It may also improve your critical health numbers , including weight, blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol. Being overweight or obese make it hard to manage Type 2 diabetes.

It also increases the risk for high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure — risk factors for cardiovascular disease , which is the leading cause of death for people with diabetes.

Two ways to help manage weight are to eat healthy and be more physically active. To lose weight, you must take in fewer calories than you use up through normal metabolism and physical activity. Making healthy food choices, including controlling portion sizes and reading food labels , is key to maintaining the right weight and preventing or managing diabetes.

With prediabetes or diabetes, you have additional issues with food. Consuming them can increase blood glucose. With so many food options, it can be hard to know which ones are healthy. This chart can help you make the best choices. By writing down what you eat, when you eat and how it affects your glucose levels, you can track how foods affect your body.

Check your blood sugar 1 hour to 1. Many of us are on the go and don't spend a lot of time at home. But even when your kitchen isn't convenient, eating right should still be a priority. Learn how to prepare healthy meals for the whole family. With a little forethought, you can properly nourish your body wherever life takes you.

Remember these tips for eating on the go:. Check out our Top 10 Tips for making healthy choices without breaking the bank. Our online collection of tasty, diabetes-friendly recipes can satisfy your cravings, whether sweet, savory or somewhere in between.

And your risk continues to decrease as you lose even more weight. For good health, healthy adults need at least minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent combination of both. For example, you can meet the recommendation by walking briskly 30 minutes twice during the week and then jogging 20 minutes on two other days.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity is generally equivalent to a brisk walk that raises your heart rate. Work with your health care team to customize a plan for you to get moving and get resources about getting active from the American Heart Association.

Cigarette smoking is the leading avoidable cause of death in the United States. It's also the most important modifiable cause of premature death. If you have diabetes, smoking is even worse because you're:. Learn how to deal with urges and get resources to kick the habit.

We can't get rid of stress, but we can deal with it in a healthy way. Find out more about stress management. Learn how to find a support system. Download: 7 Tips to Care for Your Heart PDF. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors.

See our editorial policies and staff. About Diabetes. Diabetes Complications and Risks. Diabetes Risk Factors. Symptoms, Diagnosis and Monitoring of Diabetes. Preventing and Treating Diabetes. Diabetes Tools and Resources.

Get monthly science-based diabetes and heart-healthy tips in your inbox. Adjust your diabetes treatment plan as needed. If you take insulin, you may need to lower your insulin dose before you exercise. You also may need to watch your blood sugar level closely for several hours after intense activity.

That's because low blood sugar can happen later on. Your healthcare professional can advise you how to correctly make changes to your medicine. You also may need to adjust your treatment if you've increased how often or how hard you exercise.

Insulin and other diabetes medicines are designed to lower blood sugar levels when diet and exercise alone don't help enough. How well these medicines work depends on the timing and size of the dose.

Medicines you take for conditions other than diabetes also can affect your blood sugar levels. Store insulin properly. Insulin that is not stored properly or is past its expiration date may not work. Keep insulin away from extreme heat or cold.

Don't store it in the freezer or in direct sunlight. Tell your healthcare professional about any medicine problems.

If your diabetes medicines cause your blood sugar level to drop too low, the dosage or timing may need to be changed. Your healthcare professional also might adjust your medicine if your blood sugar stays too high. Be cautious with new medicines.

Talk with your healthcare team or pharmacist before you try new medicines. That includes medicines sold without a prescription and those prescribed for other medical conditions. Ask how the new medicine might affect your blood sugar levels and any diabetes medicines you take.

Sometimes a different medicine may be used to prevent dangerous side effects. Or a different medicine might be used to prevent your current medicine from mixing poorly with a new one. With diabetes, it's important to be prepared for times of illness.

When you're sick, your body makes stress-related hormones that help fight the illness. But those hormones also can raise your blood sugar. Changes in your appetite and usual activity also may affect your blood sugar level. Plan ahead. Work with your healthcare team to make a plan for sick days.

Include instructions on what medicines to take and how to adjust your medicines if needed. Also note how often to measure your blood sugar. Ask your healthcare professional if you need to measure levels of acids in the urine called ketones.

