Top 3 questions I’m asked as an expert in Diabetes

Diabetes is so complex, it’s likely you have quite a few questions about. Maybe you’re wondering what to eat or how exercise affects your blood sugar.

As a certified diabetes care and education specialist, there are three questions I find my clients asking regularly during our sessions. In this blog post, I’ll answer them for you as an expert in my field, as well as someone who’s been living with diabetes for 25 years.

#1. What the heck do I eat?

This is definitely the most common question I’m asked by people with all types of diabetes. The answer is pretty simple:

The perfect diet for someone with diabetes is the same diet anyone else should be eating.

I will recommend a sustainable, balanced way of eating to anyone and everyone who asks. Here are some questions to ask to make sure the foods you choose are blood sugar friendly:

1. Do I feel satisfied eating this way?
2. Does my plate (or bowl!) have fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates that I enjoy?
3. Can I see myself eating this way most of the time?
4. Does this way of eating make me feel good and honor my physical and emotional health?

It has to feel authentic and sustainable to you! The diabetes plate method is a good baseline for building a plate that can prevent blood sugar spikes.

#2. How much do I exercise as a person with diabetes?

Let’s start with the CDC guidelines. For all adults, the CDC currently recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking (2.5 mph (4.02 km/h)), or 75 minutes per week of rigorous activity, such as running. Ideally, add in 2 days of strength training.

But sheesh, what if you’re not exercising at all and that just sounds seriously unpleasant? You’re not alone, friend.

Similar to my nutrition guidelines, I always start by asking my client to first find movement they really enjoy and feel like they can sustain over time. If you start running regularly and the thought of it makes you wanna puke every morning, then it’s probably not going to be something you can continue for the long term, and we’ll be back to square one.

Start by getting in whatever movement you’re able and is neutral or joyful for you:

• Try a 15-minute walk after breakfast to help with that morning BG rise
• Dance around for a bit to that new Taylor Swift playlist your friend sent you
• Play with your puppy outside and tire both of yourselves out
• Get an under desk elliptical or bicycle pedals to get some movement in during that snooze fest of a meeting
• Do some deadlifts with that massive 40lb (18.14 kg) box of car litter
• Join your neighborhood tennis team or go back to your favorite team sport you used to play in school (movement should be fun!!!)

Eventually, you’ll be making more choices to move, and these can help contribute to your 150 minutes of moderate activity during the week.

#3. How do I fix dawn phenomenon?

This is, surprisingly, one of the most common questions and frustrations I get from people with diabetes — and for good reason! The morning rise that occurs while fasted can be really annoying.

Long story short, this rise is typically caused by your liver (the elephant in the room when it comes to diabetes) in response to your body being without food for a prolonged period of time. There are some ways we can respond to this:

1. Shorten the fasted window: trying either having a protein snack before bed or eating a protein-rich breakfast when you wake up.
2. Avoid high fat dinners: try your best to minimize the grams of fat in your evening meal. High fat foods can cause a delayed and prolonged rise in your blood glucose.
3. Adjust your medications: If you’re using insulin, consider adjusting your basal rate/dose. Multiple daily injection users may consider talking to their doctor about adding NPH before bed to get extra basal coverage overnight. If you’re taking metformin, make sure you’re taking it consistently, as this is a huge help in preventing the morning liver glucose dump. People with T1D can use metformin off label.
4. Try some moderate activity after dinner: nothing crazy, just a little movement to help keep your body sensitive to insulin and use up some store glucose.

Dawn phenomenon/feet to floor is a very individual experience. It can take quite a bit of trial and error to find what works for you.

Have more questions?

If you enjoyed this article and have more questions about your diabetes, schedule an appointment to meet with your CDCES. Don’t have one? Consider meeting with me here.