While diabetes is a common diagnosis, Lee Health nurse practitioner Valencia Hayes says, every treatment plan is different. “We see lots of patients in our clinic with Type 2 diabetes. No two patients are the same even though they have the same disease.”
But one thing she says all diabetic patients need to understand is carbs. “Lots of patients don’t understand carbs and sugars. I have patients who come in and say, ‘I don’t understand why my A1C is elevated or why my glucose blood sugar levels are elevated. I have not had any sweets,” said Hayes.
What many patients don’t understand is carbs are ultimately broken down into sugars. So when looking at a food or drink label, don’t just focus your attention here, you also need to look at the number of carbohydrates.
“Moderation is the key. Small portions. Plan your meals and you have to count those carbs. Make healthier selections on the amount of carbs that you’re going to eat,” said Hayes.
Depending on the patient’s treatment plan, the amount of sugars and carbs they can have may vary. “Can their body handle the amount of carbs that they’re taking in, which gets broken down into sugar? Is the pancreas producing enough insulin? Or if they are insulin dependent are they going to have to give themselves insulin to level out their blood sugars,” said Hayes.
For patients with diabetes, that may also mean limiting things with a lot of fruit. “Lots of patients will have these smoothies and they think that they’re absolutely healthy, yet they are loaded with carbs and sugars,” said Hayes.
Diabetes education classes and regular meetings with your physician can help diabetic patients better understand the best ways to stay healthy.
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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care.
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