Lifestyle management for diabetes

ADOPTING A healthy lifestyle can help you manage your diabetes. It may also improve your critical health numbers, including weight, blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

When it comes to food and eating, we are all different. Some of us like having one meal per day, while some of us eat three square meals, sticking to specific meal times. Sometimes our busy schedules dictate the way we eat. Throw diabetes into the mix and it can be quite difficult to know what and when to eat, as well as manage the condition.

When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, you are advised to eat healthy, balanced, regular meals. However, in reality, that can prove difficult, simply because we lead such busy lives. There is no one size fits all, and having diabetes should not stop you from living your life and enjoying food.

According to Dr Rivane Chybar Virgo, medical doctor and health and wellness coach, speaking at a weekly ‘Health Talk Sunday Series’ presentation, being overweight or obese makes it hard to manage type 2 diabetes.

It also increases the risk for high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

“Two ways to help manage weight are to eat healthy and be more physically active. To lose weight, you must take in fewer calories than you use through normal metabolism and physical activity. Making healthy food choices, including controlling portion sizes and reading food labels, is key to maintaining the right weight and preventing or managing diabetes,” Dr Chybar Virgo said.

With so many food options, it can be hard to know which ones are healthy. The core elements that make up a healthy dietary pattern include:

• All types of vegetables;

• Fruits, especially whole fruit;

• Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, and/or lactose-free versions and fortified soy alternatives;

• Wholegrain foods;

• Protein foods, including lean meats, poultry, seafood, beans, nuts and soy products;

• Oils, including vegetable oils and oils in food such as seafood and nuts.

Intake limits

Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. Some limits are:

• Added sugars: Less than 10 per cent of calories per day, starting at age two. Avoid foods and beverages with added sugars for those younger than age two.

• Saturated fat: Less than 10 per cent of calories per day, starting at age two.

• Sodium: Less than 2,300 milligrams per day, and even less for children younger than age 14.

• Alcoholic beverages: Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to two drinks or less daily for men, and one drink or less daily for women. Drinking less is better for health than drinking more. There are some adults who should not drink alcohol, such as women who are pregnant.

Dr Chybar Virgo said many of us are on the go and do not spend a lot of time at home. But even when you are not at home, eating right should still be a priority. “You can properly nourish your body wherever life takes you, if you think ahead,” she said.

Here are some tips for eating on the go:

• Bring a healthy lunch and snacks to eat throughout the day. This will help you stick to healthy food options and be less tempted by unhealthy ones.

• Reduce your caffeine intake and stay hydrated. Keep a bottle of water handy to drink throughout the day.

• Eat healthy on a budget.

• Use diabetes-friendly recipes.

People who are overweight and lose as little as seven per cent of their body weight and who increase physical activity, can decrease their risk of diabetes mellitus by more than 50 per cent. If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes, physical activity and weight management can help control the disease and minimise negative health consequences.

For good health, healthy adults need at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent combination of both.

For example, you can meet the recommendation by walking briskly 30 minutes twice during the week and then jogging 20 minutes on two other days. A brisk walk that raises your heart rate is an example of a moderate-intensity aerobic.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.comSOURCE: Health Talk Sundays, World Health Organization, American Heart Association.