Living with
Diabetes

• Lifestyle
  • What to do for health
    • What to do for health
  • Sleep
    • Introduction
    • What happens when we sleep?
    • Why is sleep important?
    • How much sleep is enough?
    • What happens if I don’t get enough?
    • How to get a better night’s sleep
    • Should I worry if I snore?
  • Food
    • Introduction
    • How does food make you feel?
    • How foods affect your glucose levels
    • What’s the best food to eat?
    • Which foods push your glucose levels up?
    • Why do my glucose levels go low after eating?
    • Which foods don’t affect your glucose levels?
    • What are protein foods?
    • Healthy fat foods
    • Mix foods with carbohydrate
    • Artificial sweeteners
    • Why is fibre good?
    • Which foods settle your hunger?
    • Ideas for breakfast
    • Snacks
  • Exercise
    • Introduction
    • Exercise for health
    • Why we don’t exercise
    • What happens when you exercise?
    • Getting ready to exercise
    • What is the best exercise for diabetes?
    • What kinds of exercise are safe for diabetes?
    • Ideal glucose levels for safe exercise:
    • What exercise can I do if I can’t walk?
    • How much exercise is enough?
  • Travel
    • Introduction
    • Travel checklist
    • Doctor’s checklist
    • Travel letter from your doctor
    • Navigating the airport experience
    • Airport security
    • Carry insulin in carry-on luggage
  • Alcohol
    • How does alcohol affect diabetes?
    • What are the dangers of alcohol?
    • How to stay safe while drinking
    • Tips for managing glucose levels when drinking
    • What is the best alcohol for diabetes?
  • Sex
    • Introduction
    • How does diabetes affect sex?
    • How does sex affect diabetes?
    • How can I keep having sex?
    • Sex and medications
  • Teeth
    • Introduction
    • How does caring for your teeth help diabetes?
    • How to care for your gums and teeth
    • How to brush your teeth
    • How to tell if you have gum disease
    • How to manage gum disease (gingivitis)
    • How to tell if you have a dental (tooth) infection
    • How are dental infections treated?
  • Bowel health
    • Introduction
    • Who is most likely to have constipation?
    • How can your doctor investigate constipation?
    • How to prevent constipation
    • How to manage constipation
    • Abdominal pain – what could it be?
  • Losing weight
    • How much weight should I aim to lose?
    • How to lose weight
    • How to keep the weight off
• Self-care
  • Introduction
    • Introduction
  • Why do I have diabetes?
    • Understanding type 2 diabetes
    • Insulin resistance
    • How to avoid diabetes (or make it easier to manage)
  • Glucose monitoring
    • Introduction
    • Normal glucose levels in non-diabetic people
    • Ideal glucose levels in diabetes
    • How to test your glucose level
    • When to check your glucose levels
    • How to interpret your glucose levels
  • Diabetes medications
    • Diabetes medications
    • Injections that aren’t insulin (GLP-1 agonists)
    • Blood pressure medications
    • Cholesterol-lowering medications
  • Insulin
    • Introduction
    • Options if you want to avoid starting insulin
    • Medication alternatives to insulin if you really want to delay it
    • Lifestyle strategies if you really want to delay starting insulin
    • Insulin is a treatment, not a punishment
    • Insulin Options
    • Starting insulin
    • How to inject insulin
    • Tips for getting the best effect from your insulin injection
    • How to handle your insulin
    • How to dispose of your needles
    • Side effects of insulin
  • Glucose control
    • Introduction
    • Benefits of having “normal” glucose levels
    • Hyperglycaemia
    • Why are my glucose levels high?
    • How to improve your glucose levels with medications
    • Hypoglycemia (Hypo)
    • Stress and sickness
    • Steroids
    • Period time
  • Pregnancy
    • Preparing for pregnancy
    • Ideal glucose levels for pregnancy
    • What’s best to eat when you’re pregnant?
    • What does pregnancy do to diabetes?
    • How to improve your glucose levels
    • Effects of diabetes on the pregnancy
    • Delivery
    • Steroids (Betamethasone)
    • Induction of labour
    • Elective caesarean
    • Post-pregnancy care
  • Hypoglycaemia
    • What is a hypo?
    • Causes of hypoglycaemia
    • Treatment of hypoglycaemia
    • How to avoid hypoglycaemic events
    • Glucagon
  • Infections
    • Introduction
    • Which infections: Pick up the clues
    • How to avoid infections
  • Sick days & Dehydration
    • Introduction
    • What happens when you’re sick
    • Sick Day Plan
  • Medical appointments
    • Introduction
    • How often should you go?
    • What to bring
    • What do the results mean?
    • Do you tell the truth?
• Preparing for surgery
  • Introduction
  • Glucose levels
  • Hospital visit
  • How to manage diabetes medications for your procedure
• Complications
  • Introduction
  • Screening
  • Eye disease
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Pain
  • Foot problems
  • Kidney disease
  • Gastroparesis
  • Constipation
  • Tooth decay & gum disease
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke