Living Healthy with Diabetes

Nutritional management stands as a foundational pillar in diabetes care and education, urging careful consideration of dietary choices, even for those without diabetes. Eating, being a significant aspect of life, should be sustainable, enjoyable, and balance various factors such as quality of life, diabetes management, glucose levels, taste, weight, cholesterol, and more. It's noteworthy that insulin deficiency and poorly regulated diabetes might lead to hunger despite elevated blood glucose levels.

Efforts in energy intake and essential nutrients should be directed toward maintaining an ideal body weight, fostering growth and development, and preventing acute and chronic complications. Regular monitoring of height and weight is imperative for identifying both excessive weight gain and growth issues (ISPAD, 2020).

Certain factors contribute to a quicker increase in blood glucose levels, including cooking methods, food preparation, salt content, glucose content, and variations in particle size and cell structure (Dr. Ragnar Hanas, 2019). Conversely, factors like starch structure, fat content, cell structure, fruit peeling, and bite-size influence a slower rise in blood glucose.

Recommendations for healthy eating principles, glycemic control, cardiovascular risk reduction, and psychosocial well-being encompass:

• Three balanced meals incorporating a variety of nutritious foods and appropriate healthy snacks, as recommended by ISPAD (2018).
• Achieving and maintaining an appropriate Body Mass Index and waist circumference, emphasizing regular physical activity for children and young people.
• Striking a balance between food intake, metabolic requirements, energy expenditure, and insulin action for optimal glycemic control.
• Caution against high-fat snacks for those with weight concerns, considering their impact on delayed hyperglycemia and postprandial rise.
• Conscious fluid intake with meals to manage blood glucose levels effectively, choosing water over sweet drinks when blood glucose is high.
• Managing fat intake to reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis and heart disease, aiming to decrease total fat, saturated fat, and trans fatty acids.
• Embracing both soluble and insoluble fiber in the diet, with a focus on soluble fiber for glucose control and cholesterol reduction.
• Encouraging unrestricted consumption from the vegetable food group, excluding sweetcorn, due to its low carbohydrate content and high dietary fiber.

The role of insulin, primarily in balancing carbohydrate intake, is crucial. Various methods, including printed food tables and carbohydrate counting with guidance from a dietitian, aid in estimating and managing carbohydrate intake effectively (Dr. Ragnar Hanas, 2019).

Diabetes management is intertwined with family dynamics, social systems, issues of adherence, peer pressure, and emerging independence, all within the overarching goal of maintaining a high quality of life. This requires a nuanced understanding of the relationship between treatment regimens and changing physiological requirements, encompassing growth, fluctuations in appetite, nutritional needs, and physical activity (ISPAD, 2018).