What steps can I take to better control my diabetes?

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Stacy Wiegman answered:
The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) has outlined four steps you can take to control your diabetes. These steps include:
- Learning about diabetes, its causes, symptoms, potential complications and treatments
- Knowing your diabetes ABCs. A stands for A1C test, an important measurement of blood sugar. B stands for blood pressure (BP). The goal for most people is keeping BP below 130/80. C is for cholesterol. Try to keep your LDL ("lousy" cholesterol) below 100; keep your HDL ("healthy" cholesterol") above 40 if you're a man and 50 if you're a woman.
- Managing your diabetes by following a diabetes eating plan, exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day, stopping smoking, coping with stress, monitoring your blood sugar levels, and taking your medications as recommended by your doctor
- Getting routine care, including seeing your healthcare team at least twice a year and following guidelines for getting cholesterol, blood pressure, A1C and foot checks.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answered:
If you already have diabetes, managing the disease can lower your risk of complications such as kidney failure, heart disease and stroke, blindness, and amputations of legs and feet. Here are some important steps to take to control diabetes:
- Talk to your healthcare provider about how to manage your blood
  glucose (A1C), blood pressure, and cholesterol.
- Get a flu vaccine. For those with diabetes, it is important to ask
        for the "shot" version rather than the nasal spray. Talk to your
        health care provider about a pneumonia (pneumococcal) shot.
        People with diabetes are more likely to die from pneumonia or
        influenza than people who do not have diabetes.
- Reach or stay at a healthy weight.
- Make sure you're physically active. Plan for 2 hours and 30 minutes
        each week of moderate physical activity, such as walking
        quickly or gardening, or 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of
        vigorous physical activity, such as jogging or jumping rope.
        Add muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days each
        week. Physical activity can help you control your weight,
        blood glucose, and blood pressure, as well as raise your "good"
        cholesterol and lower your "bad" cholesterol.
The presence of the CDC logo and CDC content on this page should not be construed to imply endorsement by the US Government of any commercial products or services, or to replace the advice of a medical professional. The mark “CDC” is licensed under authority of the PHS.

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More Related Answers from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
If you already have diabetes, managing the disease can lower your risk of complications such as kidney failure, heart disease and stroke, blindness, and amputations of legs and feet. Here are some important steps to take to control diabetes: Talk... More