood sugar levels in the normal range. Hence, advice for diabetics is to take as much care as possible, so that the diabetic effect can be minimized.

There is no particular diet suggested for all diabetics. The dietician or the health care provider should suggest proper diet for the person depending on their needs. Individuals with diabetes should advise to visit the registered dietitian, who can work out a certain meal-planning guide. The diabetic diet must fit the person's lifestyle. A good meal-plan fits in with the schedule and eating habits. The meal plan can help if the person with diabetes should gain weight, maintain weight or lose weight. It keeps the blood sugar in control, and prevents blood vessel and heart disease.

Advice for Diabetics

Advice for Diabetics

The very basic advice for diabetic’s people is to reduce complications of diabetes.

  • Controlling Glucose: Research made in the United States and abroad has found that improved gylcemic control is advantageous for the people with type 1 or type 2diabetes. Selecting a proper and healthy diet with the balanced mixture of low and high gylcemic index foods, and regular exercising, maintains glucose control.
  • Control of Blood Fats or Lower Fat Diet: Proper control of cholesterol and lipids like HDL, LDL, or triglycerides reduces cardiovascular complications by 20 to 50 percent. Opting for a lower fat and low cholesterol diet with regular exercise makes fat control effective.

Objectives of Dietary Advice

  • To modify the dietary advice that can suit personal needs by considering eating habits, occupation, physique, culture and religious beliefs.
  • To let the dietary education allows patients to know their diabetes and get independence in management.
  • To offer realistic advice
  • Dietary goals
  • Limit absorbed carbohydrate intake
  • Weight loss
  • Make sure of proper and balanced nutritional intake
  • Aim for weight maintenance and modest weight loss i. e. 5-10 kg in one year, which can improve health outcomes.
  • Lessen the fat intake to <35% of energy intake
  • Aim to provide 50% energy intake through carbohydrates by increasing intake of complex carbohydrates and fiber rich foods.
  • Make sure that complex carbohydrate foods are eaten at every meal / snack
  • Avoid hypoglycemia
  • Weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.
  • Persuade regular eating habits / meals

Dietary Advice for Diabetics

  • Effective management of diabetes cannot be achieved without the right diet
  • A healthy diet is necessary for good diabetes management
  • Patients with newly diagnosed diabetes must have educational advice from a dietitian soon after diagnosis.

Aims of Dietary Advice for Diabetics

  • To give knowledge of healthy and balanced eating
  • To persuade lifestyle changes for reducing obesity and ensuring optimal weight.
  • To control blood glucose and lipids as nearly normal as possible
  • To lessen the complications of diabetes of hypoglycemia / hyperglycemia

General Guidance on Healthy Eating

  • Increasing intake of starchy carbohydrate foods
  • Safe and sensible alcohol consumption
  • Reducing fat intake
  • Reducing salt
  • Lifestyle
  • Reducing sugar intake
  • Increasing fruit and vegetable intake
  • Patients must follow dietary advice as lifestyle modification part involving appropriate exercise regimes and smoking cessation.

Advice for Diabetics on Diet and Weight Control

Your doctor can definitely advice you on managing your diabetes. Other than personal medical precautions, effective diabetic-management needs a regular and healthy lifestyle that must include regular balanced diet, exercise and sensible weight control.

Though diabetes is a condition of sugar regulation, specific restriction of sugars is not compulsory, except as part to ensure a balanced diet overall. Diabetics should be conscious of the food they consume to remain healthy. If you have diabetes, having small and avoiding junk foods can help you avoid the high blood sugar levels that are responsible for health problems.