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When You Have Diabetes, Use This Checklist

If you've just been told you have diabetes, don't be disheartened. With proper treatment and some adjustment to your lifestyle, you can manage diabetes and lead a healthy life

If you’ve just been told you have diabetes, don’t be disheartened. With proper treatment and some adjustment to your lifestyle, you can manage diabetes and lead a healthy life.

Here’s what to do:

Check Your Blood Glucose Often

Man testing his blood glucose levels with a glucometer

Together with your doctor, set your blood glucose goals.
Keep a diary of your blood glucose readings especially if you are on insulin.

Related: Blood Glucose Monitoring

Keep All Appointments with Your Doctor

Doctor measuring the blood pressure of a patient

Take your diabetes pills or insulin on time.
Bring your blood glucose diary when you see your doctor.
Let your doctor know what other medicines (including traditional Chinese medicines) you take.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy salad of spinach, figs and cherry tomatoes beside a glucometer

Have regular meals and don’t skip meals.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
Exercise (e.g. brisk walk, jog, swim or cycle) at least 20 minutes every day or 150 minutes a week.
Have enough rest. Sleep seven to eight hours every night.
Learn to relax and reduce stress.

Related: Stay Active with Diabetes

Plan for Sick Days

Woman in bed with a bad headache

Look out for symptoms of high blood glucose, low blood glucose or ketones and know how to manage them.
Wear a medical identification tag such as a medical bracelet.
Carry small packets of sugar or sugary snacks (e.g. raisins or candies) with you.
Your doctor will help you set blood glucose goals. Write them in this table to remember them.

Time	Plasma Blood Glucose Values for Adults with Diabetes (mmol/L)	My Blood Glucose Goals
Before a meal (fasting)	Less than 4.0 to 7.0
2 hours after a meal	Less than 10.0
HbA1C	Less than 7%

Source: MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diabetes 1/2014, Ministry of Health Singapore.

Download the checklist for people with newly diagnosed diabetes [PDF].

Read these next:

This article was last reviewed on Tuesday, December 18, 2018

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If you've just been told you have diabetes, don't be disheartened. With proper treatment and some adjustment to your lifestyle, you can manage diabetes and lead a healthy life

<div class="ExternalClass1629594817224447948EE444E2443F76"><div>
      <a href="https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/115/get-healthhub-track" title="HealthHub Track"><img src="/sites/assets/Assets/Article%20Images/HH-Track-Banner%20(300x250)_v8%20(HIRES).jpg" alt="" style="float:left;margin:5px;width:300px;vertical-align:baseline;height:469px;" /></a> </div><p>If you’ve just been told you have diabetes, don’t be disheartened. With proper treatment and some adjustment to your lifestyle, you can manage diabetes and lead a healthy life.</p><p>Here’s what to do:</p>
   <div style="clear:both;"></div><h2>Check Your Blood Glucose Often
</h2><p style="text-align:center;">
      <img src="/sites/assets/Assets/Categories/Chronic%20Illness/test-blood-glucose-for-diabetes.jpg" alt="Man testing his blood glucose levels with a glucometer" style="margin:5px;" />


   </p><ul><li>Together with your doctor, set your
         <a title="blood glucose goals" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1331/my-goal"> blood glucose goals</a>.
</li><li>Keep a
         <a title="diary" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1328/blood-sugar-diary">diary</a> of your blood glucose readings especially if you are on insulin.</li></ul><p>
      <strong>Related:
         <a title="Blood Glucose Monitoring" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/669/blood-glucose-monitoring">Blood Glucose Monitoring</a></strong></p><h2>Keep All Appointments with Your Doctor
</h2><p style="text-align:center;">
      <img src="/sites/assets/Assets/Categories/Chronic%20Illness/asian-doctor-and-patient.jpg" alt="Doctor measuring the blood pressure of a patient" style="margin:5px;" />


   </p><ul><li>Take your diabetes pills or insulin on time.</li><li>Bring your blood glucose diary when you see your doctor.</li><li>Let your doctor know what other medicines (including traditional Chinese medicines) you take.</li></ul><p>
      <strong>Related:
         <a title="Diabetes Management: Weight, Diet, Exercise and Medicine" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/667/diabetes-management-weight-diet-exercise-and-medicine">Diabetes Management: Weight, Diet, Exercise and Medicine</a></strong></p><h2>Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
</h2><p style="text-align:center;">
      <img src="/sites/assets/Assets/Categories/Chronic%20Illness/fruit-and-vegetable-salad-and-glucose-meter.jpg" alt="Healthy salad of spinach, figs and cherry tomatoes beside a glucometer" style="margin:5px;" />


