Diabetes Diet, Exercise and Complications

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that cannot be completely cured but can be managed through proper care. A diabetic patient must follow a health lifestyle, which include proper diet plan, exercises and prescribed medicines. This is the only way one can avoid or minimize the risk of diabetes long-term complications.

Diabetes Diet

Diet plays an important role in managing diabetes. The timings of the meals need to be fixed and rigidly maintained. Never skip meals. Fiber plays an important role in the diet of diabetics. The rich source of fiber is vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. Fiber foods are not completely digested by our body. Foods rich in fiber induce a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing appetite. The consumption of fat must be reduced, focus instead of proteins and complex carbohydrates.

Diabetes Exercises

The role of exercise cannot be overestimated in managing diabetes. Although it is important not to overdo it – and exercise must always be done keeping in mind your particular parameters, for instance, cardiac stimulation – regular exercise definitely helps a diabetic bring the glucose levels down. Simply put a muscle at rest resists the action of insulin; an exercising muscle is more responsive to it. An obese patient may have sufficient or even an excess of insulin circulating in his body, but his system may resist it by way of peripheral tissue. Also, the more physically active you are, the more efficient your body is in handling the carbohydrate load.

Complications of Diabetes

If the blood glucose level is not controlled it may lead to following complications -

1. Heart disease
2. Kidney disease
3. Blindness
4. Impotency
5. Amputation

Guidelines to Manage Diabetes

A diabetic patient should follow a healthy lifestyle. Below are some simple guidelines that will help diabetics lead a normal life and avoid the complications that uncontrolled diabetes can cause.

1. Consult your doctor regularly.
2. Follow the diet plan as suggested by your doctor.
3. Maintain regular meal times. If there is a delay in having your meal, have a fruit or a glass of buttermilk at that time.
4. It is important not to overeat at one time. Small, frequent meals are generally advised for diabetics.
5. Diabetics should reduce their alcohol consumption, if not cut it out totally. Doctors urge them to cut down on cigarettes as well.
6. Don’t hurry through your meals. Eat in a relaxed manner, chew carefully and slowly.
7. Person suffering from diabetes must cut down all kinds of desserts and sweet preparations as they may cause an immediate and swift rise in the blood sugar levels.
8. Eye care is equally important. As a diabetic you run the risk of facing the following eye problems: cataract, retinopathy or glaucoma.
9. If your eyes turn red, irritable or cause you pain, consult a doctor immediately.
10. Some recommended forms of exercise are walking or jogging, tennis, badminton or cycling.
11. Examine your feet every day for any sign of injury. The importance of hygiene to a diabetic, as far as feet are concerned, cannot be over emphasized. Clean your feet with the mild soap and then dry them thoroughly after rinsing well. Ensure that the space between the toes is completely dry. Powder them everyday.
12. Guard against hypoglycemia. Always carry with you a pouch of sugar. Extreme low blood sugar levels can lead to unconsciousness.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Copyright © Nick Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

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Comments

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 at 4:57 AM, by Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac.
A common side effect of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, resulting on chronic bleeding in the retina and resulting vision loss.

There are specific nutrients that can help preserve vision by acting as powerful antioxidants, natural anti-inflammatories as well as strengthening the integrity of blood vessels such as omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), vitamin C, grapeseed extract, taurine, lutein, zeaxanthin, alpha lipoic acid and bilberry.

Other herbs and nutrients such as vanadyl sulfate, gymnema sylvestra and chromium help balance sugar, make the body more insulin sensitive and support the pancreas.

For more information on diabetic retinopathy, nutrition and vision preservation, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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