1. Be familiar with the disease: Knowledge is power! It is still the best medicine widely accessible and available. Books, magazines, journals including the Internet offer a lot of helpful information on diabetes. With the growing number of diabetics worldwide, a lot of hospitals are posting updates about the disease for public awareness. There are also flyers, leaflets, brochures and even unsolicited mails that offer free diabetic information. You just have to keep track with it. Learning about the disease will help you understand on how to manage it more effectively. You will realize that there are more things you still need to know about the disease.
2. Seek a doctor: Your doctor knows your health history, so he can always be your best adviser concerning your condition. You can ask him for things not clear to you. Visiting your doctor regularly keeps you updated with your health status, whether you’re control is doing good, or you’re developing impending complications due to your poor control. It will also help prevent serious complications to occur like blindness, heart attacks and stroke, kidney failure and nerve damage.
3. Be conscious on what you eat: It doesn’t mean that you cannot eat delicious foods like everybody else and that the foods you are eating are of bad taste. You can get hold of a recipe book, especially written for diabetics to satisfy your crave for mouth-watering foods without compromising your health. You can also create your own weekly menu plan. Eat your meals and snacks at the right timing as discussed to you by your doctor based on your medication. Be wise in choosing foods that you want to eat. Always read the labels. There is a food exchange list for diabetics. Visit a nutritionist or a dietitian that will explain to you more about diabetes exchange system so you will be able to learn and fully understand.
4. Regular Exercise: Going to the gym is not the only option for exercising. You can exercise while at home. You can also jog or walk at least 30-45minutes per day. If you enter a building, you can use the stairs instead of the elevator. To avoid getting bored with the same set of exercises done each day, try to vary it everyday. Be creative in your exercise routine. The important thing is, you are enjoying because if you love what you are doing then you’ll never feel tired of doing it.
5. Medication compliance: Consistently you follow the medication schedule specified to you by your doctor. Your doctor will always know if you are being compliant to your medication regimen. Check your blood sugar level regularly and keep a record book of the results. It will give you an idea if the modifications you made are effective. It will also be an important reference guide to your doctor for future purposes.
6. Stop smoking: Smoking increases the risk for onset of complications. Quit smoking if you want to live longer. If you have a hard time breaking this habit, you might want to seek medical help.
7. Avoid Stress: Stress affects blood glucose levels, whether physically or emotionally. Take time to chill out, deep breathe and meditate. If sleeping relaxes and reduces your stress, you might as well do so.

A diabetic person, who is knowledgeable and committed to live longer despite the diagnosis, is able to successfully stay away from ending up in a hospital bed. So, why would you spend much on hospital bills when you can actually cut costs through lifestyle modification?