Diabetes Self Help

Making simple changes to your lifestlyle can help you lead a healthy, active life with diabetes. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and getting regular physical activity are just some of the simple measures that that can help control diabetes and make treating your condition a lot easier.

They can also reduce the risk of other severe health problems developing later in life. Self-help measures for treatment and management of both diabetes type 1 and type 2 include:

Eating a healthy diet

Effective management of diabetes cannot be achieved without an appropriate diet. Contrary to what most people think, there’s no special diet for people with diabetes. Their daily diet should be the same as that of anyone else looking to live a healthy, active life. A healthy diet is one which is low in fat, sugar and salt, but high in fibre with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes you should receive educational advice from a dietitian. They will tell you what foods to include in your diet to match your specific needs and the best times to eat them, to ensure you get the right amount of glucose in your body for the insulin you are taking (if you are on insulin treatment). 

Getting regular exercise

Regular physical activity is vital for anyone with diabetes as it lowers blood glucose levels and also reduces the risk of developing long-term complications such as including heart disease.

At least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, or 15 minutes of intense exercise, at least five times a week, is normally recommended. However there are a number of exercise precautions which people with diabetes must take, especially if they taking insulin or oral diabetes medication.

Before you start any physical activity you should see your GP or diabetes care team as they will inform you of the certain precautions you must take and decide whether to adjust your insulin treatment or diet plan, to ensure your blood glucose level remains stable.

Drinking alcohol in moderation

If you have diabetes you should only drink alcohol in moderation, and you should never drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Too much alcohol can cause either hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) or Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), and it may also affect your ability to monitor your blood glucose level and perform your insulin treatment.

Giving up smoking

People who have diabetes and also smoke are at an increased risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke. Smoking also increases the risk of developing lung cancer and other health problems.

Having your eyes tested

Regular eye tests (at least once a year) are important for people with type 1 diabetes as they will pick up any signs of retinopathy – an eye condition that occurs when the small blood vessels in the retina of your eye become damaged. Retinopathy is one of the complications of diabetes as it can be caused by having a high level of blood glucose for a long period of time (hyperglycaemia). If left untreated, it can eventually cause blindness.

Looking after your feet

If you have diabetes you are more likely to develop foot problems such as foot ulcers, which can cause serious infection.  This is because you may not be able to feel any grazes, cuts or blisters if there is damage to the nerves in your feet. However, there are steps you can take to help prevent this. These include keeping your nails short, checking your feet and washing them with warm water every day and wearing comfortable shoes. You should report any problems such as sores and cuts that don’t heal, or swelling around the foot, to your GP.

Making others aware of your condition

If you are a diabetic, you should wear an ID bracelet which identifies you as having diabetes whenever you are exercising alone (or anytime) so that others may help you appropriately in the event that you suffer an injury or collapse unexpectedly.

It will also help notify emergency medical professionals of your condition. You should also carry a glucagon kit with you at all times in case you suffer a ‘hypo’ (an episode of hypoglycemia - low blood sugar).