Self-care is the best way you can take care of your diabetes. It means taking
charge of your own diabetes management.  The American Association
of Diabetes Educators (AADE) has presented the AADE 7™ which are seven
areas to focus on to live well with diabetes.  Below are the self-care behaviors and
information on each.

1. Healthy Eating -
Knowing what to eat is a main part of taking care of diabetes. If you eat
healthy foods, limit your portions, and eat regular meals, you can  improve
your blood sugar control and lose weight. You can learn carbohydrate counting,
and receive a healthy meal plan developed just for you by seeing a dietitian/diabetes
educator. To find one in your area go to ‘Find A Diabetes Educator’ on this website.

2. Being Active -
This is another important part of self-care. Exercise or activity can improve
your health with weight loss, better blood sugar control and overall fitness. 
If you have pre-diabetes, it can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Working with a diabetes educator can help  break down the barriers you may have
about exercise. Before starting a new exercise plan, it is important to check with
your doctor to see if you have any activity restrictions.

3. Monitoring -
Monitoring is about checking blood sugar, blood pressure, urine ketones and weight.
Checking your blood sugar with a meter (glucometer) is important to see how food,
exercise and medicines affect your blood sugar.  Keeping records of your test
results to show your doctor will help him/her make decisions about medication changes.
Diabetes education classes may be offered in your area that will teach you monitoring
skills to help you understand how to control your diabetes.  Again, refer to ‘Find a Diabetes
Educator’ on this website.

4. Medications -
Diabetes is a progressive disease, which means that sometimes no matter how well
you manage your diabetes, your pancreas will continue to make less insulin and blood
sugar levels will continue to rise. Taking medication helps to keep the blood sugar
in a good range to prevent complications. Making healthy lifestyle choices along with
taking your prescribed diabetes medication can help you achieve good blood sugar
control. It is important that you know about your medications, how to take them
properly, and to learn about the side effects. Ask your diabetes educator, doctor,
or pharmacist to help you understand about your medication. Attending diabetes
classes can also help you learn all about medications.

5. Problem Solving -
It is important that you know how to solve problems that can occur with your diabetes.
You will need to know how to handle low and high blood sugars, what to do when you
become sick, issues with traveling, and other situations. Working with your diabetes
educator to develop a plan can prevent problems. Your educator can help you with
your problem-solving skills to give you ideas and plans when problems occur.

6. Reducing Risks -
Having diabetes puts you at risk for many complications such as: infections, high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, eye problems, nerve damage, kidney damage and
other problems. Your diabetes educator can help you prevent and reduce these risks.
They can teach you about foot care, blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose monitoring
and other skills to prevent serious problems.  They can help you learn how to achieve
an A1c of 7 or less which has been shown to reduce diabetes complications.

7. Healthy Coping -
If you have problems accepting your diabetes diagnosis, it will affect how you
self-manage. Also, if you feel that it is too difficult to take care of your diabetes,
you may stop doing the things that keep you healthy, like eating properly and checking your
blood sugar. If you are unable to cope with (handle) what is happening to you, then
you lose your motivation to take care of yourself. Your diabetes educator can help
you learn to cope with your diabetes or refer you to someone who can help you. You
may also benefit by joining a diabetes support group.  Check this website to locate
a support group in your area.