Transcript A Teaching Resource Guide, Part 2 of 2

A
Teaching
Resource
Guide
Part 2 of 2
Getting rid of used diabetes supplies
• Use needles and syringes only once.
Then throw them away in a safe container
• Find out if your state has laws
about how to dispose of used
diabetes supplies
• Unless your state says otherwise,
get a “sharps” container at your
local pharmacy
• Ask your diabetes care team how
to get rid of the container after it’s full
3 steps to starting your activity program
• Talk with your doctor before you start
• Choose your activity:
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Walking
Jogging
Bicycling
Swimming
Dancing
• Set a goal:
• At least 30 minutes,
at least 5 days a week
Planning healthy meals
• For teenagers and adults, a day’s worth of healthy
meals includes at least:
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2-3 servings of nonstarchy vegetables
2 servings of fruits
6 servings of grains, beans, or starchy vegetables
2 servings of low-fat or fat-free milk
About 6 oz of meat or meat substitutes
Carb counting and diabetes
• Carbs raise blood sugar more than other nutrients
• Carb counting can help you:
• Manage your blood sugar
• Be flexible in your choice of foods and mealtimes
• Eat more foods that you enjoy
• The only foods that generally don’t contain carbs are:
• Meats and meat substitutes, such as eggs and cheese
• Fats and oils
How many carbs are in your favorite
foods?
Using exchange lists for meal planning
• Each list has foods that have about the same amount of
carbs, calories, protein, and fat
• The lists come in these groups:
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Starch
Fruits
Milk
Sweets, desserts, and other carbohydrates
Nonstarchy vegetables
Meat and meat substitutes
Fats
“There will be a cure one day; until that time, diligence in
watching your diet and testing your blood sugar will play a
huge part in combating the disease.”
–Russell S., Illinois
Portion sizes count
• It’s important to eat not only the right types of foods, but
also the right amounts
• Weigh and measure your foods when
you first start carb counting and once
in a while after that
• Use your hand to estimate portion sizes:
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Your fist = 1 cup
Your palm = 3 ounces
Your thumb = 2 tablespoons or 1 ounce
Your thumb tip = 1 teaspoon
A handful = 2 ounces (¼ cup) of a
snack food
Short-term diabetes problems:
managing low blood sugar
• Recognize the symptoms:
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Weakness, tiredness
Hunger
Dizziness or shakiness
Nervousness, sweating
Fast heartbeat
Blurry vision
• Eat or drink something high
in sugar right away, such as:
• 4 oz of regular fruit juice or soda pop
• 3 to 4 glucose (sugar) tablets
• 3 to 5 hard candies that you can chew quickly
Short-term diabetes problems:
managing high blood sugar
• If your blood sugar is too high, you may:
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Feel very thirsty or hungry
Need to pass urine more than usual
Feel like your mouth and skin are dry
Have blurry vision
Feel sleepy
• Manage high blood sugar by:
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Checking your blood sugar
Following your meal plan
Doing some exercise (follow your plan)
Taking your medicine as prescribed
Diabetes care plan checkup
• Make sure you know:
• When and how to take your insulin or diabetes medicine
• When and how to check your blood sugar and what the
numbers mean
• Your target blood sugar goals
(before meals, after meals,
and A1C)
• What you can do if your blood
sugars are out of goal range
• How to follow your meal
and exercise plans
• When and how to call
your diabetes care team
Long-term diabetes problems
•Over time, high blood sugar
can cause problems with your:
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Heart and blood vessels
Kidneys
Teeth and gums
Feet
Eyes
Nerves
Skin
To help prevent these problems,
keep your blood sugar as close to
normal as possible. That means
following your diabetes care plan.
Coping with changes in your
diabetes care plan
• Don’t blame yourself
• Learn as much as you can
• Think about joining a diabetes
support group
• Focus on the positive parts of
the change
“Don’t give up. It’s your life we are talking
about and your body, and you can be in
control…Decide you will do what it takes.”
– Sally W., Washington
Time to take charge!
• You are not alone
• Diabetes cannot be cured,
but it can be managed
• You can live a full and active
life with diabetes:
• Learn as much as you can
• Work with your team
• Get support to
stay strong!