Diabetes Travel Tips and Travel Advice

August 21, 2020 by Haut Diabetes Care

Are you travelling abroad or is there a change in your daily routine?

Changes in routine can present a number of difficulties from meal times to medication schedules. Job shift work can alter the body’s circadian rhythms which respond to natural daylight of sun and darkness of moon. Consequently, blood sugar levels can be affected thereby altering sleep timings which can lead to hyperglycaemia or hypoglycaemia. Changes in sleep or job shift times can also affect your eating pattern during the day.

Changing routines is a complex process and involves more than simply rearranging blocks of time. Daily routines influence the integration of diabetes self-management into daily life. A study showed that integrating diabetes self-management into daily life involves changing behaviours and learning new skills, both of which require modification of established routines. A key finding in a study mentions that modification of existing routines is often challenging because routines become habits and are therefore undetectable to those needing to change them. A strong encouragement and support from family and friends can help overcome this issue.

General travel tips for Diabetics :-

Patients should pack more test strips, insulin, syringes, pens and other diabetes equipment than they will need for the trip.
They should also pack a spare glucose meter in case of loss or damage.
They should have a written note on details of emergency contacts.
If flying, insulin, syringes/pens and testing equipment should be kept and divided between two pieces of hand luggage.
To help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and to make the trip more comfortable, patients are advised to move about the cabin and do the chair-based exercises regularly.
If the patient is travelling overseas, he/she must make be prepared for different foods, changes in time zones and extreme climates as well as being prepared for mishaps such as delays and misplaced baggage. Planning a trip for a person with diabetes is important.

Doctors must advise patients that it is healthier to prepare home cooked meals in advance to ensure they are eating nutritious food. Planning meals days in advance can be used so they are not rushing to cook food in-between shifts.
Advise them to bring their own healthy snacks to work rather than buying something processed from a shop or a vending machine.

Patient should always be prepared to treat low glucose while travelling as travelling may disrupt their normal routine for both eating and dosing insulin. Patients should pack extra diabetes supplies and keep it handy, so that they could easily access it when required.

If you like this tips and advice, share them with your fiends.

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Diabetes and Exercise

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020 by Dr. Nikhil Prabhu ( Diabetes Specialist )

Hello everyone!!!! Today let us discuss why exercise is a must in patients suffering from Diabetes Mellitus. There are many patients who come to me and ask that we are exhausted from daily activities and do not get time for workouts or walks. Let me tell you that our day to day activities like cooking, driving, walking small distances for casual work, cutting grass, standing for long hours in teacher profession and bus conductors does not count for exercise. Exercise purely means dedicating time for yourself so that you sweat out after workouts.

Diabetes and Exercise Fitness:

Diabetes and fitness goes hand in hand. Exercises and any kind of sports like cycling, biking, dancing, playing badminton, table tennis, jogging, brisk walks and climbing steps etc can help in daily workouts. One needs to workout at least half an hour to one hour daily.

Pathophysiology:

When we work out, the muscles need energy, fuel to be utilized for our workouts. So there is a lot of sugar/glucose being utilized by the muscles during exercise, which in turn is beneficial in controlling Diabetes and thus preventing its complications like cardiovascular disorders, hypertension and other chronic diseases. Aerobic exercises includes involvement of continuous movement of larger group of muscles. In type 1 diabetes aerobic exercise leads to increase in insulin sensitivity, oxidation of enzymes, compliance of blood vessels, pulmonary function and cardiac output. thus increasing the cardio respiratory fitness and decreases insulin resistance. In type 2 diabetes, aerobic exercise improves the cardiac output, reduces the triglycerides and cholesterol and improves the function of pancreas. Flexibility exercise leads to flexible movements of joints of the body. Flexibility and balance exercises are very important in elderly group of patients.

