Diabetes Meal Plans & Excercise

In some cases diabetes can be managed with diet and exercise.

Eating right will help to control blood sugar and cut the risk of developing both short- and long-term diabetes complications.

Typically “eating right” for a diabetic includes implementing Carbohydrate Counting and the Food Exchange System. Diabetics use a dietitian or diabetes educator to assist them in determining and using the best approach.  The dietitian or diabetics educator creates a meal plan that fits the diabetic’s lifestyle, budget, food preferences, and eating habits.

Exercise helps the diabetic control his or her weight and blood sugar levels.

Before a diabetic starts an exercise program he or she gets a detailed medical evaluation. Certain medical conditions might become worse as a result of the exercise.  Diabetics receive tests to check the condition of their heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and nervous system.

Diabetics with eye disease (retinopathy) must talk to their doctor about what kind of exercises they should and should not do. Certain types of resistance exercises (free weights, weight machines, or rubber exercise bands) can raise a person’s blood pressure in the short term and may cause bleeding in the eye.