   </p><ul><li>Have regular meals and don’t skip meals.</li><li>Eat a healthy and balanced
         <a href="http://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/838/healthy-eating-for-managing-diabetes" title="Healthy Eating for Managing Diabetes">diet</a>.</li><li>
         <a title="Physical Activity and Diabetes" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1334/Stay-Active-with-Diabetes">Exercise</a> (e.g. brisk walk, jog, swim or cycle) at least 20 minutes every day or 150 minutes a week.</li><li>Have enough rest. Sleep seven to eight hours every night.</li><li>Learn to relax and reduce stress.</li></ul><p>
      <strong>Related:
         <a title="Stay Active with Diabetes" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1334/Stay-Active-with-Diabetes">Stay Active with Diabetes</a></strong></p><h2>Plan for Sick Days
</h2><p style="text-align:center;">
      <img src="/sites/assets/Assets/Categories/Chronic%20Illness/young-beautiful-asian-woman-headache-on-white-bed.jpg" alt="Woman in bed with a bad headache" style="margin:5px;" />


   </p><ul><li>Look out for symptoms of
         <a title="Blood Glucose Monitoring" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/669/blood-glucose-monitoring">high blood glucose</a>,
         <a title="What is Low Blood Glucose" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1311/what-is-low-blood-glucose">low blood glucose</a> or
         <a title="Blood Glucose Monitoring" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/669/blood-glucose-monitoring">ketones</a> and know how to manage them.</li><li>Wear a medical identification tag such as a medical bracelet.</li><li>Carry small packets of sugar or sugary snacks (e.g. raisins or candies) with you.</li><li>Your doctor will help you set blood glucose goals. Write them in this table to remember them.</li></ul>
   <div class="table-responsive"><table cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="ms-rteTable-default table" style="display:block;border:none;"><thead><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:20%;"><p>
                     <strong>Time</strong></p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"><p>
                     <strong>Plasma Blood Glucose Values for Adults with Diabetes (mmol/L)</strong></p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"><p>
                     <strong>My Blood Glucose Goals</strong></p></td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:20%;"><p>Before a meal (fasting)</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"><p>Less than 4.0 to 7.0</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:20%;"><p>2 hours after a meal</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"><p>Less than 10.0</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:20%;"><p>HbA1C</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"><p>Less than 7%</p></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="display:table-cell;width:40%;"></td></tr></tbody></table>
      <span id="tablenote" class="CaptionText" style="width:90%;">Source: MOH Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diabetes 1/2014, Ministry of Health Singapore.</span> </div>
   <p>Download the
      <a href="/sites/assets/Assets/PDFs/HPB/Diseases+Conditions/Check-List%20for%20Newly%20Diagnoised%20Diabetes.pdf" title="Check-list for Newly Diagnosed Diabetes" target="_blank">checklist for people with newly diagnosed diabetes [PDF]</a>.</p><hr /><p>
      <strong>Read these next:</strong></p><ul><li>
         <a title="Diabetes: Diet and Lifestyle" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/886/diabetes-diet-and-lifestyle">Diabetes: Diet and Lifestyle</a>
</li><li>
         <a title="Sugar Rush" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/894/sugar-rush">Sugar Rush</a></li><li>
         <a title="The ABCs of Health Screening" href="https://www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/403/abcs_of_health_screening">The ABCs of Health Screening</a>
</li></ul></div>

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Friday, July 20, 2018

1302

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

<div class="ExternalClassA318562EAD924B8098B4452F01AA643E"><p>Health Promotion Board
3 Second Hospital Avenue
Singapore 168937</p></div>

HPB_Mailbox@hpb.gov.sg

<div class="ExternalClass4D16B83F2B974ABCA9E885B91C80F62A">Established in 2001, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has a vision to build a nation of healthy people.

HPB implements programmes that reach out to the population, specifically children, adults and the elderly. These programmes include health and dental services for school children, BreastScreen Singapore, AIDS Education Programme, CervicalScreen Singapore, Childhood Injury Prevention Programme, Mental Health Education Programme, National Myopia Prevention Programme, Physical Activity, National Smoking Control Programme, Nutrition Programme, Osteoporosis Education Programme, Workplace Health Promotion Programme, HPB Online, HealthLine, Health Information Centre and HealthZone. New programmes will also be initiated over time to address health concerns among the community.</div>

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Health Promotion Board

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http://www.hpb.gov.sg

When You Have Diabetes, Use This Checklist

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