Correct lifestyle NUTRITION AND EXERCISE RECOMMENDATIONS (English Version) Il corretto stile di vita (LINGUA INGLESE)
How to control diabetes Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels (also known as blood glucose or glycemia), often associated with overweight or obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. The challenge posed by diabetes is to modify one s habits, choosing the healthier ones and rediscovering the pleasure of exercising and eating healthy and natural foods.
HERE ARE THE GOLDEN RULES: 1. Be normal weight 2. Follow a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit, and adjust your fat intake 3. Exercise regularly
Nutrition recommendations ARE ALL FOODS THE SAME? In order to live and function, the human body needs the energy provided by food. Different foods contain different nutrients, all of which are important for the body, including: CARBOHYDRATES OR SUGARS: These are the main source of energy and provide the best fuel for our body. This category of nutrients is particularly important for people with diabetes: once absorbed, they immediately affect blood sugar levels. Depending on the speed with which they are absorbed, they are called simple or complex sugars. SIMPLE SUGARS tend to raise the blood glucose level rapidly; these are the foods that people with diabetes should be most careful about eating. Examples: sugar, honey, jam, sweets. Conversely, COMPLEX SUGARS, commonly known as carbohydrates or starches, take longer to be absorbed and cause a slower increase of blood glucose levels; these foods are therefore easier to consume. Examples: Cereals (bread, pasta, rice, flours, barley, spelt, maize, potatoes) and legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas).
FATS: fats are used by the body mostly as reserves. You should be very careful with your intake of animal derived fats (e.g. butter, lard, bacon fat, the fat component of all cheeses), as they are rich in cholesterol and therefore are harmful to blood vessels. Vegetable derived fats (i.e. all oils) should be preferred. However, there are some exceptions: margarine, cocoa butter and coconut butter, though vegetable, are rich in cholesterol. On the other hand, fish fat, though of animal origin, does not contain cholesterol and is rich in omega 3, which is very useful in preventing atherosclerosis. PROTEINS: proteins have a plastic function. They are contained in both animal origin foods (milk, eggs, meat, fish) and vegetable origin foods (legumes and cereals), which are very healthy sources of proteins because, besides being high quality, they are not bound to fat. FOOD FIBERS: These substances are contained in fruit, vegetables, legumes and in all whole foods. Although they are not nutrients, they have the ability to slow down absorption, particularly of sugar and fat, and therefore are very helpful for all healthy diets.
What is a healthy diet? To make sure you follow a good diet, you should consume: 60% CARBOHYDRATES 25% FATS 15% PROTEINS American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes 2012. Diabetes Care 2012; 35 (supll. 1)
The nutrition pyramid The foods that should be consumed most frequently are at the base of the pyramid; the closer to the top, the more limited is the amount of that food that should be present in a well-balanced diet. Water 1.5-2 liters per day Sweets Red meat Ripe cheeses Wine 1-2 glasses per day Cooking salt < 6g per day Eggs Cold cuts Fresh cheeses White meat, poultry Potatoes, legumes, fish Olive oil Milk and yoghurt Bread, pasta, rice, polenta, whole cereals Fruit and vegetables Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 1995. Dietary guidelines for Americans. Report of the Dietary Guidelines.
What should I choose? Choose more frequently OLIVE OIL PASTA, COUS COUS, BREAD (especially whole wheat bread) LEGUMES FISH FRUIT (Fruit should be eaten in moderate amounts, especially if it is rich in sugar like bananas, figs, grapes and melon) ABOVE ALL LOTS
Choose less frequently BUTTER RICE and PIZZA POTATOES MEAT SWEETS OF VEGETABLES
Exercise Exercise is good for everybody, but is particularly important for people with diabetes because it brings many benefits: ENHANCES WELL-BEING IMPROVES DIABETES CONTROL IMPROVES WEIGHT CONTROL CONTROLS ARTERIAL PRESSURE HELPS PREVENT MANY COMPLICATIONS Exercise does not necessarily mean going to the gym or the swimming pool or doing sports: it simply means moving all the time, everywhere, and every day more than yesterday! A good walk can be the ideal workout: you can do it anywhere and adjust it to your own abilities. For best results, the daily amount of walking should be 3-5 km (30-60 minutes). You can achieve this using a few little tricks: PARK AT SOME DISTANCE from where you are going DON T TAKE ELEVATORS USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT
EXAMPLES: Weight Time Activity/Calories burned (Kcal) Walking Cycling Dancing House cleaning 50-70 Kg 15 30 60 57-80 114-160 228-319 75-105 150-210 300-420 56-79 112-210 224-314 47-65 93-130 186-260 80-100 Kg 15 30 60 91-114 205-228 365-456 120-150 240-300 480-600 90-112 180-224 359-449 74-93 149-186 298-372 110-130 Kg 15 30 60 125-149 251-297 502-595 165-196 330-391 660-783 123-146 247-293 494-585 120-121 205-243 409-485 140-160 Kg 15 30 60 160-183 320-366 640-732 211-241 421-481 843-963 158-180 315-360 630-720 131-149 261-298 522-597
Sports and Diabetes People with diabetes can do any kind of activity. However, particularly if you take insulin, it is important that you discuss it with your diabetologist and follow his/her advice. Remember: Exercising lowers blood glucose levels during and after the activity. This is because your muscles use the sugar directly as nourishment for the additional effort. Therefore, it is important to check your blood glucose level before and after. Also, exercising makes the cells more sensitive to insulin, therefore the same amount works better. Hypoglycemia (excessive lowering of blood sugar) is always possible. Take sugar lumps with you for possible blood sugar drops. You should drink plenty of water, especially if it is hot.
Which sports? Aerobic sports are particularly suitable for diabetics, as they help more than others to burn calories and to improve blood glucose control and cardio-circulatory function. Be very careful what kind of shoes you choose to exercise: they should not be too tight, have few seams, and be well cushioned. When you finish your activity, always check your feet for any lesions or blisters that need treatment
The 5 golden rules 1 Before starting any sport, check your blood sugar level If it s below 130, you should supplement with a little snack If it s over 250, it is best not to do any sports 2 Always take sugar lumps or drinks with sugar added (non-diet) to stop the possible hypoglycemia
3 Start exercising slowly and gradually 4 Before any sports activity, do some warm up exercises 5 Choosing to exercise after meals can also be very useful to achieve the best results in terms of metabolic control
The complete line of brochures dedicated to Diabetes is available for download from www.lillydiabete.it What Is Diabetes CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES Low blood glucose HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT AND WHAT DO TO (English Version) Complications WHICH COMPLICATIONS, WHY THEY OCCUR, AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM (English Version) Le complicanze (LINGUA INGLESE) Diabetes and special situations ILLNESS, TRAVEL AND HOLIDAYS (English Version) Diabete e situazioni particolari (LINGUA INGLESE) Correct lifestyle NUTRITION AND EXERCISE RECOMMENDATIONS (English Version) ABC of insulin WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT IS USED L ipoglicemia (LINGUA INGLESE) Il corretto stile di vita (LINGUA INGLESE) (English Version) Che cos è il diabete (LINGUA INGLESE) (English Version) ABC of insulin (LINGUA INGLESE) What Is Diabetes Low blood glucose Complications Diabetes and special situations Correct lifestyle ABC of insulin Also available in the following languages: Italian French Spanish German Russian Romanian Albanian Filipino Hindi Arabic Chinese For more information please contact your doctor or call toll-free 800-117678 Every day from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Copyright 2012, Eli Lilly Italia SpA. Tutti i diritti riservati. ITDBT00269i