Diabetes is a significant, yet manageable disease that can be positively impacted by healthy eating and exercise. First, you should be aware of whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, as the impacts of diet and exercise differ slightly between the conditions. Based on your condition, a well-balanced consistent carbohydrate diet paired with regular exercise can lead to a number of benefits including increased insulin sensitivity, more consistent blood sugars and prevention of complications associated with long-term diabetes such as kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and vision loss.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is brought upon by an autoimmune disorder where your body attacks the portion of the pancreas that is responsible for the production of insulin. Without insulin, your body cannot move glucose from the blood to your cells. This results in high blood sugars, known as hyperglycemia, and the symptoms associated with diabetes such as chronic thirst, frequent urination, hunger and changes in mental state. As a result, Type 1 diabetics must receive insulin from an external source for the rest of their life. However, the positive effects of a healthy diet and exercise can help reduce the amount of insulin needed and significantly reduce your risk of developing long-term diabetes complications.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is due to an exhausted and overworked pancreas. This often occurs due to long-term, poor lifestyle decisions such as frequent high fat and sugar meals paired with little to no exercise. Living with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes for a significant period of time can lead to a minimally functional pancreas, a need for external insulin sources similar to Type 1 diabetes and other long-term complications. However, a study by Redmon et al. published in the "Diabetes Care" journal concluded that a lifestyle intervention focused on making positive dietary and exercise changes in overweight Type 2 diabetics has been shown to significantly reduce many of the risk factors and medication costs associated with the disease.
A Healthy Diet for Diabetes
The key to a healthy diabetes diet involves consistent carbohydrate intake over the course of the day. You can find carbohydrates in many foods, particularly breads, pasta, grains, fruit, starchy vegetables and milk. You can use a technique called carbohydrate counting to figure out how many "carbohydrate choices" you should have at each meal. One carbohydrate choice equals 15g of carbohydrates, which is about equal to one piece of bread, 1/3 cup of rice, a small piece of fruit or 1 cup of milk. You can find how many grams of carbohydrates are in a food by looking at the food label on the package or referring to a diabetes exchange list.
According to the American Diabetes Association, try consuming about 45 to 60g of carbohydrates, or three to four carbohydrate choices, at each meal and adjust depending on your body's response. In addition, you should try to have small snacks between meals to maintain blood sugars. (see Reference 2) Each snack can have about one to two carbohydrate choices. Type 1 diabetics are a bit different, because you must take insulin with your meals. You should use the carbohydrate-to-insulin unit ratio provided by your physician. However, Type 1 diabetics can also benefit from eating consistent carbohydrates at meals because it makes insulin dosage calculations easier and reduces chances for mistakes.
Exercising With Diabetes
Speak with your physician before starting any new exercise routine.
Both cardiovascular and resistance training can benefit you whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Exercise improves blood glucose levels in two ways. First, exercise actively uses circulating glucose for energy. Second, it improves your muscle cells' sensitivity to insulin, thereby reducing the amount of insulin required for a given amount of glucose or carbohydrates. For Type 1 diabetics, this means you may not need to use as much insulin to control your blood sugars. For Type 2 diabetics, this means your pancreas does not have to work as hard to get the glucose to your cells, and therefore is less susceptible to further injury.
An important note for Type 1 diabetics: exercise can significantly reduce your blood sugar levels. Make sure you take precautions before and after working out, such as eating a small snack, testing your blood sugar, adjusting your insulin regimen for exercise as prescribed by your physician and working out with a partner or an ID bracelet indicating you are a Type 1 diabetic.
References
- "Diabetes Care"; Effect of the Look AHEAD Study Intervention on Medication Use and Related Cost to Treat Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes; J. Bruce Redmon, M.D. et al.; Mar. 2010
- American Diabetes Association: Carbohydrate Counting
- American Council on Exercise: Exercise and Type 1 Diabetes
