If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you'll need to monitor your blood sugar levels carefully in order to avoid complications. Checking your blood sugars daily at home with a glucometer is one way you can do this. The fasting target (when you haven't eaten or had any liquids for eight hours or longer) for patients is between 4mmol/L and 7mmol/L.

Having your A1C levels checked can tell you how well your diabetes management is working. An A1C level provides information about a person's average blood glucose control over the past two to three months. The A1C target for most patients is 7.0% or lower. Keeping an A1C within a normal range can help reduce the complications of diabetes in the future.

There’s no set diabetes diet - it simply means eating healthy foods in moderate amounts at regular mealtimes. If you have diabetes, your doctor will probably recommend that you see a dietitian to create a healthy eating plan, control your blood sugar (glucose), control risk factors for heart disease and manage your weight.

Insulin therapy is one treatment option available to patients with diabetes. All patients with type 1 diabetes and some patients with type 2 diabetes will require insulin. There are several types of insulin on the market so patients need to discuss the options carefully with their healthcare provider to decide what therapy would best suit them.

Almost 90% of people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. If you're overweight or obese, you will need to create an effective diet and exercise plan with your diabetes healthcare team. Being overweight or obese puts added pressure on the body's ability to properly use insulin to control blood sugar levels.