Diabetes care requires lifestyle changes to avoid complications. The tips include: watching your weight through short-term goals like taking stairs; eating right by choosing lean meats and healthy carbs; getting daily physical activity; avoiding smoking which increases health risks; properly caring for your feet to prevent problems; scheduling regular eye and vaccine exams as part of self-management; and committing to diabetes care through education, support, and medication adherence.

1. Diabetes Care: 7
Lifestyle Tips to
Avoid
Complications

2. TIP 1: Watch your weight
• Being overweight can quite a problem when it comes to diabetes care.
• Consult your diabetes doctor to make short-term goals that can help you in
achieving your long-term goals.
• For instance, take the stairs instead of the elevator, take small breaks for walks in
the office, etc.

3. TIP 2: Eat right
A few things you can consider when eating right:-
• Choose lean meat such as poultry or fish and prefer grilling, baking, or steaming
instead of frying for cooking options.
• Increase your intake of healthy carbohydrates that are found in brown rice,
oatmeal, and cereals

4. TIP 3: Get going, get moving
• Any form of physical activity for 30-40 minutes in most days of the week is
recommended.
• If you are also someone who has the complaint of not having enough time, try
dividing your time in 10 minutes of physical activity three times throughout the
day.
• Please speak to your diabetes educator before following any exercise routine.

5. TIP 4: Avoid smoking
Smoking has a negative effect on every organ of your body. Smoking increases the risk
of any of the following:-
• Stroke
• Heart complications
• Nerve damage, or neuropathy
• Kidney damage

6. TIP 5: Do not ignore your feet
In order to prevent such foot problems, you must:
• Wash your feet daily in lukewarm water and dry them gently, especially in between
the toes.
• Avoid walking barefoot, inside or outside.
• Check for cuts, blisters, redness, calluses, redness, or swelling on a daily basis
• Consult your doctor if you feel the cut/blister is not starting to heal

7. TIP 6: Schedule regular exams for eye and routine
vaccines
• An important part of your diabetes self-management plan is to go for regular
vaccinations.
• Pneumonia vaccine, especially after 65 years of age
• Hepatitis B vaccine generally recommended to people who have not got the
vaccine and are younger than 60

8. TIP 7: Commit to diabetes care
• Consultation from diabetes educators and doctors along with support from peers
and family can help you, learning diabetes self-management is important and part
of diabetes care.
• Monitor your sugar levels and take medications as advised by the doctor. With a
few small changes to your daily routine, it can be within your control.