Tips for Managing Diabetes
No matter what kind of diabetes you have, you can manage your symptoms through daily self-care, seeing your diabetes health care provider and making healthy lifestyle choices. The tips below will help.
See your health care provider regularly – Get expert health care advice from an expert – your health care provider. They can tell you how to best manage your diabetes. Be sure to follow their advice!
Get regular exercise – Exercising at least 2.5 hours a week will help you stay healthy. For example, you could do 30 minutes a day of moderate effort activities for 5 days a week. Moderate effort activities allow you to talk but not sing while you are doing them. This involves walking fast and riding a bike on level ground. Talk to your provider before starting any exercise routine. Learn more.
Eat healthy foods – A healthy diet will help you manage your blood sugar levels and keep your symptoms in check. Eating well will also help you maintain a healthy weight. Learn more.
Quit smoking – If you use tobacco products, talk to your health care provider about quitting options. Learn more
Practice good sleep habits – If you don’t sleep well or long enough, it can negatively affect your immunity, mood and diet. Being tired increases hunger and cravings for sugary foods.
Get vaccinations – Diabetes weakens the immune system, raising your risk of infection and getting other health problems. Having diabetes also makes it more likely that you will have serious complications if you get infected or sick. Vaccines protect you from infections and many diseases.