Recipe for diabetic patient

   Treatment, Management and Diet of diabetes

Treatment of diabetes must be accompanied strictly by management,

   Treatment consists of blood glucose lowering and insulin pills or injections and is to best left to the doctor who is treating you. What you must keep in mind is that, periodic and regular blood check ups and visits to the doctor are important. Why?

   The periodic blood reports helps your doctor to know the status of your blood sugar and the blood cholesterol levels. He can then, if need be, change the medicines or the prevailing dosages, so that blood sugar levels stay stable and within normal limits.

Management of diabetes consists of
1) Proper diabetic diet.
2) exercise.
3) lifestyle habits.
4) certain alternative medicine measures

1)   Diabetic diet is very important and medicines will not be effective, if adequate care is not taken about the diet. Diet is equally important as the treatment.



Points to follow in diabetes :-

a)   Eat about the same amount of food every day to avoid putting on weight.
b)   An average structured adult should have about 1500 to 2000 calories per day through his diet.
c)   The diabetic diet should be properly balanced with appropriate carbohydrates, fats and protein intake for proper nutrition and diabetic care .

Foods to eat in diabetes:-

a)   Grains: Whole grain foods should be eaten. Look for that “ whole wheat” indicator on the packing. Whole wheat bread should be chosen. Brown rice should be preferred by diabetics.
   Nutritional value : Energy, vitamins and fiber. Though they are rich
  in carbohydrates, they are essential.

b)   Vegetables and fruits : Vegetables having a high fiber content should chosen, such as :
Leafy vegetables like cabbage, spinach, green beans, cucumber, onions, carrots, and tomatoes. Vegetables should be rotated daily. Dried leaves like pinto beans and lentils are also good.
Fruits like apple, oranges and mangoes contain glucose, but are necessary because they regulate the vitamins and minerals in the body.
Nutritional value : Vitamins, minerals and fiber. When eaten raw, they are low on calories. Fruits add energy content to the to the diet Certain fruits may raise blood sugar and these are to identified by checking the blood sugar regularly and, are to be avoided.

c)   Non Fat Dairy products such as skimmed milk, no fat cheese and no
   fat yogurt.
   Nutritional value : Low fat milk and yogurt give energy, proteins,
   calcium, vitamins and minerals. They are low on carbohydrates and
   therefore good for the diabetics.

d)   Fat intake: Eat healthy fats and the intake should be properly watched. Blood cholesterol levels should also be monitored.
   Animal food proteins should be avoided as they contain saturated fats
   and diabetic patients are prone to have heart disease.
   Olive oils, olives, nuts contain low saturated fats and more of
   unsaturated fats and should be preferred.
   Choose more of fish, nuts, peas, and beans. Eat less of fat lean meats
   and poultry.

e)   Water and diet drinks should be preferred.

f)   Sugar in small “ table” quantities can be consumed only with the permission and advice of your attending physician.

g)   Sodium intake (eg salt) should be restricted.

h)   AVOID : chips, fried junk foods, butter, cookies, cakes, stick margarine, fat ice cream and such fatty foods.

“ REMEMBER DIET CONTROL IS AS IMPORTANT AS MEDICINES, FOR MANAGING AND CONTROLLING DIABETES.”

2)   Physical exercise for diabetes is an integral part of diabetes management. An adult has to have some form of exercise of around 20 to 30 minutes daily. WHY?
Exercise is necessary in a diabetic because it controls the weight and lowers the blood sugar level by making the blood glucose sensitive to insulin. It also makes one feel overall better and gives a sense of well being. Consult your physician about the type of exercise that is best suited for you.
   > Walking: Whenever possible walk instead of driving
Ø   Swimming
Ø   Jogging
Ø   Dancing
Ø   Cycling
Ø   Light weights
Ø   Tennis or badminton
Ø   Aerobics
Ø   Stretching exercises
Ø   Join the health club

However certain precautions are to be taken while you are exercising.

a)   A five minute warming up is necessary before you start exercising. Start exercising at a gradual pace initially.
b)   Similarly, a five minute cooling down is necessary after you have finished.
c)    As exercise makes the blood sugar sensitive to insulin, there may be sudden drop of blood glucose levels. Risk of hypoglycemia are there. Look for tell tale signs, such as anxiety, shivering, palpitations, excessive sweating, dizziness and headache.
d)   A diabetic patient must keep either sugar packets, or sugar pills or glucose biscuits or such sugar raising items on his possession to take, at times like these.
e)   One must check the blood glucose levels before and after the exercise. .Drink plenty of water before, during the exercise, and after, as there is risk of getting dehydrated.
f)    One must ensure that the foot wear is comfortable and check for any foot injuries after the day’s work or a bout of exercise.




3)   Life style habits :

   a) One must at all costs, avoid having a sedentary life and must
   exercise daily as explained above.

   b) Avoid smoking

c)   Drink in moderation: Women should restrict themselves to
   one large peg (60ml), while men should not exceed two
   large pegs. Patients prone to hypoglycemia should avoid
   alcohol.