HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AS A DIABETES PATIENT.

After you eat, the body breaks down food into smaller parts. It absorbs nutrients such as glucose (sugar), which then enters the bloodstream. Your body notices the increased sugar level and signals the pancreas to release a peptide hormone called insulin, which acts as a messenger between the sugars and your body’s cells. Once insulin is released, it acts like a key telling the cells to open up and absorb the glucose for use as energy.

If your body is properly functioning, your body’s cells would open up and the sugar in your bloodstream gets reduced, signaling insulin levels to reduce as their job is now over.

However, in cases of insulin resistance, the body cells do not open up to absorb glucose on the signaling of insulin. This results in a buildup in the level of glucose in the bloodstream making the pancreas to respond by releasing more insulin in order to get the cells to respond. Eventually, the pancreas reaches a point where it is unable to maintain adequate insulin release, which makes your blood sugar levels keep rising. This will put your body at higher risk for pre-diabetes and finally diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin early in life. It is as a result of autoimmune disorders that damage the pancreas ability to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or resists insulin signaling. We also have pre-diabetes (a condition where the blood sugar levels is high but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes), gestational diabetes (a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women)

Some major symptoms of diabetes are: Frequent urination and increase in thirst- this is because your kidneys can't keep up with the excess glucose excreted into your urine, dragging along fluids from your tissues, which makes you dehydrated

Also, glucose from the blood cannot enter the cells due to either a lack of insulin or insulin resistance, so the body can't convert the food you eat into energy as a result the diabetic patient feels hungry. 

Other symptoms are blurred vision, fatigue, Loss of weight without trying, dry skin, numb or tingling hands or feet.

 

HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY HEALTH AS A DIABETIC PATIENT

Diabetes usually once it happens to an individual could be for a long time depending on the type. The treatment of this disease could be really difficult and expensive too! both for the patient and his loved ones.

However, diabetes (especially type 2) could be managed to a point of improving the health status of the diabetic individual. Here are a few important ways to drastically manage diabetes.

 

EXERCISE

The American Diabetes Association encourages people to get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week.

Studies have shown that exercise promotes better blood glucose control and helps reduce excess body weight both of which are significant risk factors for diabetes.

For diabetics patients, aerobic exercises and resistance training is recommended.

Old adults with diabetes often experience impaired balance and flexibility, thus specific exercises can be used for them.

Habitual physical exercise can reverse insulin resistance as excess adiposity in the waist line contributes to insulin resistance, regular exercise assists in reduction of body fats and this increases cellular insulin sensitivity.

When muscle cells contract during exercise, they are able to take in glucose even when insulin is unavailable. The blood glucose lowering effect of exercise could last for up to 24 hours following a workout.

Aerobic exercise reduces blood pressure, increases cardio-respiratory fitness, decreases insulin resistance, and improve lipid levels and endothelial function. Some examples include: walking, cycling, swimming, running, jogging, dancing etc.

Resistance exercises helps increase muscle mass and strength. It is also effective for improving glycemic control and blood lipid profiles in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes and could serve as an effective intervention to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. They can help your body use insulin better, lower your glucose levels, help burn more calories, and maybe even help you need less medicine. Some resistance exercises are squats, push-ups, bench press, plank etc.

NUTRITION

For type 1 diabetes patients, carb counting is really important to keep your blood glucose steady. Here you estimate the how much carbs are in your meal and match it with the amount of insulin you need to take as diabetes patients usually are on an insulin therapy throughout life.

Type 2 diabetes usually results in overweight, finding a way to loose weight is important as it really improves diabetes management.

When the blood stream has excess sugar and insulin, the body is signaled to store sugar. Some sugar can be stored in the muscles and liver; most sugars are stored as fat when they have nowhere else to go. Thus people with diabetes are more likely to be over-weighed or obese than those without the disease.

High blood glucose levels can wreck havoc to your organs. People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing conditions such as increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, liver dysfunctions as well as heart and kidney diseases. Over time excess fat stored can lead to these problems especially for fat stored in the abdomen (central obesity).

You can track your daily food intake with the help of a medical professional. Your dietitian can help you determine an adequate strategy for calculating your calorie intake. This can go a long way in helping to reduce blood glucose levels.

Studies have shown that increased protein intake can help type 2 diabetes patients loose weight easier.

Take foods with low glycemic index (GI). GI is a measurement system that helps you rank food according to their effect on your blood sugar level. Low GI food are the preferred choice for diabetes patients as they digest slowly and are absorbed causing a slower and smaller rise in blood sugar levels. When following low GI diets, its is recommended that you keep your daily glycemic load (GL) moderate.

Examples of low GI foods include: Oats, apples, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli,pears, pasta, sweet potato, yam, corn, kidney beans, semolina, milk, yogurt, coconut milk, cheese, peaches, carrot, zucchini, soya milk, rice, barley, baked beans and many others.

Eat less red and processed meat as it is not good for diabetes patients due to the kind of chemicals used in their preparation and preservation.

Eat healthier fats. Some unsaturated fats can lead to increased cholesterol in blood giving an increased risk of heart problems in diabetes patients.

Stress too can increase glucose levels, the body tends to cause a rise in glucose level in blood in response to prolonged stress. Additionally, it may be harder to closely follow usual diabetes management routine if you are under a lot of extra pressure. To avoid this, you could take note of your stress patterns and also learn relaxation techniques and get new strategies for coping with stress.