Managing Your Diabetes

Diabetes is a complex disease that requires the individual with diabetes to perform daily Self-

Management, make complex decisions, and perform activities requiring knowledge and skills.

Diabetes Self-Management Education/ Training (DSME/T) facilitate the knowledge, skills, and

training, and has been shown to improve outcomes for diabetes.

DSME/T: Consists of Seven Key Components (AADE-⁷)

1. Healthy Eating: 

    This includes support with making healthy food choices and portion control

2. Being Active: 

    Participating in physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week, can support

    weight loss and blood glucose control

3. Monitoring Blood Glucose Levels:

    Monitoring every day can provide the individual with

    evidence to establish glucose patterns and trends and necessary information on needed

    adjustments, to have better blood glucose control and reduce risks of complications.  

4. Problem Solving: 

    Is critical to blood glucose control. It is important to understand the

    factors that contribute to high or low blood glucose readings, in order to make the necessary

    changes to regulate and control blood glucose levels.    

5. Taking Medications as Prescribed: 

    Can reduce the risks of developing complications, as

    well as preventing high or low blood glucose readings.    

6. Coping in a Healthy Way: 

    Coping with diabetes can be difficult at certain times, Effective

    coping skills can make self-management easier for the individual with diabetes.   

7. Reducing Risks of Developing Complications: 

    Risk reduction behavior such as regular

    eye, foot, and dental examinations and regular blood glucose monitoring as well as smoking

    cessation can reduce risks for the development of complications.