When a person sweats, there is loss of water fluids from the body. This results in decrease of fluids from the body which should be replenished with fruits and water. So a person suffering from diabetes must have meals at regular small intervals. Yoga can help in improvement of glycemic control, neuropathy symptoms, balance and also help people in controlling borderline Diabetes.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Sedentary Lifestyle hampers the overall activity of the person. This leads to poor glycemic control, obesity and poor metabolism. Prolonged sitting in one place must be avoided. It should be interrupted with intermittent walks every hour or two.

Diabetes in Elderly:

In elderly patients, one must exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week. This helps in utilizing the excess glucose in blood and thus controlling blood sugar levels and preventing further complications like retinopathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular diseases, foot problems like gangrene hypertension and hypercholestremia. Resistance training includes body weights, cardio, lifting weights like dumbles which also helps in reducing sugar levels in our body. Exercise during fasting should be avoided as it will lower your glucose levels below normal which can lead to sudden collapse. Also walks or exercise post meals for 15 minutes can help improve your metabolism in diabetes.

Diabetes in pregnancy:

Diabetes during pregnancy usually occurs in 23 to 28 weeks approximately. Hence exercise during pregnancy is of utmost importance like yoga and meditation. Mild Exercises also help in maintaining the hypertension and help in normal delivery. You should consult your gynaecologist before starting such exercises in pregnancy.

So now we know the importance of exercise in our daily life. Hope everyone enjoyed exercising while reading which lead us one more step ahead for a healthy life style!!!!

Dr. Nikhil Prabhu ( Diabetes Specialist )

Dr Nikhil Prabhu is a consultant Diabetologist from mumbai. he has been practicing for more than 10 years and currently over 7000 patients are under his treatment for diabetes and thyroid disorder from mumbai and navi mumbai area. | you can book his appointment for tele-consultation on 9082523295 | follow us on YouTube for more diabetes & health related tips

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What are the steps of Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) ?

August 18, 2020 by Haut Diabetes Care

Steps of Self Monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) :

The first step is to meet with a health Care professional (HCP). After identifying the characteristics and needs of the patient, the HCP will recommend a glucose meter, which one can buy at a drugstore, along with all the other materials necessary for self-monitoring: lancets (needles), a lancing device (to take blood), test strips and tissues.

Nowadays in current COVID-19 scenario you can also purchase it from online stores like amazon or flipkart etc.

Diabetic Educators must advice people with diabetes to monitor their blood glucose regularly by following the next steps:

Wash hands with soapy water and dry them well
Insert the test strip into the glucose meter
Insert the lancet into the lancing device
Prick the end of a finger (on the side)
Gently squeeze the end of the finger, if necessary
Apply the blood to the test strip
Wait a few seconds (the time varies by type of meter)
Read and write down the result in a logbook or store it in the glucose meter

Choosing a Self monitoring of Blood Glucose or SMBG Device :-

When used and stored properly, blood glucose meters are generally accurate in how they measure glucose. They differ in the type and number of features they offer. Here are several factors to consider while choosing a blood glucometer:

Insurance coverage (if any)
Cost
Ease of use and maintenance
Special features
Information storage and retrieval
Support

Tips for successful Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) Teaching:-

It is recommended that one must check the accuracy of the meter’s readings at least once a year by comparing a fasting reading with a reading done at the same time in a laboratory. To avoid false readings, your test strips and glucose meter must be in good condition. Make sure that:

The expiry date printed on the test-strip container has not been reached or exceeded
The test-strip container was not left open after you took out a test strip
The test strips are in their original container
The test strips have been kept away from moisture, and stored at a temperature between 4° and 30°C
The test strips have not been contaminated by dust or other substances
There is no dust or dried blood on the opening of the test strip
The glucose meter has not been left in sunlight directly
The glucose meter has not been exposed to moisture, or to temperatures below 5° C or higher than 30° C
The glucose meter has not been dropped, or been in contact with a liquid

Important pointers for Diabetic Educators :

Explain factors that can affect glucose levels
Thoroughly explain the user techniques to measure blood glucose levels
Explain the people with diabetes regarding changes in meters or strips

In India , Where insurance do not cover diabetes and related purchases then cost of such monitoring is additional burden on people. still it is recommended to use self monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) atleast in current pandemic scenario.

