Diabetes and Diet

828 Words2 Pages

Diabetes and Diet

If you have diabetes, so you probably know that food is a major

culprit in altering your blood sugar level. Your blood sugar is at its

highest an hour or two after you eat, and then it starts to fall. What

you eat, how much you eat and when you eat all affect blood sugar.

Some issues to consider:

* Consistency. Strive for consistency from day to day in the time and

amount of food you eat. By controlling these factors, you can better

control when your blood sugar rises and even how high it rises.

* Type of food. Food is made up of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Although all three can increase blood sugar, carbohydrates have the

biggest impact.

Coordinating your meals and your medications can be a fine balance,

especially if you take insulin. Too little food in comparison to your

medication may result in very low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Too much

food may cause your blood sugar to climb too high (hyperglycemia).

Diabetes and exercise

Everybody's blood sugar responds differently to exercise. But exercise

and physical activity typically lower blood sugar levels, with the

effect lasting several hours afterward.

Diabetes and alcohol

Alcohol disrupts the liver's normal production of sugar. While your

liver is busy metabolizing the alcohol you've consumed, it doesn't

release its stored sugar when your blood sugar level starts to drop.

Your blood sugar can then drop too low. If you take insulin or oral

diabetes medications, even as little as 2 ounces of alcohol — the

equivalent of two drinks — can cause low blood sugar. Sometimes,

though not often, alcohol can ...

... middle of paper ...

... the doctor or pharmacist you have diabetes

and ask if the medication can affect blood sugar. If the drug may make

blood sugar control more difficult, consult your diabetes doctor.

Diabetes and stress

Stress can affect your blood sugar in two ways.For one, when you're

under heavy stress, it's easy to abandon your usual routine. You might

cut back your exercise, eat fewer healthy foods and test your blood

sugar less often. In that sense, stress indirectly causes your blood

sugar to rise.Stress can also have a direct effect on your blood sugar

level. As with the stress of a physical illness, prolonged or

excessive emotional stress can cause your body to produce hormones

that prevent insulin from working properly. That, in turn, increases

your blood sugar levels. This is more common in people with type 2

diabetes.

More about Diabetes and Diet

Open Document