Type 2 Diabetes - You Can Still Have a Good Life Even With a Diabetes Diagnosis
When you receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, it is certainly a shock.
You probably won't understand the full implications of the disease until you gain a better understanding of just how serious it can be.
However, just because you have a chronic disease, it doesn't mean you have to feel sorry for yourself and give up all the things you enjoy in life.
It simply means you need to adjust your lifestyle to manage your blood sugar while still enjoying the activities you love.
Don't sit in your armchair and feel down and out.
Sometimes the day may seem rather dark and dismal - thank goodness these occasions are few and far between for most of us.
It's normal to have some negative feelings from time to time whether you have diabetes or not.
But it's true you will need a positive attitude and a belief you can do anything you want as long as you also do what's necessary to maintain your health.
This means eating healthy food and exercising regularly so you won't need medication.
If you do need medication, it doesn't mean you have to give up the plans for your life.
You can still work a job.
You can go on holidays with your family or friends - you can still participate in sports and have hobbies.
Refuse to let diabetes control your life.
Type 2 diabetes doesn't define you.
It's simply one aspect of your life that needs attention but it shouldn't dominate your every thought and action - that would mean you are merely existing.
You can still enjoy your food.
It's just a case of knowing the foods you should be eating and making them your first choice.
You can still have treats occasionally.
Type 2 diabetes or not, you don't want to sustain yourself on fast food, or junk food.
Everyone should be eating fresh fruit and vegetables and very little junk food.
But don't stress if you do succumb to something that's a little bit "naughty" - you know you can make up for it the next day so enjoy what you eat, whatever it is, and don't feel guilty.
Smoking and drinking are unhealthy, regardless of whether you have Type 2 diabetes or not.
If you have diabetes and kidney disease, smoking puts you on a faster track to complications such as stroke and heart disease.
So do yourself a favor and stamp our cigarettes.
When you drink, your liver becomes obsessed with clearing the alcohol from your bloodstream instead of what it should be doing, which is releasing glucose to maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Because the liver is distracted, the result can be hypoglycemia.
The ingestion of alcohol is dangerous for people with diabetes.
You only get one life so make the most of it regardless of the hurdles - we all have hurdles of one kind or another to cope with in life.
You probably won't understand the full implications of the disease until you gain a better understanding of just how serious it can be.
However, just because you have a chronic disease, it doesn't mean you have to feel sorry for yourself and give up all the things you enjoy in life.
It simply means you need to adjust your lifestyle to manage your blood sugar while still enjoying the activities you love.
Don't sit in your armchair and feel down and out.
Sometimes the day may seem rather dark and dismal - thank goodness these occasions are few and far between for most of us.
It's normal to have some negative feelings from time to time whether you have diabetes or not.
But it's true you will need a positive attitude and a belief you can do anything you want as long as you also do what's necessary to maintain your health.
This means eating healthy food and exercising regularly so you won't need medication.
If you do need medication, it doesn't mean you have to give up the plans for your life.
You can still work a job.
You can go on holidays with your family or friends - you can still participate in sports and have hobbies.
Refuse to let diabetes control your life.
Type 2 diabetes doesn't define you.
It's simply one aspect of your life that needs attention but it shouldn't dominate your every thought and action - that would mean you are merely existing.
You can still enjoy your food.
It's just a case of knowing the foods you should be eating and making them your first choice.
You can still have treats occasionally.
Type 2 diabetes or not, you don't want to sustain yourself on fast food, or junk food.
Everyone should be eating fresh fruit and vegetables and very little junk food.
But don't stress if you do succumb to something that's a little bit "naughty" - you know you can make up for it the next day so enjoy what you eat, whatever it is, and don't feel guilty.
Smoking and drinking are unhealthy, regardless of whether you have Type 2 diabetes or not.
If you have diabetes and kidney disease, smoking puts you on a faster track to complications such as stroke and heart disease.
So do yourself a favor and stamp our cigarettes.
When you drink, your liver becomes obsessed with clearing the alcohol from your bloodstream instead of what it should be doing, which is releasing glucose to maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Because the liver is distracted, the result can be hypoglycemia.
The ingestion of alcohol is dangerous for people with diabetes.
You only get one life so make the most of it regardless of the hurdles - we all have hurdles of one kind or another to cope with in life.