Planning for a life with diabetes

A diabetes diagnosis can be a shocking and scary thing to hear from your doctor. Here's some information about what do after you've been diagnosed with diabetes:

Watch your heart-related measurements.

• In particular, keep close tabs on your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight and pulse rate.
• Work to get all four lower!
• Whether you do it electronically or in a logbook, monitoring your test results tells you how you're doing over time and whether you need to tweak your healthy living plan.

Build a better relationship with your doctor (if you don't have a regular doctor, get one).

• Your doctor will be your ongoing partner. Seek out a dietitian or a certified diabetes educator.
• It's helpful to have a personalized diet and exercise plan to follow — and someone you can contact when you need more help.

Good nutrition is one of the best ways to prevent the complications of diabetes — and it can reduce the diabetes itself.

• A healthy diet requires having healthy foods nearby — and keeping unhealthy foods far away!
• Toss out processed foods that have lots of sugar, salt or chemicals and replace them with nutritious, delicious, whole-food staples.
• Plan your meals and snacks in advance.
• Shop for just the foods you'll need for the meals and snacks you plan. This prevents you from filling your home with excess food.
• Cut out sugary beverages. This includes soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices, bottled teas and other prepackaged drinks.
• A single can of cola contains 39 grams (1.4 ounces) of sugar — the equivalent of 10 sugar cubes!

Doctors today believe that fitness is right up there with nutrition as a top prevention tool for diabetes, heart disease and many other common health conditions.

• Get a doctor's approval to exercise before you start. This is particularly important for people who haven't exercised for awhile.
• Expect your doctor to recommend which activities and intensity levels are best for you.
• Don't forget to focus on fun. There is no one-size-fits-all fitness plan. What matters most is that you enjoy yourself, so you are motivated to keep doing it.
• There are many excellent fitness choices: tennis, yoga, swimming, biking and aerobics classes are just a few.
• Take steps to avoid falls; they are one of the key ways older people with diabetes lose the ability to function, so preventing falls is crucial to aging well.
• Healing grows more difficult as people with diabetes enter their later years.

Remember to monitor your moods; anger, anxiety, stress, frustration and depression all affect your physical health in ways beyond what you might realize.

• If any of these are affecting your life, take action to reduce them.
• Remember, depression isn't merely a prolonged bad mood; it's a real disease with proven treatments. Talk with your doctor if you think you might have it.

Routinely ask your doctor about new approaches to diabetes management and research on your own.

•  Information on new studies and diabetes-management techniques are easily found through newsletters, websites and health magazines.
• If something strikes you as relevant for your situation, show it to your doctor and ask to discuss it.
• Ask your doctor about supplements promoted for diabetes, as he or she can help look past fancy marketing.

With all of the knowledge we have of diabetes -- not to mention the medical discoveries that have been made in recent years -- it's easier than ever to live a full life while suffering from diabetes. Be sure to contact your doctor or another health professional and tailor a diet and exercise plan specifically for your needs.