Attention diabetics!

Good to know!

In addition to proper diet and medical treatment, exercise is also very important when treating diabetes. All kinds of movement-related activities are important from the point of view of the development of blood sugar levels, since physical exercise moves the glucose in the blood towards the cells of the body without the need to add insulin, thus conserving insulin and reducing the high blood sugar level of the diabetic patient. Regular exercise also strengthens muscles, improves breathing, stimulates blood flow and reduces the entry of fats into the circulation. It is very important for obese diabetics, as exercise burns more calories and speeds up the breakdown.

Exercise and calorie consumption

• One hour slow walk - 200 calories
• An hour of bowling - 200 calories
• One hour dance - 300 calories
• An hour of gardening - 300 calories
• Brisk walking for one hour - 300 calories
• One hour weight training - 450 calories
• One hour squash – 500 calories
• One hour cycling - 600 calories
• Two hours of golf – 600 calories
• One hour swimming - 600 calories
• One hour jogging - 600 calories
• One hour of playing football - 600 calories

Two warnings:

1. Exercise reduces the need for insulin. Young fragile diabetics may experience a "hypo-effect" unless they carefully monitor their exercise, food and insulin intake.
2. Middle-aged and older diabetics do better if they walk instead of running. In the beginning, walking is enough, and after three or four weeks of exercise, jogging can also be used. This applies to any kind of exercise or sport. At first, we should not be overzealous and rather be gradual.

SMOKING

Diabetes cannot smoke. There are many reasons for this, which can be summarized as follows:

• Smoking contributes to narrowing and weakening of the arteries. This can lead to coronary thrombosis.
• Smoking increases blood sugar by stimulating the release of adrenaline.
• Each cigarette smoked can reduce the amount of available vitamin C by 25 mg.

Experiments carried out in Sweden in 1965 showed that the smoke of a single cigarette, even if not inhaled, can increase blood sugar levels by 36 percent within 10 minutes. Heavy smokers may develop damage to the heart and blood vessels that is very similar to that of older diabetics.

Alcohol

All spirits are high in calories. Nevertheless, it is not necessary to categorically prohibit the consumption of alcohol for diabetics. A diabetic who is under medical control is not risking anything if he drinks occasionally. However, there is one thing to be aware of: the sugar content of certain spirits is very high. These include sweet wines, beer, champagne, liqueur, cognac and sweet Martini. And don't forget that diabetics can't stand the drink, especially if they're on oral medication. The liver of diabetics is particularly prone to damage. If there is even a suspicion of this, alcohol consumption must be completely avoided.

Coffee and tea

Both coffee and tea contain caffeine.The effect of this is similar to that of sugar, the blood sugar level rises due to the stimulation of the adrenaline gland. It is clear that this is not good for diabetics. Caffeine also burns available thiamine (vitamin B1), which is vital for diabetics. Decaffeinated coffee and herbal teas are excellent substitutes for traditional coffee and tea.

Salt

For us to enjoy food, flavoring is obviously very important. However, the consumption of salt is often prohibited for diabetics, as many of them struggle with heart problems, high blood pressure, eye damage, and kidney disease. However, low-sodium salt can be safely consumed and its consumption should not cause any problems.