Facts about Diabetic Diet

The International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries has adjudged India as the diabetes capital of the world. Not only in India, the sugar disease is spreading at an alarming rate across the globe and the root-cause of it is poor dietary choices. Most diabetics can’t prevent its further staging either due to poor management or medical concerns. [Read: Diet for Diabetics]

Diet Supplements for Diabetes: Safe or Not?

Doctors often recommend dietary supplements to meet nutritional requirements of vitamins, minerals and others. For example, chromium supplements help to control blood glucose levels and aid weight loss while magnesium supplements help diabetics facing insulin secretion problems. [Read: Do we need to take Supplements?]

These supplements may turn out to be dangerous if you are not cautious. Some of these are contaminated with substances other than those stated on the label; sometimes, there may be no label at all. Also, there is a possibility that the supplement may interact with medications to have a negative impact on health.

Therefore, it is advisable that you talk with your doctor before considering any change in dietary supplements.

Diabetes Care and Follow-up

Diabetes should strictly follow their diabetic regimen, be it having meals at the right time, adhering to daily physical activity schedule or following medical prescriptions. Don’t make changes in the diet chart unless told by a doctor. If you are on insulin dosage, ensure that the dosage is taken at the right time. To maintain the right level of cholesterol in the blood and blood pressure in the normal range, stay away from sugary foods. [Read: Hospital Care for Diabetes Patient]

Combination Medication, Exercise and Diabetic Diet

• Regular Exercise – Moderate physical activity everyday helps individuals to contract diabetes. Physical exercise or activities make muscles use up glucose, leading to reduction in the overall levels of sugar in the blood. It is important for diabetics to consult a doctor before engaging in any kind of workout as it may not work or be healthy.
• A Requisite Diabetic Diet – Besides regular physical activity, diabetics should adhere to a specific diabetes diet plan to keep control of their glucose levels. A requisite diabetic diet ensures that foods do not boost glucose levels any further. Along with a variety of fruits and veggies, a diabetic diet must increase the intake of complex carbohydrate. Diabetics must avoid fatty foods, alcohol, fatty oils, processed meat foods and dried fruit.
• Medication – If regular exercise and diabetic diet are ineffective in bringing sugar levels within the normal range, diabetics are advised medication for controlling sugar levels. To control diabetes, they are either prescribed a medicine or a combination of different medications.

Diabetics require lots of care along with follow-up. Maintaining a diet plan for diabetes helps in keeping diabetes in check.

Read more articles on Diabetes