Guide

A well balanced diet (within permissible caloric limits), proper exercise, oral medication and/or insulin injection, forms an integral part of any good diabetic management.

A proper controlled diet helps to reduce blood sugar levels and thereby reduces the risks of complications such as high blood pressure, heart problems etc. Dietary therapy also helps you to keep your weight under control and thereby reduces the problems associated with obesity.

A diabetic can eat balanced food within the permissible caloric limits. It is best to distribute the daily requirements of food between meals. Fibre rich diet and restriction of oil and sugar is advisable.

A regular controlled exercise not only helps to increase glucose utilisation but also helps to maintain desirable weight. Exercise tones up the body, improves circulation, helps to build stamina and provides a sense of well being

(Here we would like to warn the reader, that under no conditions should they attempt any form of unprescribed, self-medication. It could be fatal). 

All these classes of drugs help to reduce blood glucose levels. They work by different mechanisms. They lower glucose levels by different amounts. Your doctor would be the best person to advice which is the most suitable for you.

As persons with Type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin they require insulin injections. In Type 2 diabetes there may be certain periods when oral medication may have to be replaced by insulin treatment e.g. during illness, surgery or pregnancy.

At the time of initiation, it is necessary to plan not just when to take insulin, but how much and what kind. This is to ensure optimum insulin coverage through the day and night.

Please consult your doctor periodically and seek his advice about diet, exercise and medication to keep your blood sugar under control.

The amount of glucose in the blood changes throughout the day. If the level rises too high or falls too low, there are chances of some potentially serious complications.

Irrespective of the type of diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2, the best way to manage is to monitor the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. It may be necessary to monitor the blood sugar level several times a day.

Diabetes educators say that keeping a diabetes diary will help you fine tune your glucose control and help your doctor to figure out what is wrong should your glucose levels fluctuate. The patterns in your blood glucose readings provide clues about your diabetes control. The only way to see the patterns is to record the results.