Living Well With Type 2 Diabetes

Managing your type 2 diabetes includes a proper diet, regular exercise, and the right tools to track your progress.

 

Table of Contents

Can diet and exercise cure type
2 diabetes? Arrow icon
Is there a specific type 2 diabetes diet? Arrow icon
How can I control my portions?Arrow icon
What are the benefits of exercise for
type 2 diabetes? Arrow icon
What exercises are best? Arrow icon
Planning your Journey Arrow icon

At Ascensia, we provide resources like blood sugar monitoring devices to help you stay on course. Below, we answer some common questions to help you throughout your journey. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to exercise, diet and treatment regimen.

Can Diet and Exercise Cure Type 2 Diabetes?

Achieving remission for type 2 diabetes can be difficult, but a good diet and regular exercise promote healthy living1,6.

While lifestyle changes may not cure diabetes, certain diets and exercises can improve blood sugar control, reduce medication reliance, and lower overall health risks, especially at the early stages of type 2 diabetes2,3.

 

Is There a Specific Type 2 Diabetes Diet?

People living with diabetes should strive to consume a nutritionally balanced diet. This includes eating 3 meals per day no more than 6 hours apart, staying hydrated, as well as the following3,4:

  • Foods to eat with type 2 diabetes: Consume whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats.
  • Foods you should not eat with type 2 diabetes: Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages, fast food, refined grains, and alcohol.
  • Carb management: Count carbohydrates and monitor portion sizes.

Some specific diets that can serve as a particularly good diet for type 2 diabetes include3:

  • Mediterranean Diet: Some studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet consisting of higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and fewer dairy products helped improve blood sugar control and cardiovascular health.
  • Vegetarian/Vegan Diets: These diets, especially vegan, can help improve blood sugar control and promote weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes.
 

How Can I Control my Portions?

In addition to knowing what foods to eat with type 2 diabetes, you can use your hands to help estimate portions5.

  • Grains and starches/Fruits: Fist-sized portions
  • Milk and milk alternatives: 250 mL of low-fat milk with a meal
  • Vegetables: Two handfuls of brightly colored vegetables (for example, green beans or broccoli)
  • Meat and meat alternatives: Palm-sized portions, about as thick as your little finger
  • Fats: A fingertip-sized amount
 

What are the benefits of exercise for type 2 diabetes?2

Studies have shown that a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week can help improve blood sugar control.

 

What Exercises are Best?2

Talk to your healthcare provider before starting and check your blood sugar before, during, and after physical activity to monitor the impact. Keep fast-acting carbohydrates nearby should your blood sugar drop. Recommended exercises for type 2 diabetes include:

  • Aerobic Exercise: Continuous activities like jogging, cycling, dancing, or swimming that increase your breathing and heart rate
  • Resistance Exercise: Strength-building exercises using weights, machines, resistance bands, or body weight
  • Interval Training: Short bursts of high-intensity exercise with recovery periods of low-intensity or rest
 

Planning Your Journey

Having the right tools like those from Ascensia can make all the difference on your journey toward healthier living. The CONTOUR®NEXT GEN meter for blood sugar monitoring is just one of many offerings to help you along the way.

Discover CONTOUR®NEXT GEN

References:

  1. MacKay D, Chan C, Dasgupta K, et al. Special article: remission of type 2 diabetes. Can J Diabetes. 2022;46:753-761.
  2. Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee; Sigal RJ, Armstrong MJ, Bacon SL, et al. Physical activity and diabetes. Can J Diabetes. 2018;42 Suppl 1:S54-S63. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.008.
  3. Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee; Sievenpiper JL, Chan CB, Dworatzek PD, et al. Nutrition therapy. Can J Diabetes. 2018;42 Suppl 1:S64-S79. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.009.
  4. Diabetes Canada. Planning Healthy Meals. Available from https://www.diabetes.ca/nutrition-fitness/healthy-eating/planning-healthy-meals. Accessed December 18, 2024.
  5. Diabetes Canada. Handy portion guide. Available from https://www.diabetes.ca/DiabetesCanadaWebsite/media/Managing-My-Diabetes. Accessed December 18, 2024.
  6. Riddle MC, Cefalu WT, Evans PH, et al. Consensus report: definition and interpretation of remission in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021;44(10):2438-2444. doi: 10.2337/dci21-0034.