Nutrition

The most challenging treatment for diabetes is nutrition. In order to achieve nutritional goals it is important that the person and health care team work together to create a diet which is not only realistic but doable. The diet followed should adhere to the standards of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Some common goals for diabetes patients include:

  • Maintain blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible (3.9-6.6 mmol/L)
  • Modify lifestyle to include a healthy diet and exercise
  • Prevent Gestational diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease
If you have gestational diabetes consult an Obstetrician and remember to abstain from smoking and alcohol to have a healthy pregnancy.

Nutrition will be covered more specifically in the nutrition section on the webpage, take a look to your left to find that page.

Insulin

Insulin is needed when a person cannot produce enough insulin or when the person cannot maintain good sugar levels. Insulin may be prescribed for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, however it is mostly used in type 1 diabetes patients. There are many different types of insulin all differing in the time it takes to work and how long it lasts in the body. Some of the types of insulin include:

  • Rapid-acting: Lispro
  • Short-acting: Regular
  • Intermediate-acting: NPH or Lente
  • Long-acting: Ultralente
  • Long-acting: Lantus
Depending on which type of insulin you are taking your administration time may vary and nutritional needs vary as well.

Oral Medications

The oral medications you may be prescribed are not insulin, but they work in your body to improve the ways that insulin and sugars are made. The only way that oral medications work is that the patient taking them has some insulin remaining in their bodies. Therefore for type 1 diabetes who do not have any remaining insulin, oral medications will not work. Both the patient and the health care team must be aware of taking too much insulin or in combination with oral medications. Speak to a health care professional about your concerns, and remember to always tell your doctor and pharmacist all the medications you are taking so the drug interactions do not occur.

Glucometers

At-home blood sugar monitoring devices called glucometers provide you with instant feedback and let you know immediately what your blood sugar is. This can give you valuable information about whether your blood sugar is too low, too high or in a good range for you. Keeping a record of your results gives your doctor an accurate picture of how your treatment is working. It's small and easy to take with you. You can test virtually anywhere, anytime. Here's how to use a glucometer.
A glucometer test may take 5 to 10 minuets depending on the time it takes your glucometers to read the results
  1. First, set out your glucometer, test strip, and lancet
  2. Next it is important to wash your hands to prevent infection
  3. Then decide which finger you are going to use for the test
  4. You can rub your hands together briskly or run them under warm water to help with blood flow
  5. Next you have to turn on the glucometer and place a test strip in the machine when the machine is ready. Watch the indicator for placing the blood to the strip
  6. Make sure your hand is dry and wipe the area you've selected with a dry piece of gauze or Kleenex
  7. Pierce your finger tip on the soft, fleshy pad and obtain a drop of blood. The type of drop of blood is determined by the type of strip you are using, follow specific instructions given with your glucometer
  8. Next you have to place the drop of blood on the tip of the strip which is already inside the glucometer
  9. The glucometers will take a few moments to calculate the blood sugar reading. Follow your doctor's orders for whatever blood sugar reading you get
  10. You might want to dab your finger with a piece of gauze or Kleenex if your finger is still bleeding
  11. Write down your results. Keeping a record makes it easier for you and your doctor to establish a good treatment plan. Some glucometers can store your results in a memory, for easier record keeping
  12. Finish by washing your hands and putting the lancet into a sharps container if applicable, and discard test strip into the garbage

Written March 7 th 2008
Copyright ©2008
Nursing Inquiry 3225
Kristie Burns &
Shardae Joy