Diabetes mellitus is one of the main chronic diseases in China with comprehensive prevention and management strategies. In addition to regular blood sugar monitoring and communication with doctors, diabetic patients can better control their condition and improve their quality of life through diet and exercise management.

So, for diabetic patients, what should they pay attention to in terms of diet and exercise?

Diet management

It is the basis of treatment

Dietary management is the foundation of diabetes treatment, and a reasonable diet plan can not only meet the nutritional needs of patients, but also effectively control blood sugar levels.

First, regular diet: patients should eat regularly and quantitatively, understand the composition of food, and reasonably distribute the proportion of sugar, protein and fat. Determine the total daily calories according to factors such as age, gender, height, weight, etc., and reasonably distribute them to three meals a day, and each meal is timed and quantitative.

Third, energy appropriateness: Dietary energy management is the key to weight control and blood sugar management. Maintaining an ideal body weight is essential to boost immunity and reduce the risk of disease. Weight loss in obese patients can improve insulin resistance and improve glycemic control. Patients who are malnourished or emaciated should be guided by a dietitian to increase their dietary energy and protein intake, combined with resistance exercise, to achieve an ideal weight. Older adults should pay special attention to preventing muscle loss and maintaining a healthy weight.

Fourth, cooking methods: give preference to foods with less oil and less salt, and use low-oil cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, cold dressing, shabu-shabu, and stewing.

Fifth, food intake control: the intake of staple foods should be moderate, and more whole grains and low GI foods should be selected; Among them, low GI foods such as whole grains and miscellaneous legumes should account for more than 3/0 of the staple food.

Glycemic Index table of common foods

Sixth, the order of meals: eat vegetables first, then meat, and finally staple foods, which helps diabetics better control their blood sugar in the short and long term.

Exercise health

Helps reduce the risk of morbidity

As one of the "five carriages" of diabetes management, exercise has been proven to play an important role in reducing mortality in diabetic patients, reducing the risk of comorbidities, and improving clinical indicators.

Moderate exercise can increase insulin sensitivity, improve blood lipid metabolism, and help control blood sugar and weight. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) standard of diabetes diagnosis and treatment, patients with type 150 diabetes should do at least 0 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or 0-0 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise per week, and at least twice a week resistance exercise to build muscle strength. Young, healthy patients can choose moderate-to-high-intensity exercise such as skipping, rowing, and swimming, while older patients or those with cardiovascular complications should choose lower-intensity exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, climbing, or cycling.

Before starting exercise, it is recommended that patients undergo a comprehensive physical examination and discuss with their doctor the appropriate exercise style and intensity, in addition to preparing suitable sports shoes and clothing to avoid sports injuries. The best time to exercise is 90 to 0 minutes after a meal.

For patients with cardiovascular, retinopathy, or neuropathy, more appropriate forms of exercise are needed to ensure safety. During exercise, patients should also monitor their blood sugar, check their blood sugar levels before and after exercise, avoid fasting exercise, and carry candy with them to prevent hypoglycemic reactions. If necessary, patients may need to adjust the dose of insulin or oral hypoglycemic drugs as recommended by their doctor.

Author: Qin Hua, head nurse of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College

Review: Qiu Ping, Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College