Diabetes Food Journal: A Daily Log for Tracking Blood Sugar, Nutrition, and Activity

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Exercise regularly: The first way that can be done is to do regular exercise. So, glucose in the blood can be converted into energy. Just do the exercise for 10 minutes three times a day within 5 days.

Picture cues for portion sizes and color codes for food types teach how to put together a healthy diet plan to manage diabetes Adults with diabetes who drink alcohol should do so in moderation (no more than one drink per day for adult women and no more than two drinks per day for adult men). Alcohol consumption may place people with diabetes at increased risk for hypoglycemia, especially if taking insulin or insulin secretagogues. Education and awareness regarding the recognition and management of delayed hypoglycemia due to alcohol with or without a meal are warranted. To better help with weight management, and avoid hypoglycemia, exercise should be scheduled post-meals when blood glucose levels are higher. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to decrease medication dose to facilitate exercise without increasing caloric intake. ( 60) The gluten free diet has recently grown in popularity in persons who may be gluten sensitive, but don’t have celiac disease. Gluten in sensitive individuals, causes inflammation, leading to depression and other symptoms. More data is needed in this area in people with diabetes.Evidence is inconclusive for an ideal amount of total fat intake for people with diabetes; therefore, goals should be individualized; fat quality appears to be far more important than quantity. People with diabetes should limit or avoid intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) (from any caloric sweetener including high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose) to reduce risk for weight gain and worsening of cardio metabolic risk profile. ( 7)

The use of the glycemic index (a scale that ranks carbohydrate rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels) has been developed to identify and classify over 600 foods and their blood glucose raising potential. It has been demonstrated that high fiber, low GI foods can help delay the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, consequently helping to control blood glucose levels. As a rule, refined grain products and potatoes have a higher GI, legumes and whole grains have a moderate GI, and non-starchy fruits and vegetables have a low GI. Many factors can influence the GI of a food, such as methods of cooking, physical state of a food, and how much fat and protein are consumed in conjunction with that food. ( 50) The ADA states use of the glycemic index and glycemic load may provide a modest additional benefit for glycemic control over that observed when total carbohydrate is considered alone. The reasoning behind a less than robust recommendation is that the literature on GI and GL in individuals with diabetes is complex, and it is often difficult to separate the independent effect of fiber compared with that of the GI on glycemic control and other outcomes. Other organizations more highly advocate its use, including the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group (DNSG) of the European Association and the Diabetes UK Nutrition Working Group. ( 7) It is important that persons with diabetes who want to use the GI to better manage their glucose control are taught how specific foods and meals affect their own blood glucose levels, rather than adhering only to the existing GI. For example, a person could compare a low GI food, such as oatmeal (GI = 50) with cornflakes (GI = 84) to determine the relative effect of each on their own blood glucose. These apps organize all your data, from blood glucose to diet and exercise. Putting all that information in one place may be convenient, but these apps tend to be more expensive — at least if you want to access all their features. Glucose Buddy If the body needs more blood sugar levels, glucagon will get a signal from the liver to convert glycogen into glucose. Then, it will flow into the blood through the process of glycogenesis. Blood sugar with a value of 100-125 mg/dL indicates that your blood sugar is high enough. This is also known as a pre-diabetic condition. With these blood sugar levels, you are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.Neotame is a derivative of the dipeptide phenylalanine and aspartic acid. It is 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than sucrose and does not have a significant effect on fasting glucose or insulin levels in persons with type 2 diabetes. 5. The popularity of intermittent fasting has increased recently as a new way to lose weight and possibly lead to better control of Type 2 diabetes. There are many suggested types of intermittent fasts; some involve eating only on specific days, or not eating for a specified number of hours, alternated by day or hours in which food consumption is allowed. Others greatly restrict calories on some days but allow a more normalized diet on other days. There is no one specific intermittent fasting diet that has been proven to be beneficial. Since calories are restricted for certain periods of time, an individual with diabetes may lose weight over time if they maintain an overall calorie deficit in relation to energy expenditure as is seen with any successful weight loss method. This could be eating when you are not hungry as a way to relieve feelings of stress, sadness or even boredom. This can often be a bar of chocolate or an extra piece of cake. But eating in this way can have an impact on your emotional wellbeing and your diabetes. Some research has been done in people with gestational and type 2 diabetes using probiotic supplements and foods to determine if chronic inflammatory and glycemic markers can be improved. The premise is that the microbiome flora may be connected to glucose metabolism by altering insulin sensitivity and inflammation. The micropia in the gut of those with and without T2DM is different and altering the gut flora with certain probiotic strains may be helpful. A recent review of 12 randomized controlled studies of probiotic supplements in people with T2DM demonstrated a moderate improvement in glycemic and lipid parameters in the majority of the trials. The authors noted that lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species were most commonly used in the studies and that more studies of longer duration, exact strain and therapeutic dose should be pursued. ( 106)