Diabetes Care
Food, Fitness and Diabetes care
People with diabetes have a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone used to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy.
The good news is that with proper diabetes care you can stay healthy, feel good and
lower your chances of complications, such as eye and kidney disease.
The Components of Good Diabetes Care
Food — Food is one of the main factors that directly impacts blood glucose levels — and one you can control as part of your diabetes care. People with diabetes need a varied, balanced and flexible meal plan. The key is knowing how foods impact your blood glucose levels. Smart steps include:
- Working with a registered dietitian who is experienced in diabetes care to create an individualized menu plan.
- Scheduling regular meal times and maintaining a consistent diet.
- Reading food labels carefully and preparing meals from scratch when possible to control ingredients and limit additives.
Fitness — Regular exercise is an especially important part of diabetes care. It helps insulin work better while reducing your blood glucose levels. Ideally, adults should get 30 minutes of physical activity five or more days per week. And your exercise doesn’t have to be hours spent at the gym. Many everyday activities count as moderate exercise, including
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Gardening for 30 to 45 minutes
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Stairwalking for 15 minutes
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Washing and waxing the car for 60 minutes
Monitoring — At the heart of good diabetes care is regular monitoring of your blood glucose levels throughout the day. Once you know your blood glucose level, you can then make sound decisions about managing your diabetes — for example, when and how much medicine to take, when to exercise and when to eat meals or snacks.
Make Liberty Part of Your Diabetes Care
If you are on Medicare and have diabetes, the cost of your diabetes testing supplies may be covered, whether you use insulin or not.* Liberty Medical Supply can help determine if you are eligible. Call toll-free 1-800-827-2102.
* Co-payments and deductibles apply.
Source: The American Diabetes Association.
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