As a type 2 diabetic, I seem to be the subject of interest and intrigue to many people I know who, when they find out I have diabetes, often ask me what it is like to have diabetes. My answer is usually the same: I feel just as good as anyone else and I’m no different than someone who has another disease. Diabetes is not a disease to fear. It’s actually a disease you should embrace as another one of life’s little challenges that it throws at all of us from time to time.

The best thing about having diabetes is that it’s a never-ending reminder to me that I need to watch what I eat, focus on getting some exercise most days, and make sure that any time I have the occasional drink, I take it in moderation. Sure, I could binge completely stupid at a party one night, or eat all the wrong foods until I burst, but I know there would be a cost to me (in terms of health) often within a couple of hours that I’m not prepared to pay.

You see having diabetes is one thing. Living with that day after day is another. Day by day, I control my blood sugar levels well and now have my blood pressure under control. It started to get out of control a couple of years ago when it started escalating to the point where my doctor wanted to put me on blood pressure medication, but I resisted and started taking resveratrol instead. I’m glad I did, I still take 250mg resveratrol a day and my blood pressure is now normal, and has been for the past 18 months.

Exercise seems to be one of those really hard lifestyle things to fit in. Many other people tell me that too. I strive to exercise every day, usually a 30-45 minute walk, or on the weekends, I try to ride my bike. Every once in a while I head to a local pool and spend about half an hour swimming laps. One thing I enjoy though (and it’s great for diabetics) is lifting some weights. I’ve been told this helps build muscle mass, which is great for using up blood sugar in your blood, as well as helping to boost your metabolism, helping you burn off the extra calories and consequently keep the weight off (or lose it depending on which side you’re coming from).

When it comes to food, some of my favorite foods, which are also low glycemic foods and digest slowly, give me sustained energy; avocados, fresh raw tomatoes, blueberries, apricots, cooked mushrooms, porridge with a little low-fat soy milk, low-fat grilled cheese on multigrain toast (with a little red onion underneath), salmon sushi, low-fat curry (yes, it’s possible to make almost fat-free curry in a non-stick pan) with basmati rice, and of course, you can’t miss a nice thick home-made vegetable soup in winter, with an occasional glass of red wine.

I hope this has helped anyone who has just been diagnosed with diabetes, and is looking for some inspiration, and I hope it’s definitely not all doom and gloom with this disease. Grab life and seize the day!