Please select a type of Diabetes above to get more information
Hyperglycemia may be due to day-to-day habits that cause insulin resistance in all of us. Making some simple changes, glucose levels can be a lot easier to manage.
What’s best to eat
Eat breakfast
Avoid nocturnal eating
Sleep
Dental care
Alcohol
Carbohydrate is the macronutrient that contributes most to:
(endogenous and ?insulin dose requirements)
The biggest culprits are sugar and high-glycaemic index carbohydrates, which are rapidly absorbed and lead to a post-prandial spike in glucose.High fibre foods and low-glycaemic index carbohydrates raise the blood glucose level more gently, so are favoured over high-GI carbohydrates. However, eating large quantities of any carbohydrate will contribute to hyperglycemia. So, reducing carbohydrate intake overall (to less than 150 grams per day) will lead to:
Minimize intake of:
Swap high-GI carbohydrates to low-GI carbohydrate foodsMinimize snack foodsEat low-carbohydrate snacks insteadEat foods that better satisfy appetite at meals, to reduce the tendency to snack in between
Skipping breakfast leads to:
Eating a breakfast that contains protein & healthy fat leads to:
Eat breakfast that contains protein and healthy fats – this limits the post-breakfast spike in glucose and reduces the insulin dose required for then.If your patient is “not a morning person” and feels unable to eat breakfast, try these quick options:
Eating at night (after dinner) is likely to cause:
Eat a good-sized dinner that satisfies the appetite effectively
Aim to eat low- or no carbohydrate snacks eg. cheese, nuts or olives
Chronic sleep deprivation causes:
Sleep deprivation occurs when:
Eg. light exposure before bed, late bedtime, poor sleep hygiene
Aim for 7-8 hours’ sleep at night
Improve sleep hygiene before bedtime:
Investigate for OSA if clinically suspicious Trial medications if sleep deprivation persists:
Dental caries and gingivitis are common in people with diabetes due to:
Poor dental health leads to ?insulin resistance and hyperglycemia due to:
A dentist visit every 6 – 12 months has been associated with a ~1% reduction in HbA1c (Cochrane Systematic Review)
Refer your patient to the dentist
Ensure regular follow-up with the dentist (every 6-12 months)Ensure your patient brushes their teeth regularly (2-3 times per day) and uses dental flossStop smokingAvoid foods that cause dental caries:
Cut down on high-GI carbohydrate foodsChewing sugar-free gum can improve saliva flow and improve dental health
Drinking alcohol causes changes in the liver that lead to:
Alcohol is derived from sugar, so can cause high blood glucose levels after drinking it. The alcohols that contain a lot of carbohydrate and lead to high glucose levels are:
Alcohols that don’t cause high glucose levels are:
A binge of alcohol will lead to low glucose levels overnight due to alcohol’s effect to reduce hepatic gluconeogenesis
Reduce intake of alcohol to no more than 2 standard drinks in one session
Avoid or minimize high-carbohydrate choices, and opt for one of the following:
If your patient drinks heavily, recommend that they eat a supper at bedtime and check their glucose levels. Minimize the risk of hypoglycaemia by: