If you are diagnosed with diabetes as an adult, you have diabetes type 2. Today, there are far too many children also being diagnosed with diabetes and theirs is called type 1. There is no known cure for diabetes, but you must know that taking care of yourself is the key to overcoming the problems associated with diabetes.

Taking care of yourself does not only mean avoiding sugar, but it also means eating fiber, low carbohydrate and other foods that help control sugar levels, and having proper and regular exercise.

Having diabetes puts a person at risk for many complications such as heart disease, kidney and other organ failures and infections, teeth and gum diseases, and blindness. This is a serious disease that demands respect and concern and if not managed, will take its toll on your health. People with diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. Diabetics are also at risk for infections with their feet, which, if not treated, can result in amputation.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that your blood sugar not exceed 70-120 if you are not diagnosed with diabetes. If you have diabetes, it is recommended that a fasting blood sugar level be up to 130. After eating, that level can be up to 180. Your doctor will be doing an A1C test, which shows the levels of sugar in your system for 2-3 months before the test and will let you know the readings.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that this level not exceed 7.0. You must make appointments and keep the appointments on a regular basis and get this test done quarterly to know if you are hitting the levels that are most desirable for your situation.

Any amount of exercise you can do will help keep your levels consistently low. Ten minutes three times a day of exercise is fine if you cannot get in 30 minutes of exercise in the day. The goal is to bring down your A1C levels and the sugar levels in your blood. For every 1% you can get your level down, it is thought that you can decrease your risk of certain health problems by as much as 40%. That is a tremendous incentive and will prolong your life and your quality of life.

You should not skip meals to try to bring diabetes under control. After you eat, the body will demand the pancreas to increase the insulin output and also the liver will shut down making more sugar. If you do not eat, these signals are not received. When you have diabetes, these signals are not so pronounced.

So, eating small amounts throughout the day is key to keeping the insulin levels in balance and not spiking or dropping levels. If you do not eat, you body can become nervous, shaky, dizzy, light-headed, and you might start to have trouble forming correct sentences. This is called hypoglycemia when your blood sugar levels go too low.

You need to limit severely or cut out alcohol when you have diabetes type 2. The prescription drugs taken with diabetes can have undesirable problems when alcohol is consumed.

If you take diabetes seriously and manage the types of foods and timing of meals and snacks as well as keeping exercise a routine of your day, you can overcome the undesirable problems of diabetes and live a long life. You family and friends are counting on you.