Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The 7 Steps To Managing Diabetes Effectively

By S Kennedy.

There are 7 steps that can help you to manage diabetes effectively. It is very important that you implement all of these steps if you wish to achieve optimum health. Unfortunately the complications of diabetes can be terrible as well as life threatening, so a good management plan is necessary to avoid these complications.

Following are the 7 steps to managing diabetes effectively:

1. Diet/Nutrition - This is essential, a good healthy well-balanced nutritious diet is a must. It will take time to implement, but definitely worth it in the long run. Working out which foods effect your diabetes is the key to this step.

2. Exercise - This is another important step along with your diet. You need to do at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. Please check with your doctor first to make sure which exercises are suited to your individual needs. Make sure you do an exercise that you are comfortable with and enjoy.

3. Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates mainly come from plant foods like fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, legumes, milk and yoghurt. Your body needs carbohydrates because it is the body's main energy source and an essential source of fuel for the brain. The daily recommendation is around 45 to 65 per cent of your energy requirements with carbohydrates.

4. Protein - Protein is vital to the growth and repair of tissues throughout your body. Protein is made up of amino acids that are the building blocks for your body. Protein in found in both plant and animals foods. The regular intake of protein is around 15 to 20 per cent of your total energy intake, which means you need to eat enough protein to provide around 1 gram of protein per kilogram of a healthy body weight.

5. Fats - The biggest problem with eating too much fat is that is causes heart disease, so if you have diabetes you are at a greater risk in developing cardiovascular disease, this is why you are not helping yourself at all by eating the wrong foods. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are the good fats, where saturated fats are bad for you.

6. Low GI - A low GI diet is definitely a must for diabetics. There are many low GI foods that are full of taste as well as healthy. By adding more low GI foods to your diet you are helping your diabetes while being able to keep your blood glucose levels at a normal rate.

7. Being Strong & Positive - This is a very essential step in managing your diabetes. By staying strong and positive about your diabetes, you will be able to manage your disease a lot better. By staying focused on what you should do for your disease is half the battle, it's amazing how our minds work and help us.

The 7 steps to managing diabetes effectively can be implemented easily into your daily routine so that you can achieve optimum health and live a long and happy life.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com