Healthy Living Tips for People with Diabetes

You can't control everything that can impact your health, such as your genetic makeup, age, or family history of diabetes. However, you can take steps to reach your full health potential, adding years to your life and improving its quality, even if you have been diagnosed with diabetes.

Becoming a healthier you isn't as difficult as you might think if you follow these simple tips.

• Choose a healthy lifestyle: By managing your weight through proper nutrition and regular physical activity, quitting smoking, and finding healthy ways to deal with stress, you can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes or minimize its impact on your body. A healthy lifestyle will also reduce your risk of developing other medical conditions.
• Know your numbers: Through home monitoring and regular visits with your health care team, you can track of your blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and weight. These critical health numbers provide insight into how well your treatment plan is working to manage your diabetes and safeguard your overall health, including your heart.
• Work with your health care team: Diabetes can have multiple health implications (effects on your vision, feet, legs and heart) and can require special medications and a special diet. So, your health care team may include a number of medical professionals with various specialties. Your team can guide you to implement a comprehensive plan to treat your diabetes and minimize its effects.