Living Well With Type 2 Diabetes

Managing your type 2 diabetes includes a proper diet that controls carbohydrate intake, avoids trans fats, promotes 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 physical exercise cure type 2 diabetes?

Achieving remission for type 2 diabetes can be difficult, but a quality diet and regular exercise promote healthy living.1,6

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 diabetes.2,3

 

Is there a specific type 2 diabetes diet?

People living with diabetes should strive to consume a nutritionally balanced diet. Diabetic diet plans for type 2 include eating 3 meals per day no more than 6 hours apart, staying hydrated, as well as the following with:3,4

  • Foods to eat with type 2 diabetes: Consume whole grains such as brown rice, 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 food list include:3

  • 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.
 

What are My Plate Portions for Diabetics?

In addition to knowing what foods to eat with type 2 diabetes, you can use your hands to help estimate portions.5

  • Grains and Starches/Fruits: Fist-sized portions can be taken as a morning pre-workout meal.
  • Milk and Milk Alternatives: 250 mL of 1% or skim 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.
Be sure to use KETOSTIX® Reagent Strips which indicate the presence and concentration of ketones, byproducts of fat metabolism, that can help inform food digestion.
 

What Foods Can Help a Diabetic Gain Weight?

If you have diabetes and are having trouble maintaining or gaining weight, focusing on nutrient-dense, high-calorie foods can help you meet your energy needs while keeping your blood sugar stable. Instead of low-fat or “light” options, opt for full-fat, protein-rich choices and calorie-boosting additions. Here are some ideas based on nutrition support guidelines:7

  • Meal Pattern: Eat three small meals each day with two to three snacks or nutrient-packed drinks in between. Smaller, frequent meals can be managed when your appetite is low.7
  • Protein Diet for Diabetes Type 2: Include lean meats, chicken, or fish in portions of about 3 to 4 ounces at each meal. Dairy products such as whole milk, full-fat Greek yogurt, or cheese provide protein and extra calories. Adding skim milk powder to a pint of milk can further increase its nutritional value.7
  • High-Calorie Additions: Boost your calorie intake by incorporating healthy fats like butter, margarine, or oil. For instance, spread these generously on toast or crackers, mix them into mashed potatoes, or stir into pasta and rice dishes.7
  • Carbohydrates and Fats: In addition to protein, include starchy foods such as bread, potatoes, pasta, and rice to add energy. Full-fat options are preferable if you’re trying to gain weight, as they offer more calories.7
  • Super Snacks: Quick, easy snack ideas include a bowl of cereal with whole milk, cheese on toast, or peanut butter on whole grain bread. These snacks can be a great alternative when you need a meal replacement or an extra boost between meals.7
Remember that these suggestions are general ideas to help you gain or maintain weight while managing diabetes. For personalized advice, consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian.
 

How Does Exercising Help Type 2 Diabetes?2,8  

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise per week to help improve blood sugar control.2

Regular exercise offers many benefits for people with type 2 diabetes. Here is how it helps:

  1. Better Blood Sugar Control: Exercise improves how your body uses insulin and manages blood sugar. These benefits can last for up to four days after a workout.8
  2. Improved Body Function: Aerobic activities and resistance training support the health of your muscles, fat, liver, and pancreas.8
  3. Enhanced Cholesterol and Vascular Health: Physical activity improves cholesterol levels and blood vessel function while reducing inflammation.8
  4. Long Term Benefits: While a single session provides immediate gains, regular exercise over weeks, months, and years leads to lasting improvements in blood sugar control and overall health.8
  5. Safe and Effective: With the right balance of intensity, duration, and frequency, exercise is safe for most people with type 2 diabetes and can work well with other treatments to reduce complications.8
 

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

Explore purchasing options for all Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems

Explore purchasing options for all Blood Glucose Test Strips

Explore purchasing options for all CONTOUR®NEXT Bundles

Explore purchasing options for all Complementary Diabetes Products

Explore purchasing options for KETOSTIX® and Other Diabetes Testing Supplies

Related Articles

Choosing a Blood Glucose Meter
Diabetes and Skin

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.
  7. O’Hanlon , L. (2023, July 28). Shopping List for High Calorie, High Protein Snacks - PIL. Norwich ; Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
  8. Kirwan JP, Sacks J, Nieuwoudt S. The essential role of exercise in the management of type 2 diabetes. Cleve Clin J Med. 2017 Jul;84(7 Suppl 1):S15-S21. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.84.s1.03. PMID: 28708479; PMCID: PMC5846677.