Exercise and Nutrition

Volume 9 · Issue 1 · January/February 1999

Exercise and Nutrition
by Christina DIMartino

Exercise helps pounds come off faster by increasing the amount of energy used. Extra calories are burned during exercise, but when done regularly, muscles use energy at all times. People are better able to keep pounds off if they combine exercise and a healthful diet. Exercise also helps to reduce hunger. Besides reducing the amount of fat on your body, exercise also tones muscles. These improved conditions help reduce the load on the overworked pancreas.

Beginning An Exercise Regime

The first steps toward a more active lifestyle should begin with a thorough medical examination. Because everyone is different, this is the only way to make sure exercise programs meet personal requirements. If you have diabetes, working with a health care team familiar with the disease will provide the confidence of knowing how to avoid pitfalls and reap the benefits of exercise.

Set realistic goals. Begin with simple exercises like walking. Build the program and increase goals slowly.
Exercise with a partner. Motivation helps to avoid discouragement.
Stick to a schedule. Make a firm commitment to exercising.
Alternate types of exercise to avoid boredom and body strains.
Reward yourself for sticking to your exercise regime, but avoid using food.
Make sure you hydrate properly during exercise. Drink plenty of clear fluids before, during and after workout sessions.
People of all age groups should exercise. For those confined, stretching on the living room floor is a great way to keep the body fit.
Mechanical exercise equipment are excellent alternatives. Stairclimbers, treadmills, rowing machines, stationary bikes and weight machines simulate all types of normal physical activity.
Blood sugar levels will react to any type of exercise. Walking is one of the most often suggested, especially for those beginning a program.
Decreasing blood-sugar levels sometimes causes weight gain. To avoid unwanted pounds, exercise regularly and reduce caloric intake.
It’s a good idea for children with diabetes to begin exercising when they are young. Exercising helps make children more confident and improves self-esteem. Parents should discuss exercise regimes with the child’s pediatrician or diabetic specialist.
Injury is a definite concern for diabetics. Stretching prior to exercising and progressively increasing intensity and duration helps reduce this risk.
Exercise alone will not improve glucose control in Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent), but it will help control weight. Hypoglycemia is a risk, but careful balancing of food, insulin and physical activity will help to control it.
Diabetics should work closely with their health care team to develop good insulin control and a diet and exercise program to reduce the number of low nighttime low-blood-sugar episodes.
Be aware of how intense workouts are by monitoring pulse rate. Medical professionals can teach patients how to check their pulse.
Exercise can prevent type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent) from developing because it fights insulin resistance and obesity.

Nutrition and Diet

Diabetics should maintain blood glucose levels as near to normal as possible. Suggested goals are under 140 mg before meals and under 160 mg at bedtime. The best diet for a person with diabetes is like the best diet for anyone. Such a diet is low in fat; has only moderate amounts of protein and is high in complex carbohydrates, like those in beans, vetetables and grains (such as breads, cereals, noodles and rice). The American Diabetes Association’s guidelines recommend:

Whole wheat, pumpernickel, or rye bread instead of white bread
Brown rice or barley instead of white rice
Oatmeal or sugar-free frozen fruit instead of frozen or canned fruit with sugar
Egg whites or egg substitutes instead of whole eggs
Low-fat cheese instead of regular cheese
Skinless white meat of chicken or turkey instead of dark meat or meat with skins
Game, lean pork or lean beef (round, sirloin or flank steak) instead of fatty meats like ribs or lunch meats
Fresh or frozen vegetables instead of vegetables with cream sauce
Olive oil, canola oil, or squeezable margarine instead of butter, regular margarine, lard or shortening
Skim milk instead of whole or 2 percent milk
Nonfat yogurt instead of regular yogurt
Juice instead of juice drinks with sugar
Fruit for dessert instead of pastries, cakes, pies, cookies or ice cream
Sugar-free soft drinks instead of regular ones
As the body changes throughout life, so do nutrition needs. The American Diabetes Association recommends all adults with diabetes see a dietitian who is familiar with the disease every six months to a year for help with meal plans.

A multitude of information is available on the web sites of organizations contributing to this article, or by calling the numbers provided.

Resources

The American Diabetes Association:
phone: (800) 342-2383

http://www.diabetes.org

Joslin Diabetes Center:
phone: (617) 732-2440

http://www.joslin.org

Diabetes Center at UCSF Mount Zion Medial Center:
phone: (415) 885-7760

http://mzweb.his.uscf.edu/clin_departments

Diabetes Research Treatment Center, Facilitated by: The University of Manitoba:
phone: 204-789-3697

http://www.umanitoba.ca

Special gratitude is extended to:

Dr. erald Bernstein, MD, and President of the American Diabetes Association

Linda Haas, PhC, RN, CDE, Health Care and Education for the American Diabetes Association.

Copyrighted by the Amputee Coalition of America. Local reproduction for use by ACA constituents is permitted as long as this copyright information is included.

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Copyrighted by the Amputee Coalition of America. Local reproduction for use by ACA constituents is permitted as long as this copyright information is included. Organizations or individuals wishing to reprint this article in other publications, including other World Wide Web sites must contact the Amputee Coalition of America for permission to do so.