Eating three meals every day helps regulate diabetes and weight. A single missed meal, however, might upset the balance of food intake and some diabetes therapies. As a result, hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia occur, which can be hazardous.
Consuming a steady quantity of carbohydrates throughout the day can help minimize blood glucose increases and enhance the efficiency of prescription medication in people with diabetes.
A Closer Look at Metformin
Metformin is one of the medications recommended by the NIH, the ADA, and the EASD. It is a well-established first-line medication for type 2 diabetes, lowering both morbidity and mortality for the condition. In addition, it improves insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. It can also boost peripheral glucose uptake and use while delaying gastrointestinal glucose absorption.
Taken on its own, Metformin has a minimal risk of inducing hypoglycemia even when you forget to take your meals. However, since Metformin predominantly increases insulin efficacy, it is better taken with meals when endogenous insulin is produced.
Metformin’s gastrointestinal side effects, including diarrhea and nausea, are well known. To reduce them, patients should be urged to take their medications after meals rather than before, and the dose should be gradually adjusted over several weeks.
To lessen the risks of skipping meals and medicine intake, Metformin is now routinely given in a twice-daily dosage, to be taken with the two major meals of the day. This kind of dosage allows for bigger doses and more patient convenience.
Different Diet Regimens You Can Adopt With Your Medicine Intake
-
Regular Three-Meals-Per-Day
There is no biological necessity for individuals to eat three meals a day, even though this is the cultural norm. However, regular meals are recommended in diabetics to decrease blood glucose fluctuations and prevent hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
-
Alternate Day Fasting
When following this diet, one day is spent eating as much as you like, and the next day is spent eating as little as 600 calories per day for men and 500 calories per day for women.
This is a feasible diet choice for helping obese persons lose weight and reduce their risk of coronary heart disease. This diet has not been tested on diabetics, but it does have therapeutic benefits. Patients on metformin are more likely to tolerate varied diets; however, they should not start with these diets without consulting their doctors.
-
Low-Fat, Low-Salt Diet
This kind of diet is recommended for people with type 1 and 2 diabetes. You will need to do carb-counting consistently, though, which can be a turn-off for most patients. Nevertheless, carbohydrate awareness may help patients better understand their diets and identify areas for improvement.
-
Low GI Diet
A low GI diet is also a good idea, but patients should be aware of its limitations and that it does not necessarily indicate that an item is healthy. A balanced diet of carbohydrates, fat, and protein should also be enforced on patients who follow this diet.
-
Healthy Diet in Moderation
The major recommendation for patients is to consume a healthy, balanced diet, but in moderation. People who work shifts or have irregular eating patterns should be urged to take their metformin whenever they eat, regardless of the time of day.
Never nibble on high-fat or high-sugar foods. Discuss with patients the reasons for missing meals. Instead of two brief breaks for eating, our patient may be able to take one long break. He may munch because it is easier to grab a biscuit than to make a sandwich.
Conclusion
When you’re not hungry, it’s challenging to keep your diabetes under control. If you notice that you’re eating less due to an illness or other causes, your medications may need to be adjusted, consult with your doctor.
Long-acting insulin doses are generally not based on food intake. Therefore your doctor is unlikely to suggest a dose reduction. So, regular blood sugar monitoring is the only way to fully recognize whether your blood sugar is off. In addition, remember that if you skip a meal, you should also skip mealtime insulin.
Skipping meals isn’t good for anybody, but for diabetics, it can trigger dangerous blood sugar rises now and in the future. Symptoms of high or low blood sugars may fade away over several years of living with diabetes, mainly if your blood sugars haven’t been effectively controlled. For this reason, the importance of properly tracking your meals and medication is a must.
At MedManage, we provide a cloud-based medication log app and management system for patients and caregivers. It enables everyday tasks such as managing various prescriptions and keeping a daily medication diary to be accomplished digitally and in real-time. Download our MedManage Medication Reminder on the Apple Store and Google Play Store now!