You can manage type 2 diabetes with a little

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases when a person’s BMI is over 25. Managing your weight and eating healthily can help to reduce it – or help manage it. Pharmacist Pareena Patel answers your frequently asked questions about the condition.

I think I might be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes – is there anything I can do to help reduce my risk?

The most important thing is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, and manage the amount of food you eat as well as the type. Reducing your sugar intake is a good start. Try to get active! Exercise is beneficial to everyone’s health and will enable your body to become more efficient at using insulin, and break down sugars better. If you are overweight, try to lose weight, find a diet you can stick to, and get support.

I’ve just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – how should I manage my condition and what support is available for me at my local Lloydspharmacy?

As with reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, make sure you eat healthily and exercise, and you should also ensure you have your eight annual health checks. Have your feet checked at Lloydspharmacy every year as it’s common to have circulation problems, and check your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A Mediterranean diet can help you stay healthy – vegetables, fruit, nuts, cereal, unsaturated fat, olive oil and fish.

I have been living with type 2 diabetes for a number of years and I feel like I need some new motivation to help me manage my condition more positively – is there anything I can do?

Try a support group. They tend to meet once a month and you can talk to people about your condition and common worries and support each other in sticking with the medication, diet and exercise – and get involved in activities.

I’ve heard you can’t eat fruit when you’re living with type 2 diabetes, is that true?

The sugar in fruit is different from the sugar in things like chocolate biscuits. It’s natural sugar rather than added sugar and is good for you to snack on. But be careful how much you’re eating, and try to have fresh rather than dried fruit as that tends to have higher carbohydrate and sugar content.

of type 2 diabetes patients also have high cholesterol and live with hypertension (high blood pressure)1