You can check out Dr. Nikhil Prabhu‘s Youtube video on how to use glucometer at home (Hindi) :

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Top 6 Reasons For Gaining Weight After Weight loss & Solution

August 17, 2020 by Dr. Nikhil Prabhu ( Diabetes Specialist )

Why So Many People Gain Weight After Losing Weight?

There are so many examples you see in day to day life that there is a re gaining weight after weight loss. why this occurs?

after putting so much of efforts in diet and exercise we really work hard to lose weight and then again after few months we see that we are gaining weight again after excessive weight loss. here are few reasons which can explain this problem

Setting unrealistic goals
binge eating
insulin resistance
hypothyroidism
crash diets

Weight loss resistance is one of the most common health complaints. The inability to exercise or diet your weight away is horribly discouraging. People are often inundated with weight loss advice without finding answers for themselves.

Setting unrealistic goals:

Having a clear vision of what your weight loss goals are is critical to one’s success, but many people give up on their weight loss goals because they expect unrealistic results that take time and perseverance.

Eating emotionally:

Eating should be enjoyable, but when the love of food is used as a coping mechanism during times of stress or sadness, it can turn unhealthy.

Failing to nourish your body:

Starvation diets and fad diets must stop. One’s body’s weight is a result of myriad different physiological factors that need to be nourished with good, healthy food. One’s body needs those nutrients to function the way it was intended to.

Searching endlessly for quick fixes:

Piles of exercise DVDs, weight loss products and fad diet books that promise “4 minute abs” or “1 pill a day to melt the fat away” will not help.

Underlying physiological issues:

Many times people have done everything right and still cannot lose weight. That is where functional medicine steps in.
Underlying hormonal imbalances and gut conditions can prevent the most dedicated person from ever losing weight.

Meal planning is the way to go, suppress cravings

Health professionals believe that cravings are one of the main reasons it can be so hard to stick to a healthy diet. Cravings are driven by your brain’s need for a “reward” — not one’s body’s need for food. If an individual can have only one bite and stop there, indulging a little when you get a craving is absolutely fine. But if they tend to binge and overeat as soon as they get a taste of sugary foods, then giving in to the cravings is the worst thing one can do.

One way to avoid binge eating is to meal plan to try and eat healthy for all meals. Tips for meal planning include:

Spend time each week looking for recipes
Create a place to save recipes, and keep it SIMPLE
Keep a record of one’s partner, family, and roommates what they like to eat
Keep a meal journal
Start a calendar
Go with theme nights (soup night, pasta night, beans)
Avoid unhealthy options that are available and cheaper

Important pointers for Diabetic Educators :

Try and create personalised diet charts or diet meal charts which will encourage people with diabetes to eat healthy
Encourage people with diabetes to get a healthy exercise regime as a part of motivating a healthy lifestyle

If you like this article share this with your friends and family !

Dr. Nikhil Prabhu ( Diabetes Specialist )

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Are you travelling abroad or is there a change in your daily routine?

General travel tips for Diabetics :-

Related posts:

Diabetes and Exercise Fitness:

Pathophysiology:

Sedentary Lifestyle

Diabetes in Elderly:

Diabetes in pregnancy:

Related posts:

Steps of Self Monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) :

Choosing a Self monitoring of Blood Glucose or SMBG Device :-

Tips for successful Self Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) Teaching:-

Important pointers for Diabetic Educators :

Related posts:

Why So Many People Gain Weight After Losing Weight?

Setting unrealistic goals:

Eating emotionally:

Failing to nourish your body:

Searching endlessly for quick fixes:

Underlying physiological issues:

Meal planning is the way to go, suppress cravings

Important pointers for Diabetic Educators :

Related posts: