A healthy lifestyle. Your diabetes team

Transcription

1 HEALTHY LIVING

2 A healthy lifestyle SIMPLE STEPS TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Eat a healthy diet Lose weight if you re overweight Take regular exercise Drink alcohol in moderation Keep your blood glucose (sugar), blood pressure and cholesterol levels as normal as possible - follow the advice of your diabetes team Stop smoking (smoking increases the risk of circulation problems) Look after your teeth and maintain oral hygiene (people with diabetes are at risk of having problems with their teeth and gums) Also: Have your eyes checked regularly (at least once a year) for signs of retinopathy and other eye problems Have your blood glucose, HbA1c, blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly Attend regular diabetes reviews (you should have a review at least once a year) Your diabetes team A diabetes team is a group of healthcare professionals with specialist knowledge and experience of supporting people with diabetes. For example, teams may include diabetologist / endocrinologists (hospital specialists who deal with hormone disorders such as diabetes), family doctors, specialist diabetes nurses, dieticians, ophthalmologists (for specialist eye care) and podiatrists (for foot care).

3 Healthy eating The advice for healthy eating is the same for people with diabetes as for those without. Eat regular meals based on starchy carbohydrate foods (e.g. bread, pasta, chapatis, potatoes, rice and cereals) Cut down on saturated fat (from meat and dairy products): - choose lean cuts of meat and trim off visible fat - grill, steam, microwave, boil or bake food instead of frying or roasting it Choose low-fat dairy products (e.g. semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, diet yoghurt, and low-fat spreads) Eat oily fish regularly Check food labels (a low-fat food may have more glucose than you think) Eat more fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day) Cut out sugary foods such as cakes and biscuits Use less salt - try experimenting with different herbs and spices to add flavour Drink 1-2 litres (2-4 pints) of water a day

4 Losing weight If you re overweight, your body can t use insulin as well as it should, which means that your diabetes control may not be as good as it could be. Losing weight involves making permanent changes to what you eat and drink. Doing more exercise can also help. Remember, small changes can make a real, longlasting difference. Don t feel downhearted if your weight loss slows down as you go on - losing weight takes time. Try to keep focused on the benefits of losing weight: your diabetes control should improve you may be able to take fewer tablets or inject less insulin you may enjoy exercise more you ll feel more confident Being more active Taking more exercise is another step towards a healthier lifestyle. It can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the lift, or walking to the next bus stop. Increasing the amount of exercise you do can help you: lose weight and keep the extra weight off improve your diabetes control and blood glucose level feel more confident and improve your sense of well-being cope better with stress reduce the risk of developing brittle bones.

5 Stopping smoking Smoking increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and doubles the risk of illness and death. If you re pregnant, smoking can harm your baby. It s not easy to stop smoking, but there are methods that can help you to stop - talk to your diabetes team. Stopping smoking will save you money, and you ll feel fitter and look better. Drinking Alcohol is not out of bounds to people with diabetes, but you need to follow some simple advice. Alcohol advice Alcohol can increase your risk of getting a hypo, so eat your regular meals before you drink and when you re drinking Some low-alcohol beers and lagers are very high in glucose A hypo can be mistaken for drunken behaviour and vice versa, so make sure you have identification with you if you re drinking Test your blood glucose and have a snack before you go to sleep - hypos can happen some time after a drinking session Mix spirits with low-calorie drinks and try alternating alcoholic drinks and diet soft drinks Life assurance If you held life assurance before you were diagnosed with diabetes, you do not need to declare that you have diabetes to your insurer for that policy. Diabetes may present problems for people looking for a new policy, including higher premiums, because of the increased risk of poor health. The good news is that your premium may go down as your condition stabilises. Choose your insurance company carefully to get the best deal. Contact Diabetes UK for more information or ask your diabetes team for advice.

6 Other information Other leaflets in this series include specific explanations of some of the terms used here. Leaflets on blood testing, hypos, travel, impact on sexual health, driving and employment, illness, and complications may be particularly helpful for you. Ask your diabetes team for the ones you want. Further information is available from Contact numbers and notes Eli Lilly and Company Limited Lilly House Priestley Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG24 9NL Tel: (01256) Provided as a service for patient care UKDBT01180(1) March 2016