Obviously, it is very important for diabetics to have a very healthy lifestyle. Lifestyle includes your daily activities and how you live your life. Of course, it is important to exercise and eat healthy, but there are other thing that you must be careful about as a Type 2 Diabetic.
First of all, smoking is a no no. Even for a non-diabetic, smoking is extremely detrimental to health. In fact, smokers are 30%-40% more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes than non-smokers. For Type 2 Diabetics, smoking, particularly the nicotine within cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, and nicotine patches is horrible for health. The nicotine raises blood sugar by 34% and increases your chance of heart disease.
Next is alcohol. It is very important for diabetics to always wear an ID identifying them as a diabetic. Initially, alcohol increases blood sugar, but after excess drinking, blood glucose levels can get so low that you develop hypoglycemia. This is one reason not to drink on an empty stomach. If at any time, you feel sleepy, dizzy, or disoriented, ask for help and notify someone that you are a diabetic so they can contact 911 if necessary. When drinking, be sure to drink slowly and mix your drink with water, club soda, or even diet soda. While females should stick to one drink, males can have two.
1 drink = 12 oz. beer
1 drink = 5 oz. wine
1 drink = 1.5 oz vodka, whiskey, or gin