Living with Type 1. Download Manual PDF. Basics of type 1 diabetes It can be diagnosed at any age and in people of every race, shape, and size. Diabetes care team Primary care provider, Endocrinologist, Certified diabetes educator, Registered dietitian, Eye doctor, Mental health expert, Podiatrist, Pharmacist, Dentist, Exercise physiologist, and Other specialists.

Nutrition and physical activity There are a few key themes to a healthy diet: lots of fruits and veggies, plenty of whole grains and fiber, and limits on certain proteins, added sugars, and solid fats.

Complications Related to Eyes, Kidneys, Nerves, Heart, Head, Mental and Sexual Health. It involves taking the first dose of insulin at the meal, and then another hours later. Ask your healthcare professional for more advice. Testing blood glucose regularly is also an important habit.

If you want to help your body, you can only be effective if you know what your body is doing. And if you want to know what your body has been responding to, get into the habit of making a log of your meals. As you probably know, there are numerous helpers out there to make recording meals smooth and easy.

You can read more about our diabetes logbook here. Even when you feel like you have everything under control, you can often end up being hard on yourself for not doing more.

Instead, consider what you have accomplished each day and be proud of it. Focus on your strengths. Being kind to yourself is just as important as any other kind of self-care. In fact, taking a moment to reflect is helping yourself not only from a mental point of view, but from a physical one as well.

With stress and diabetes , blood glucose increases — so, relax and Treat Yo Self. Go hang gliding. Learn French. Take up gardening. Join a Leonardo DiCaprio fan club. Be SMART about your goals for diabetes self-management — be specific. Any specific healthy goal will benefit your diabetes in different ways.

Want to try 15 minutes of rollerblading — once in the morning and once in the evening — five days a week for two weeks? Then do it! That will make you fit, make blood glucose levels easier to control, make you more conscious of healthy eating in order to have the right fuel for your exercise , allow some relaxing you-time, and establish a habit, all while enjoying yourself.

Hedia Diabetes Assistant can take exercise, carb intake, and more into account when making an insulin calculation. Let Hedia help you through your goals by getting it from Google Play or the App Store!

Related post: Small Everyday Diabetes Challenges. Back to Blog. How to set Realistic Goals for Diabetes Self-Management. However, having diabetes does't exclude you from eating your favourite foods or going to your favourite restaurants. But you need to know that different foods affect your blood sugar differently.

Activity has many health benefits in addition to losing weight. Physical activity lowers cholesterol, improves blood pressure, lowers stress and anxiety, and improves your mood. Being active can also keep your blood glucose levels in check and your diabetes under control.

Regular monitoring of your blood sugar levels gives you the information you need to make decisions.

Most people find that insulin injections are easier than they thought. People with diabetes have a high chance of getting high blood pressure and high cholesterol. You may be asked to take medicine to prevent or treat these conditions. Medicines may include:.

Do not smoke or use e-cigarettes. Smoking makes diabetes worse. If you do smoke, work with your provider to find a way to quit. If you have diabetes, you should see your provider every 3 months, or as often as instructed.

At these visits, your provider may:. Talk to your provider about any vaccines you may need, such as the yearly flu shot and the hepatitis B and pneumonia shots. Visit the dentist every 6 months. Also, see your eye doctor once a year, or as often as instructed.

American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. Facilitating Behavior Change and Well-being to Improve Health Outcomes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes Diabetes Care. PMID: pubmed. Retinopathy, Neuropathy, and Foot Care: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes Brownlee M, Aiello LP, Sun JK, et al.

Complications of diabetes mellitus. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Koenig RJ, Rosen CJ , eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Riddle MC, Ahmann AJ.

Therapeutics of type 2 diabetes. Updated by: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A. Editorial team.

Type 2 diabetes - self-care. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes. You may not have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include: Hunger Thirst Urinating a lot, getting up more often than usual at night to urinate Blurry vision More frequent or long lasting infections Trouble having an erection Trouble healing cuts on your skin Red skin rashes in parts of your body Tingling or loss of sensation in your feet.

Take Control of Your Diabetes. Steps include: Checking your blood sugar at home Keeping a healthy diet Being physically active Also, be sure to take any medicine or insulin as instructed. These providers include a: Dietitian Diabetes pharmacist Diabetes educator.

Eat Healthy Foods and Manage Your Weight. Regular exercise is good for people with diabetes. It lowers blood sugar. Exercise also: Improves blood flow Lowers blood pressure It helps burn extra fat so that you can keep your weight down.

Check Your Blood Sugar. Many people with type 2 diabetes need to check their blood sugar only once or twice a day. Some people need to check more often. Download Manual PDF.

Basics of type 1 diabetes It can be diagnosed at any age and in people of every race, shape, and size. Diabetes care team Primary care provider, Endocrinologist, Certified diabetes educator, Registered dietitian, Eye doctor, Mental health expert, Podiatrist, Pharmacist, Dentist, Exercise physiologist, and Other specialists.

Nutrition and physical activity There are a few key themes to a healthy diet: lots of fruits and veggies, plenty of whole grains and fiber, and limits on certain proteins, added sugars, and solid fats. Complications Related to Eyes, Kidneys, Nerves, Heart, Head, Mental and Sexual Health.

Special considerations for different age groups Preteens, Teens, and Young Adults. These programs help people learn self-management skills and provide support to sustain self-management behaviors. DSMES programs have helped people with diabetes lower blood sugar glucose levels, prevent complications, improve quality of life, and reduce healthcare costs.

The Stanford Diabetes Self-Management program is an evidence-based approach designed to improve diabetes self-management practices, and delivered by certified educators. While it is important for people with diabetes to develop and engage in self-management practices, self-management can also involve family members, friends, or other caregivers.

These individuals can offer emotional support, model healthy behaviors, participate in exercise activities, help monitor blood sugar glucose levels, administer insulin or other medications, and open communication around effective self-management practices.

Enhanced social support from family and friends can help build self-efficacy for diabetes self-management. Self-efficacy, related to diabetes self-management, is an individual's belief in their ability to successfully manage their own health needs.

Self-efficacy is important for effective diabetes self-management. It is important that patients understand the benefit of diabetes self-management activities. Programs can encourage healthcare providers to speak openly with patients about self-management and refer patients to self-management programs.

Patients with diabetes should be encouraged to ask questions and be reminded that these activities can help them to achieve successful disease management. Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support in Rural America Website An overview of the benefits of diabetes self-management programs.

Describes different types of diabetes self-management education and support programs available to communities. Organization s : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.