Diet and Physical Activity

It is important to be careful with the kind of exercise and carbohydrates amounts associated with type 1-diabetes. This will not only help in keeping the risk factors away, but it will help you stay on course to managing your Type 1 Diabetes if that is what you are looking for.

Type 1 diabetes patients and healthcare providers should watch what they do to control the disorder. Healthcare providers should recommend the right amount of food and exercise to patients.

Recommendations regarding nutrition and exercise

Research has found that physical activity is essential for controlling type 1 diabetes. However, there are claims that the activity makes it hard keeping in check glucose levels. It all falls back to the intensity of exercise. Intense exercise means a patient’s body uses glucose or sugar faster than during less intense exercise.

It takes some time before the body replenishes the glucose lost. This means that insulin levels should be administered in consideration of the sugar levels during exercise. Is it intense, moderate or low intensity exercise? The level of exercise is what determines the right amount of carbohydrates to take before and during exercise.

Nutrition planning is very important for everyone, but more so for the diabetes patients. They should contain carbohydrates yes, but at the right level. Carbohydrates have energy giving foods with glucose. Glucose enables a patient pull through exercise sessions.

Nutritionists recommend 1g (or more) of carbohydrates per kilogram of a patient’s weight. This sounds complex. Researchers have made the calculation of carbohydrates easier. In total, type 1 diabetes patients should take in 10-20g of carbohydrates in any meal. The amount depends on whether a patient has high or low levels of insulin.

There is a connection between the amounts of carbohydrates and exercise intensity. Low and moderate exercise should be supplied with 10-15g of carbohydrates. High intensity exercise needs 10-20g of carbohydrates. This is for patients with low levels of insulin. Patients with high insulin levels need 15-30g of energy giving food every half an hour during exercise. These recommendations are for exercise that goes on for 30-60 minutes.

If exercise goes on for more than 60 minutes all the way past 2hours, then more amounts of carbohydrates should be consumed. Meals rich in carbohydrates should be taken after every hour of exercise. In this case, patients should double the amount of carbohydrates in the 30-60 minute exercise, depending on their levels of insulin.

Other benefits of exercise to type 1 diabetes patients

Exercise has more benefits than just controlling type 1 diabetes. Patients should look at exercise as an essential part of their lifestyle. Physical activity is good for cardiovascular health and makes one fit and energetic.

To better understand the discussed exercise and carbohydrates recommendations, patients can consult their doctors for clarification. They can also seek guidance from healthcare providers with as well as from other information channels.