Diabetes Care at LEON

It is common to feel overwhelmed, sad or even angry when you are living with Diabetes. Leon Medical Centers can help you obtain better control of your Diabetes. We are here to give you the support you need to take better care of yourself by helping you learn how to eat healthier, be more active and take the right medications to lower your sugar if needed. Whether you have been just diagnosed, are caring for a loved one, or have been dealing with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes for some time, the path to understanding Diabetes starts here. Together, we can assist you to reduce your risk of complications due to Diabetes and help you live a longer and healthier lives.

Leon Medical Centers provides a personalized, comprehensive approach to Diabetes treatment and care. Primary physicians, endocrinologists, nutritionists, educators, trainers, ophthalmologists, podiatrists, work in coordination to build a personalized plan according to your condition and needs so that you may manage your Diabetes in the best way possible.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as Diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. There is Diabetes type 1 and Diabetes Type 2.

Suggestions for staying active

Exercising regularly is important for your overall health, especially when you have Diabetes. Exercising is not only about losing weight. It has many other health benefits, such as increasing muscle strength and bone density and reducing body fat and stress. This leads to improved fitness, flexibility, and endurance, all of which result in better overall health.

At Leon Medical Centers, our certified physical trainers can help you make a plan for the type and frequency of exercise (activity plan) that works for you.

Make sure that you:

• Do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity exercise each week. This could be brisk walking, biking, or water aerobics.
  • Do stretching and strength exercises, such as yoga or weightlifting, at least 2 times a week.
  • Spread out your activity over at least 3 days of the week.
• Get some form of physical activity every day.
  • Do not go more than 2 days in a row without some kind of physical activity.
  • Avoid being inactive for more than 30 minutes at a time. Take frequent breaks to walk or stretch.
• Choose a type of exercise or activity that you enjoy and set realistic goals.
• Start slowly, and gradually increase the intensity of your exercise over time.

Nutritional Tips

Individual meal plans, portion control and balanced meals are key to assist you in controlling your diabetes and improve your overall health. Focus on including healthy grains, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats into your daily meal plan to help you control your blood sugar (glucose). Making healthy meal choices can help in improving your overall health.

SERVING SIZES

Measuring foods and serving sizes helps to make sure you are getting the right amount of food. The list below tells how big or small some common serving sizes are:

• 1 oz………4 stacked dice
• 3 oz………Deck of cards
• 1 tsp……..Tip of little finger
• 1 tbs……..Thumb
• 2 tbs……..Golf ball
• 1⁄2 cup…….Half of a fist
• 1 cup……..A fist

GUIDELINES FOR CHOOSING FOODS

The goal of healthy nutrition is to eat a variety of foods while limiting the amount of carbohydrates each day. This can be done by choosing foods that are low in calories and fat. Eat 3 main balanced meals per day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Doing this helps control your blood glucose levels so they do not get too high or too low. Each meal or snack may include a lean protein food source to help you feel more satisfied and to stabilize your blood glucose. Try to eat about the same amount of food around the same time each day. This includes weekend days, travel days, and days off work. If your meals are more than 5 hours apart you can add a healthy snack if you wish.

Healthy meals and snacks include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, poultry, fish, and dairy products. As you plan your meals, select a variety of foods. Choose from the bread and starch, vegetable, fruit, dairy, and meat/protein groups.