What should I eat after exercising if I have diabetes?

Do you feel hungry after exercise? If you have diabetes, choose your nosh carefully. Post-workout snacks can have a big impact on how your body uses insulin.

Your best bet? Refuel with a handful of nuts. A little lean protein or some healthy fats can help make your body more insulin sensitive. Translation: Your body absorbs and uses blood sugar more effectively.

Insulin sensitivity is important because the more insulin sensitive you are, the less likely you are to develop diabetes. In a recent study, carbohydrate-rich post-workout meals (think pasta, bread, chips, and sweets) seemed to have a negative effect on exercisers. Their muscle cells refilled quickly with a sugar-based fuel called glycogen, which seemed to reduce insulin sensitivity. All of which led researchers to conclude that post-workout meals should include fats and protein (ideally, healthy versions of each).

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It actually depends on how your diabetes is treated. For example, if you have type 2 diabetes and control it with meal planning or medications that don't increase your risk for low blood glucose, you may not need to eat anything. In fact, if you're exercising as part of a weight loss program, eating would somewhat defeat the purpose! However, if you take insulin or certain types of diabetes pills, you may need to eat a snack after working out, depending on your blood glucose level. Generally, if your blood glucose is less than 100 mg/dl after exercise, you'll need to eat a snack that contains carbohydrate, such as whole grain crackers, a piece of fruit or a yogurt to prevent your glucose from dropping and also to help replenish your muscle glucose stores.