SN instructed patient on diabetes and nutrition. If you take diabetes pills or insulin, your meal plan should have about the same number of calories every day. Meals should be spaced throughout the day. It’s important not to skip meals or “double up” on meals. A dietitian can help with your meal plan. The dietitian will take into account your schedule and foods you like and dislike. Each person is different, so every meal plan is different.
SN taught patient about importance of exercise with diabetes. For most people with diabetes, exercise is very important. Exercise helps your body use sugar better. As a result, your blood glucose level goes down. An exercise plan can be as simple as taking a walk every day. Get a friend to walk with you. When you do things with a buddy, it’s easier. You’ll be less tempted to skip a day. Before you start an exercise program, talk to your doctor. Exercise tends to lower blood glucose level, so your doctor may need to make some changes to your management plan.
SN instructed patient that having diabetes means you often need to make decisions about your care. The more you know about diabetes and how your daily activities affect your blood glucose levels, the easier it is to make wise decisions. Testing your blood glucose and keeping good track of your readings is essential to know how different activities, food, medication and stress levels affect your blood glucose readings.
SN taught patient that learning what affects your blood glucose levels and what to do when they are higher or lower than desired takes practice. Looking for patterns and trends can help you determine what is causing the blood glucose levels to go high or low, and can help you target what might need some adjusting.
SN instructed patient / caregiver on abnormal glucose also known as impaired glucose tolerance which is a term that refers to people who have blood glucose level that are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be classified as diabetes. SN instructed patient / caregiver on symptoms of abnormal glucose such as increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision. SN instructed patient / caregiver on risk factors such as weight, waist size, inactivity, age, family history. SN instructed patient / caregiver on healthy lifestyle choices that can help prevent diabetes such as eating healthy foods, getting more physical activity, losing excess pounds.