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What is the key to healthy diabetes management?
There is no diabetes cure. Diabetes management includes the control of diabetes symptoms through:
- Diet to control blood glucose level
- Exercise
- Blood glucose testing
- Oral medication
- Insulin
Diet: There is no official diabetes diet. Different diets work for different patients. The goal of a healthy diabetic diet is to provide nutrients and balance energy requirements. The recommended diabetes diet is very similar to that suggested for people who don't have diabetes. It's important to eat at least 3 meals per day and not to skip a meal. Patients should eat a variety of foods, including high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits. Less than 30% of daily calories should come from fat. Carbohydrates and monounsaturated fat (such as olive oil) should provide 60% to 70% of calories. Protein should provide 15% to 20% of total calories.
Exercise: Exercising helps the body use insulin and lower blood sugar levels. Ideally, diabetics will exercise 4-6 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes each time. Because some people are healthier than others, they will be able to exercise more. Some patients with diabetes need to limit activity because of other health problems. It's important to discuss an exercise plan with a doctor or health care provider, especially if you haven't exercised in awhile.
Blood Glucose Testing: One of the most important goals of diabetes management is to keep blood glucose levels as close to the normal range as safely possible. What is the normal range? According to the National Diabetes Education Program, the target glucose range for most people using whole blood to monitor their blood glucose is 80 to 120 before meals and 100 to 140 at bedtime. The target glucose range for most people who use plasma to monitor their blood glucose is 90 to 130 before meals and 110 to 150 at bedtime.
How is blood glucose tested? Most diabetes patients use a blood glucose meter to test their blood glucose level. These meters use a small drop of blood to monitor the amount of glucose in the blood at any given time. Some meters use blood from a drop of blood from the finger, others use the arm.
Oral Medication: When diet and exercise are not enough, diabetes treatment for type 2 patients includes oral diabetes medications. These medications include drugs from the following classes:
- Sulfonylureas: Glucovance (glyburide), Glucotrol (glipizide)
- Biguanides: Glucophage (metformin)
- Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors: Precose (acarbose), Glyset (miglitol)
- Thiazolidinediones: Avandia (rosiglitzaone), Actos (pioglitazone)
- Meglitinides: Prandin (repaglinide), and Starlix (nateglinide)
When these diabetes medications are not enough, a type 2 diabetic may be prescribed insulin.
Insulin: Taking insulin via injection or an insulin pump is a basic diabetes treatment for type 1 diabetes. The amount of insulin must be balanced with food intake and activity. Blood glucose levels must be closely monitored through frequent blood glucose checking. In addition, many people with type 2 diabetes require insulin to control their blood glucose levels.
Available insulins include:
- Short acting or "regular" insulin: Humulin R, and Novolin R
- Rapidly absorbed insulin: Humalog (lispro), and NovoLog (aspart)
- Intermediate acting insulin: NPH, Lente, Humulin N, and Novolin N
- Long acting insulin: Ultralente and Humulin-U
- Daily insulin: Lantus (glargine)
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Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and does not serve as a replacement for care provided by your own personal health care team. This website does not render or provide medical advice, and no individual should make any medical decisions or change their health behavior based on information provided here. All pertinent content provided on this website should be discussed with your personal physician to evaluate whether it has any relevance to or impact on your specific condition. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.
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