Diabetes Diet and Exercise

A 'diabetes diet' is no hard and inflexible list of foods that you can or cannot ever have again. Instead, diabetes and diet go hand and hand differently. When the diagnosis of diabetes is given to you, it should be recognized as a chance to make the sort of lifestyle changes that can result in overall better health. In the case of type 2 diabetes, making diet and exercise changes can even result in a reversal of the conditions. It is a matter of making healthy food choices and paying more attention to the different components of nutrition, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

 Keeping your blood sugar levels in check and well-monitored means making healthy food choices, exercising regularly while also taking any medications prescribed by your physician will go a long way in helping you reduce the effects of the disease. You will no doubt hear the term the "ABC's of diabetes". The "A" is for the A1C or haemoglobin A1 c test that measures the average blood sugar for the last three months. The B stands for blood pressure while C is cholesterol. You are hoping to attain as near as standard a blood glucose control (HbA1c), blood pressure, and cholesterol level. Diet will help you do this.

 Exercise can also go a long way to helping you control your diabetes if you use caution and monitor your diabetes, especially. You do not have to join an expensive gym or do anything extreme, particularly as you first start. Light exercise can be a brisk stroll around the block while moderate exercise can be a jog through the park. Exercise does not need to be expensive or difficult for you to do, but it does need to be for the recommended amount of time your health professional suggests. You doctor might want you to start with a duration of as little as 30 minutes a day. Make exercise times as pleasant for yourself as possible and try to consider them a break from your day. Under the guidance of your physician, try to increase your exercise times to as much as an hour a day as this will help you burn fat.

 As your doctor helps you understand more about diabetes and diet, you will be introduced to the Glycemic Index. The index is a ranking that measures the influence of foods on blood sugar levels. This index takes into account the type of carbohydrate in a meal and its effect on blood sugars. Foods which are low on the glycemic index have less impact on blood sugar levels after meals. High index foods bring sugar levels up. It has also been noted that people who eat a lot of higher glycemic index foods often have more body fat.

 In discussing diabetes and diet, your doctor will no doubt also speak to you about portion sizes. Try to cut portion sizes down by half if possible, especially when dining out. Your doctor will give you a recommendation of the amount of protein and carbohydrates you should have with each meal.