Slideshow
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Diabetes Lifestyle Tips_Rapid Insulin
Consider prescribing rapid-acting insulin in addition to other treatments for patients who have fast-paced lifestyles and unpredictable meal times. These types of insulin have an onset within 15 minutes, peak after 30 to 90 minutes and last for three to five hours.
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Diabetes Lifestyle Tips_Exercise
Suggest practical ways for busy patients to incorporate the 30-minutes of exercise recommended for patients with diabetes to reduce the risk of heart disease and aid in glycemic control. Engaging in 10-minute blocks of exercise throughout the day may make exercising more manageable. This can include strength training, playing an active game with their family, a brisk stroll at lunch and walking the dog at night.
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Diabetes Lifestyle Tips_Hydration
Emphasize the importance of hydration. Drinking water can help patients with diabetes avoid the itchy, cracked dry skin that occurs with high glucose and leads to infections.
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Diabets Lifestyle Tips_Diet
Provide patients information on how to maintain a low glycemic diet to avoid hyperglycemia. Legumes, leafy greens, Omega-3 rich fish, whole grain and nuts are among the top 10 diabetes superfoods recommended by the American Diabetes Association. Hand out copies of the list to patients, and recommend that they keep it on their refrigerator to help them stay on track when making grocery lists or snacking.
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Diabetes Lifestyle Tips_
Tell patients to pack snack bags with glucose tabs or hard candy while on the go in case they experience symptoms of hypoglycemia – feeling dizzy, hungry or shaky – which can occur if they skip a meal, take too much medication or exercise more strenuously than usual without eating.
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Diabetes Lifestyle Tips_Foot Injuries
Advise patients to keep shoes by the door to avoid foot injuries that could occur if they go outside barefoot. Encouraging patients with diabetes to wear slippers around the house is a simple, practical tip to help them avoid complications.
