Do's and Don'ts in Diabetes

DIABETIC CARE: DO'S AND DON'T'S

Do's:

Diet control as advised by your doctor.

Exercise as recommended by your doctor.

Maintain good hygiene

Take medicines / insulin regularly.

Get your blood sugar checked regularly.

Be aware of the symptoms of hypoglycemia and its management.

Do meditation - maintain calmness of the mind.

Take bath daily.

Take care of your eyes and foot.

Use wheat, ragi, and old rice for preparing your food.

You can have horse gram, bitter gourd, cauliflower, cuisines, radish, cucumber, potato, leafy vegetables, hingu, sarshapa, jeeraka, methika, and buttermilk in your food.

You can take jambu, gawjava fruits, gooseberries, badam, acrot, cashew nut, and pista.

Carry your diabetes identification card and your doctor's

telephone number with you always.

Don'ts:

Avoid sugar items (sweets), milk, curds, butter, ghee, and ice creams.

Avoid spicy, oily, fried, non-vegetarian foods.

Do not smoke

Do not take alcohol.

Do not gain weight

Avoid day sleep

Avoid worries, tension, anger

Do not be idle

Avoid fruits like banana, grapes, mango, orange, jackfruit, and apple.

Never go barefoot.

Never cut corns or calluses.

Remember:

Consult your doctor in case of Emergency 

Exercise & Diabetes

The Added Benefit of Exercise in People with Diabetes You are no doubt aware that exercise can help prevent the serious complica­tions that often come with diabetes and heart disease. Research has repeatedly shown that regular physical activity helps reduce the likelihood of having a heart attack or a stroke, aids in weight loss, and improves mood.

But do you know that exercise can also help you reduce your blood glucose levels?

That's right. In people with type II diabetes, exercise may improve insulin sensitivity and assist in lowering elevated blood glucose levels into the normal range.

Here's how. When you exercise, your body uses more oxygen -- as much as 20 times more -- and even more in the working muscles, than when you are at rest. So the muscles use more glucose to meet their

increased energy needs.

At the same time, exercise improves the action of insulin in the peripheral muscles, making it more efficient, so you get more out of the insulin your body is producing.

In older people with diabetes, the decrease in insulin sensitivity that comes with aging is also partly due to a lack of physical activity. So regular exercise benefits you now, and for years to come.

Sometimes, it may seem easier to pop a pill or even take a shot than to put on your walking shoes and hit the trail. But the truth is that exercise, in combination with a healthy diet, is one of the best things you can do to take care of yourself if you have diabetes.

Why exercise?

Exercise burns calories, which will help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise can help your body respond to insulin and is known to be effective in managing blood glucose. Exercise can lower blood glucose and possibly reduce the amount of medication you need to treat diabetes, or even eliminate the need for medication.

Exercise can improve your circulation, especially in your arms and legs, where people with diabetes can have problems. Exercise can help reduce your cholesterol and high blood pressure. High cholesterol and high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Exercise helps reduce stress, which can raise your glucose level. In some people, exercise combined with a meal plan, can control type

II Diabetes without the need for medications.

Sources: National Diabetes Data Group. Diabetes in America, 2nd edition. NIDDK.