The 5 Ms of Diabetes Management is an outline taken from the Diabetes Education DVD "Diabetes Basics - Take Control". It's designed to help people with diabetes learn the self-care strategies important in maintaining good health and avoiding diabetic complications.

Monitor - Learn how to check blood sugars and use the numbers to guage your progress and know when to make healthy changes in your plan.

Meals - Learn how to develop a healthy diet and how to manage portion distortion. Find out which foods digest more slowly and help stabilize blood sugars and which foods spike blood sugars and should be eaten with care.

Motion - Learn how to start a personal exercise program to help burn off excess blood sugars and lower insulin resistance. Learn how motion increases your energy, stamina, strength and balance and helps you lose weight.

Medications - Proper foods are your best medicine in many cases, but when diet and exercise aren't enough, learn how medications can help control blood sugars. Learn what they are, what they do, and how and when to take them so they are most effective and lower the risk of possible side effects.

Motivation - Living with a chronic condition is difficult. Many people feel overwhelmed and struggle to take action. Every day you face challenges that can wear you down. Depression is three times more common in diabetic patients than in the general population. Learn strategies for making healthy lifestyle changes and staying motivated to maintain them.

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