Your plan also should include what foods and drinks to have, and what cold or flu medicines you can take. Know when to call your healthcare professional too. For example, it's important to call if you run a fever over degrees Fahrenheit Keep taking your diabetes medicine. But call your healthcare professional if you can't eat because of an upset stomach or vomiting.

In these situations, you may need to change your insulin dose. If you take rapid-acting or short-acting insulin or other diabetes medicine, you may need to lower the dose or stop taking it for a time. These medicines need to be carefully balanced with food to prevent low blood sugar.

But if you use long-acting insulin, do not stop taking it. During times of illness, it's also important to check your blood sugar often. Stick to your diabetes meal plan if you can.

Eating as usual helps you control your blood sugar. Keep a supply of foods that are easy on your stomach. These include gelatin, crackers, soups, instant pudding and applesauce.

Drink lots of water or other fluids that don't add calories, such as tea, to make sure you stay hydrated. If you take insulin, you may need to sip sugary drinks such as juice or sports drinks.

These drinks can help keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. It's risky for some people with diabetes to drink alcohol. Alcohol can lead to low blood sugar shortly after you drink it and for hours afterward. The liver usually releases stored sugar to offset falling blood sugar levels.

But if your liver is processing alcohol, it may not give your blood sugar the needed boost. Get your healthcare professional's OK to drink alcohol. With diabetes, drinking too much alcohol sometimes can lead to health conditions such as nerve damage.

But if your diabetes is under control and your healthcare professional agrees, an occasional alcoholic drink is fine.

Women should have no more than one drink a day. Men should have no more than two drinks a day. One drink equals a ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1. Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach. If you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, eat before you drink alcohol. This helps prevent low blood sugar.

Or drink alcohol with a meal. Choose your drinks carefully. Light beer and dry wines have fewer calories and carbohydrates than do other alcoholic drinks. If you prefer mixed drinks, sugar-free mixers won't raise your blood sugar.

Some examples of sugar-free mixers are diet soda, diet tonic, club soda and seltzer. Add up calories from alcohol. If you count calories, include the calories from any alcohol you drink in your daily count.

Ask your healthcare professional or a registered dietitian how to make calories and carbohydrates from alcoholic drinks part of your diet plan. Check your blood sugar level before bed. Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels long after you've had your last drink.

So check your blood sugar level before you go to sleep. The snack can counter a drop in your blood sugar. Changes in hormone levels the week before and during periods can lead to swings in blood sugar levels.

Look for patterns. Keep careful track of your blood sugar readings from month to month. You may be able to predict blood sugar changes related to your menstrual cycle.

Your healthcare professional may recommend changes in your meal plan, activity level or diabetes medicines. These changes can make up for blood sugar swings. Check blood sugar more often. If you're likely nearing menopause or if you're in menopause, talk with your healthcare professional.

Ask whether you need to check your blood sugar more often. Also, be aware that menopause and low blood sugar have some symptoms in common, such as sweating and mood changes. So whenever you can, check your blood sugar before you treat your symptoms.

That way you can confirm whether your blood sugar is low. Most types of birth control are safe to use when you have diabetes.

But combination birth control pills may raise blood sugar levels in some people. It's very important to take charge of stress when you have diabetes. The hormones your body makes in response to prolonged stress may cause your blood sugar to rise.

It also may be harder to closely follow your usual routine to manage diabetes if you're under a lot of extra pressure. Take control. Once you know how stress affects your blood sugar level, make healthy changes.

Learn relaxation techniques, rank tasks in order of importance and set limits. Whenever you can, stay away from things that cause stress for you. Exercise often to help relieve stress and lower your blood sugar. Get help. Learn new ways to manage stress.

You may find that working with a psychologist or clinical social worker can help. These professionals can help you notice stressors, solve stressful problems and learn coping skills.

The more you know about factors that have an effect on your blood sugar level, the better you can prepare to manage diabetes. If you have trouble keeping your blood sugar in your target range, ask your diabetes healthcare team for help. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.

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