Q. I really try to
follow my diabetes diet, but just can’t do it.
Do you have any ideas that might help me?
A. Your diabetes meal plan shouldn’t be a burden. If it is, meet with a registered dietitian
who can redesign your plan to better fit your preferences and lifestyle. If you find that you still indulge once in a
while, try to do the following:
- Learn to treat
abnormal glucose levels that may result from eating foods in portions that
aren’t recommended.
- Don’t punish
yourself for veering off your redesigned meal plan! We are all human. If you make a poor food choice, forgive
yourself and eat healthier at your next meal.
- Learn your A1C
number. Most experts recommend a
starting A1C goal of less than 7 percent with an ultimate goal of less
than 6.5 percent. If your A1C level
is good, an occasional high blood glucose meter reading should not be a
problem. If it is too high, meet
with your healthcare team to adjust your treatment plan.
Q. If I have to
start insulin, will I ever be able to stop?
A. If you have type
1 diabetes, the answer is no – you must take insulin from an outside source
because your body can’t produce any of its own.
If you have type 2, it may be possible to reduce or even eliminate your
need for insulin if you do the following:
- Follow a healthy meal plan. A registered dietitian who specializes
in diabetes can help design a meal plan that fits your lifestyle and
improves your diabetes control.
- Stay physically
active. The addition of even a
small amount of movement can make a significant improvement in your blood
sugar control. Discuss exercise
choices with your doctor before starting.
- Lose weight, if
needed. You should be able to see
an improvement in your diabetes control after a small amount of weight
loss.
Q. Is it true that
pregnant women with diabetes make more amniotic fluid? I had an awful lot of fluid appear when my
water broke and the nurse blamed it on my diabetes. Just curious.
A. This is actually
true. Women who are pregnant and have diabetes may make more amniotic fluid if
their blood glucose level runs high during the pregnancy. Those who control their glucose level well
will probably produce the same amount as other women.
Q. I used to feel my
blood sugar level drop, but can’t anymore.
Can I ever get the sensation to return?
A. Unfortunately, it
is very common to lose the ability to feel a drop in your blood glucose (sugar)
level when it runs low. This often happens
to people who make a real effort to keep their blood sugar level in a very
narrow range. Some experts also believe
that frequent low blood sugar episodes can cause this unawareness to
develop. It may be possible to get this
sensation to return or to better anticipate when it may drop, by trying the
following:
- Maintain blood sugar level
within 80-180 mg/dl for 2-3 weeks.
Many people have regained their ability to feel blood sugar lows
after doing this.
- Meet with your health care
team to review your daily blood sugar test results for patterns. You may be able to learn to predict when
a low will occur and change your eating and/or medication schedule to help
prevent it.
- For more great articles by Janis Roszler, visit the e-version of our magazine at walgreensdiabetes.com
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