Diabetes
Diabetes now affects 1.7 million Australians, plus an estimated 500,000 people who have the condition but aren’t aware of it. The complications can include heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness, but lifestyle changes and good blood glucose control can help prevent these, according to Diabetes NSW. Here, Dr Richard Mcmahon, Fellow of the Royal Australian College of GPS and founder of online doctor service Swiftdoc, explains why managing your diabetes well is so important.
Maintaining a healthy weight makes it easier to manage your diabetes and also reduces the chances of further complications. Even losing 5-10 per cent of your body weight can help, and may prevent those with pre-diabetes from developing type 2 diabetes. Generally speaking, the greater your abdominal fat, the more difficulty you’ll have keeping sugar levels in the normal range. This can worsen diabetes and also increases the risk to healthy people of developing pre-diabetic conditions, impaired fasting sugar levels and insulin resistance. That’s why maintaining a healthy weight is key.
Your diet should be based on your own personal circumstances, and undertaken after consultation with your GP. With type 1 diabetes the aim is to control your blood sugar levels, so you can manage the amount of insulin you need to take. Carbohydrates can cause a spike in blood sugar, which needs to be counteracted with an appropriate dose of insulin. For type 2 diabetes, the focus is more on healthy eating, in particular for weight management, so a caloriecontrolled diet is appropriate.
Everyone with diabetes needs to manage their cholesterol levels. In particular, the amount of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglycerides should be kept low to reduce cardiovascular risks. The focus should be on foods lower in saturated fat, such as low-fat milk and cheese, lean meat and vegetables. Avoid highly processed foods such as cakes and biscuits and foods with a high fat content. Also make sure your portion sizes aren’t too big.
Regular physical activity can be of huge benefit. It can help to manage your weight, lower blood pressure and stress levels, and improve your health overall. Going for a walk after eating will also help to flatten the rise in glucose levels. The important things are to talk to your GP before you undertake an exercise program and to build up your fitness slowly.
Make sure you know how to manage and measure your insulin levels before, during and after exercise, and keep checking in with your GP to adjust as appropriate, and as your fitness levels improve.
Alcohol can increase the risk of hypoglycaemia for those on insulin, or may interfere with medications, so be sure to discuss the implications with your GP. Current guidelines recommend no more than two standard drinks per day, but don’t forget alcohol contains calories, so may lead to weight gain, or stop you losing weight. If consuming alcohol, make sure you do so with food, and stick to drinks with lower alcohol content, or diet mixers.
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