Diet & exercise

Healthy eating, regular movement and caring for your feet are simple changes you can introduce to your daily routine

Diet

Diabetes doesn’t mean you need to give up the joy of food.

• Eating three meals a day, spaced about six hours apart is a simple way to help control your blood sugar levels

• Carbohydrates, sugars and fibre, and salt intake should all be taken into account when planning meals and portion sizes

Meals can be nutritious and delicious. Head over to cart2table.ca for some mouth-watering recipes

Get more meal planning tips

Exercise

Making simple changes to be more active can have a positive effect on your diabetes and your heart health.

• Exercise has many benefits, including better physical fitness, improved glycemic control, decreased insulin resistance, lower blood pressure and weight loss

• Experts recommend at least:

  • 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, which can be broken down to at
    least 10 minutes at a time
    AND

  • Resistance exercise at least twice a week

• Being physically active can improve your heart health and lower your risk of heart disease

Stay active with diabetes

Foot care

Diabetes care also means caring for your feet.

• Foot problems in people with diabetes are caused by nerve damage in the feet, also called neuropathy, which can decrease feeling in the legs

• Neuropathy makes it harder to feel a cut, blister or other injury. This can lead to an infection and possibly an amputation.

• Starting and maintaining a daily footcare routine is the best way to ensure your feet stay healthy

See the do's and don'ts of foot care