Lets' Talk:
Allegheny General Hospital
Type 2 Diabetes
Overview
So, you were recently
diagnosed with Type 2
diabetes at your last doctors
visit. You were given or
prescribed insulin to take daily,
possibly a monitoring device,
a blood glucose diary, and
some diet information about
how to manage your blood
glucose and stay healthy. But
what is Type 2 Diabetes? And,
Why does it affect you and
your lifestyle now?
How this
impacts YOU!
Type 2 Diabetes can be a
handful to manage,
however leaving it
uncontrolled can severely
impact your daily life.
Uncontrolled or poorly
managed diabetes can
result in vision loss, heart
disease, stroke, , nerve
damage., damage to your
digestive system, kidney
disease, and several other
conditions.
Healthy Food Center
So, What's
Happening?
Insulin is a hormone that
controls the amount of blood
sugar(glucose) your body can
use to make energy. Being
diagnosed with type 2
diabetes means that your body
isn't making enough or
responding to insulin, in the
right way. This is called insulin
resistance.
Because your body isn't
changing the blood sugar into
energy, it builds up to harmful
levels in the blood. High blood
sugar damages the body and
leads to serious health
problems in the future, such as
heart disease and vision loss,
if not managed correctly.
 What Factors are in
MY Control?
Type of Food you eat
Portion Sizes of your
meals or snacks
The time you eat
during the day
How Food is affecting
your blood glucose
There are three main
nutrients that help energize
your body and help it heal:
carbohydrates, protein,
and fats
Carbohydrates have the
most effect on your blood
sugar, raising it higher and
faster than any other
nutrient. They are good
for you, but timing and
moderation is key!
Protein doesn't raise your
blood sugar too much, but
it does help slow the
effects of extra sugar and
carbohydrates after your
meals.
Fats help absorb nutrients
and provide energy when
carbohydrates are low! Fats
also help slow the effects of
extra sugar and
carbohydrates after meals
Tips for Controlling Your Type 2
Diabetes
1. Building a healthy meal is
easier than you think! Aim for
the following:
1/2 plate on non-starchy
vegetables
1/4 plate of lean protein
1/4 plate of grains/starchy
vegetables
Serving of fruit or milk
Unsweetened drink
(water, coffee, tea)
Monitor your carbohydrate
2. intake
Carbohydrates are
important for your diet
Choose more whole
grains, fruits, and
vegetables to increase
fiber and make you feel
full, all while helping to
keep your blood sugar
stable
3. Educate yourself!
The best way to
understand type 2 diabetes is
to learn how to manage it.
The following are some good
habits and tricks to create a
great future
Learn to read food
nutrition labels
Recognize which foods
have carbohydrates in
them and which do not
Consider weekly meal
planning with you or your
support system
Think about ways you can
get exercise that you
enjoy doing
Monitor your blood
glucose and insulin daily
4. Talk to your provider about
4. a Registered Dietitian
seeing
(RDN) or a Diabetes Educator
Your health is important,
and it's important to us
too. We can help manage
and control your type 2
diabetes for the best care
forward