How to Prevent Low Blood Sugars!
By: Jessica Hrdlicka
This month we wanted to focus on safety around low blood sugars. How you treat your low blood sugar is very important, but preventing them is the real key to safety in your management.
Here are some tips to Prevent Low Blood Sugars:
- Balance meals with protein, high fiber carbs and healthy fats. Having meals that are too small such as just a salad or just a piece of chicken may not be enough food for a meal resulting in low blood sugars. Please remember to have all components on your plate such as a high fiber carb such as quinoa, protein such as fish, vegetables such as asparagus and a healthy fat such as avocado. This will improve energy levels and balance blood sugars!
- Check Blood sugars before and after exercise. Some exercise can result in lower blood sugars, so make sure you have a way to keep an eye on your blood sugars during activity and always carry low blood sugar treatments.
- Consume alcohol safely. Alcohol can lower blood sugars up to 12hrs after consumption, so make sure to always consume food with alcohol and monitor blood sugars before bed. Having a high protein snack before bed such as cheese and crackers can prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia and remember to drink water to stay hydrated.
- Keep low blood sugar treatments at all times. Glucose tablets, raisins and juice boxes are all great low blood sugar treatments that can be kept in your purse, car, work and at the gym. Also make sure a low blood sugar treatments is next to your bed at all times to prevent needing to walk to the kitchen in the middle of the night during a low blood sugar event.
Now is the perfect time to sign up for our Healthy Meal Planning Class & Weight loss class, so that you can have your best year yet in 2024!
For more information on diabetes management, chronic kidney disease weight loss and nutrition, call 561-659-6336 ext 8012 to schedule an appointment with a certified diabetes care education specialist, registered dietitian or class today. Please enjoy our March 2024 Living Well with Diabetes Newsletter!
Strength Training and Insulin Sensitivity
By: Geetanjali Kale, M.D.
Lack of physical activity is certainly a problem of our modern lifestyle. It is a very big contributory factor to development of insulin resistance and in turn type 2 DM. Of course, all physical activity is good for you. When we talk about exercise, walking, swimming, running, and playing tennis comes very intuitively to patients. Aerobic activity is essential for heart health as well as helpful in type 2 DM. But there is one kind of physical activity that often gets overlooked and that is strength training. As we get older, especially women after the age of menopause and elderly men, we start losing our muscle mass. Strength training is a good exercise strategy to counter this ongoing sarcopenia.
Strength training is a rational, explicit program of carefully chosen exercises performed over an extended period and designed to increase the subject's ability to produce muscular force in useful movement patterns.
Resistance training improves body composition, helps lower visceral fact and helps improving insulin sensitivity.
The most recent exercise recommendations of the American Diabetes Association include both aerobic and resistance training and agree with the guidelines for nondiabetic adults put forth by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Strength training can begin with literally 1,2-,3-,5- or 10-pound dumbbells and a mat based on your functional status. Kettlebells work great too. There are a lot of exercise sets that can be done using your own body weight and the weights are not always necessary. It’s always a good idea to start with easy exercise sets and shorter periods of time and slowly build strength and stamina and avoid injury.
The exercises should be accompanied with adequate recovery time, sleep, diet modification and hydration. Many online resources are available to get people with all strength levels started. Of course, there are many in person avenues commercially available where one can get started.
It is important to remember moderation and consistency are key words when it comes to strength training. Especially for patients with diabetes, who are interested in reducing their medication burden, focusing on combination of aerobic activity and strength training really helps improve their insulin sensitivity.
Hypoglycemia Management
By: Ines Cobo RN, CDCES
Hypoglycemia (low sugar in the blood) is a common complication in patients with Diabetes. Hypoglycemia happens when the blood sugar is less than 70mg/dl. Patients with Diabetes who are treated with Insulins, Sulfonylureas (Glipizide, Glimepiride, and Glyburide) and Glinides (Nateglinide and Repaglinide) are at a higher risk for low blood sugar episodes.
Other causes of hypoglycemia are associated with skipping meals, more exercise than usual, smaller meals, alcohol intake, and taking incorrect dose of medication. Is important to be aware of early symptoms and proper treatment of low blood sugar to avoid severe hypoglycemia.
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia:
- Weakness
- Tiredness
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Hunger
- Light Headedness
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Palpitations
Treatment of Hypoglycemia: 15:15 Rule
- Check blood sugar-if below 70mg/dl
- Take 15 grams of fast acting carbohydrate
- Wait 15 minutes and retest, if blood sugar remains below 70mg/dl after retesting, take another 15 grams of fast acting carbohydrate and wait 15 minutes
- If blood sugar remains low after 3 treatments and 3 checks, call 911
Fast Acting Carbohydrate Sources: 15 grams each
- ½ cup (4oz) of fruit juice or 1 juice box
- 1 cup (8oz) of skim or 1% milk
- ½ cup (4oz) of regular soda
- 3 to 4 glucose tablets
- 1 glucose gel pack
- 1 tablespoon of honey or syrup
- 3 to 4 hard candies
- Small box of raisins
Avoid treating low blood sugars with sweets that is high in fat such as chocolate, peanut butter, cookies, ice cream or cake.
If you are having frequent episodes of hypoglycemia please contact your doctor.
Healthy Meal Planning
& Weight Loss Class Sessions!
Join our classes to stay motivated
& healthy in 2024!
West Palm Beach Location
Temple Israel 1901 N. Flagler Drive
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Tuesday April 9th 10am-12pm
Boynton Beach Location:
6056 Boynton Beach, Suite 245
Boynton Beach FL 33437
Tuesday April 16th 10am-12pm
Grocery Shopping Tour for Diabetes $50
Tuesday April 23rd 10AM-12PM
The Fountains of Boynton Shopping Plaza
Publix 6627 Boynton Beach Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL 33437
If interested attending this program please contact our scheduling department at (561) 659-6336 Extension 8001 today!
At Healthy Living with Diabetes we want to ensure that you are satisfied with all services received. We also would like your input on educational workshops that you would like us to offer, information you would like to read about in Healthy Living with Diabetes Monthly or feedback on any workshop that you may have attended. You can contact the director of education personally by email jcook@PBDES.COM or leave a message at (561) 659-6336 ext. 8012. We would love to hear from you!