Diabetes Management

  • Diabeties
    Diabetes
    Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disorder in which the body has difficulty regulating its blood glucose or blood sugar level.  The burden of diabetes is increasing globally, particularly in developing countries. While the causes are complex, but the increase is in large part due to rapid increases in overweight, including obesity and physical inactivity. There is good evidence that a large proportion of cases of diabetes and its complications can be prevented by a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco.
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 1 November 2015

You need a healthy meal plan and an exercise regimen. Being active is very important as it helps the body use insulin more efficiently to convert glucose into energy for the cells. 

Food and Nutrition 

Making the right food choices is very important in managing diabetes. We make it easy for you to eat well and healthily with simple dos and dont’s, tips for creating a healthy plate and examples of low-glycaemic index foods. 

Physical Fitness

Exercise plays a key role in managing diabetes and helps to bring down your blood sugar level. Depending on your blood sugar level, plan a sustainable exercise regimen with the help of your doctor or fitness expert. Do be aware that exercise will have an impact on your blood sugar level, lowering it for hours after you exercise. Check your blood sugar before and after you exercise, so you know how your body is reacting to the activity. If necessary have a snack before you start or after you finish to keep your blood sugar stable. Exercise has many other benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, better blood circulation, weight loss, stress relief etc.

Take charge: Your action plan

• Lose 5 to 10 per cent of your body weight if you are overweight. For eg. if you weigh 70kg, that means a weight loss of 3.5 to 7kg

• Eat healthily (See our healthy meal plans and delicious recipes)

• Exercise for about 30 minutes a day

• Check your blood pressure. Aim for a maintaining a blood pressure of <130/80mmHg

• Check your cholesterol level regularly. Aim for: Triglycerides <150mg/dl. High density lipoprotein >=40mg/dl

• If you smoke, stop

• Self-monitor your blood glucose level with a home blood glucose meter. Aim for: Fasting blood glucose <100mg/dl, two-hour post meal BG <140mg/dl, HbA1c within normal range

• Consult your diabetologist or endocrinologist once every six months. An endocrinologist specialises in the study of glands and hormones while a diabetologist specialises in diabetes, which is an illness of the pancreas gland. 

Know your support team: Who can help you stay healthy?

Diabetes is a complicated disease and you may need more than your diabetologist or endocrinologist to manage it and stay healthy. Because diabetes can affect different parts of the body, you may also need an:

• Ophthalmologist (eye doctor)

• Heart specialist

• Foot doctor 

• Diabetes nurse educator (he/she teaches patients how to self-monitor their diabetes, help in emergencies and also advise on doctors to consult to manage complications) who can advise on doctors to consult and the nurse educator directs the people 

• Dietitian

• Fitness professional

• Psychologist or other mental health professional 

 

Community
Diabetes
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Diabetes

Stories

  • DOs & DON’Ts OF THE DIABETES DIET
    Diabetes management is not a one time fix. It requires sustainable lifestyle changes. Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator explains the dos and don’ts for eating well and keeping your blood sugar under control. Whether you have been recently diagnosed with diabetes or are a longstanding diabetes patient, your heart skips a beat while you’re waiting to see your blood glucose reading. You are keen to do all that it takes to bring down the blood sugar quickly – whether it is by omitting…
  • Your guide to low Glycaemic Index foods
    What is Glycaemic Index and why you need to be aware of it when planning meals - By Ujjwala Baxi, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. What is Glycaemic Index? Mr. Ram and Mr. Raghu are brothers with diabetes. The breakfast menu is mostly the same for both. The only difference is that Mr. Ram likes to have his butter on white bread whereas Mr. Raghu prefers it on multigrain bread. They both leave for work. Within a couple of hours, Mr. Ram feels hungry while Mr. Raghu is…
  • My mother’s life with diabetes
    A daughter and caregiver describes the toll diabetes took on her mother’s life and its impact on their family. By Padmini Chandrasekaran An accident or an afterthought, I was born in 1954 when my mother was 38 years old. I weighed almost 4kg and the exertions of a normal delivery must have exhausted my mother. Or so my parents thought, as after her delivery, my mother continued to be listless, tired and slightly irritable. She felt the urge to pass urine frequently…
  • Eat less, run more
    Mumbai-based Dr M.B. Bhide, 54, managed his diabetes by changing the way he lives. He is as busy as ever and diabetes is not getting in his way. Here are his tips. What kind of diabetes are you suffering from? Type 2 diabetes When were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed a year back. What symptoms did you have? I was frequently hungry and craved food. Did you put on a lot of weight? Not really. I weighed 72kg, which was a little more than ideal.  Is there diabetes in the family? Yes …
  • Saying no to rice
    Tamil Nadu resident R. Eswari, 54, talks about the lifestyle changes she made to keep diabetes under control.  What kind of diabetes are you suffering from? Type 2 diabetes When were you diagnosed? I was then 35 years old. Why did you get checked?  I was constantly feeling tired and had fainting episodes.  Is there a history of diabetes in your family? Yes. My mother had Type 2 diabetes. What is your present condition? My diabetes is under control.  What medications are…
  • Eating right for diabetes – it’s all about balance
    Eating mindfully is a critical part of diabetes management. As you know, diabetes affects a person’s ability to effectively convert the sugar in the blood to energy. This causes the sugar level in the blood to rise, leading to further complications affecting various parts of the body. But a diagnosis of diabetes does not have to mean hardship at the dinner table. With some thoughtful planning and a slight shift to healthier options, you can eat well and take pleasure in your food…
  • Move it
    Exercise is key to diabetes control, says Jayesh Shah (54), who has managed his condition effectively for the last 24 years. Here, he shares how to live well with diabetes (with no hard feelings). What kind of diabetes are you suffering from?                               Type 2 diabetes When were you diagnosed? Around the age of 30.  Is there a history of diabetes in your family? Yes, there is, on both…