Diabetes and looking after yourself

Take regular exercise

Walking, swimming, dancing or cycling, for example, will help keep your weight at an ideal level and assist in keeping blood sugar levels under control.

Avoid smoking and alcohol

Smoking should be completely avoided since it greatly increases the risk of many health problems, including damage to the blood vessels (already a concern for diabetics).

Drink alcohol in moderation. Never drink on an empty stomach because this can cause hypoglycaemia. Excess alcohol also contributes to high blood pressure.

Maintain a healthy diet

A healthy diet is essential. This should include regular meals that are low in fat and high in fibre, such as fruit, vegetables and pulses (beans, lentils and peas).

It's important to cut down on sugar and to have reduced-sugar foods and drinks. Have chocolate, cakes and sugary drinks as a treat occasionally.

The amount of salt in your diet also needs to be reduced, since this contributes to high blood pressure that in turn may cause heart disease and strokes.

Check blood pressure

Blood pressure levels should be checked regularly to ensure they're at a safe level. Current guidelines recommend that someone with diabetes should have a blood pressure level below 130/80.

Watch cholesterol levels

A high cholesterol level damages the blood vessels and is another risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases. It's important that the cholesterol level for someone with diabetes is not too high, ideally it should be below 4.0.