At a glance
Plain language makes it easier for everyone to understand and use health information. Refer to this list of diabetes-related terms explained in everyday language to use during DSMES sessions.
Healthy coping
Anxiety: Feelings of worry, tension, and stress about situations in your life, including your health.
Depression: A serious medical illness, depression is more than just feeling “down in the dumps” or “blue” for a few days. Feelings of sadness don’t go away and can get in the way of your everyday life.
Diabetes distress: When feelings of worry, frustration, anger, and burnout make it hard to take care of yourself and keep up with the daily demands of diabetes.
Meditation: Practices that promote focused attention and reflection to improve emotional well-being.
Mindfulness: Taking time to slow down and be in the present, noticing what you are doing right now.
Healthy eating
Carbohydrates (carbs): There are three types of carbs: sugars, starches, and fiber. Sugars and starches can make your blood sugar go up. Fiber doesn’t make your blood sugar go up.
Cholesterol: Cholesterol is made in your liver and found in all the cells in your body. It also comes from animal products with fat like meat, dairy, and eggs. Too much cholesterol in your blood vessels makes them narrower and makes it harder for your heart to pump blood through them. People with diabetes are at greater risk of having high cholesterol.
Fats: Fats are found in many foods, such as oils, nuts, butter, lard, olives, avocados, peanut butter, and salad dressings. Fat has twice as many calories per gram as proteins and carbohydrates.
- Healthy fats: Oils from plants, like vegetable, olive, or canola.
- Fats to eat less of: Solid fats from animals, like butter or lard.
Fiber: Fiber is the part of plant foods that you don’t digest, doesn’t raise your blood sugar, and helps you stay healthy.
Nutrient dense: Foods that are high in nutrients but relatively low in calories. They contain vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats.
Portion size: How much food you choose to eat at one time, whether in a restaurant, from a package, or from foods that you make at home.
Proteins: Proteins are building blocks that repair your body and keep it healthy. Protein is found in milk, cheese, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, chickpeas, lentils, and soy.
Serving size: A standard amount of food to eat at one time. Serving sizes are listed at the top of the Nutrition Facts label, along with the number of servings in the whole package.
Sodium: Sodium, or salt, is a mineral found in many foods. Your body needs some sodium, but too much can increase your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Starches: Starches are a type of carb that can raise your blood sugar. They include wheat, oats, and other grains. They also include starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes, beans, lentils, and peas.
Sugars: Sugars are a type of carb that can raise your blood sugar. They include:
- Natural sugar: The sugar found naturally in a food, like fruit and milk.
- Added sugar: The extra sugar added to a food when it is processed, like adding sugar to applesauce. Added sugar can appear in the ingredients list on a nutrition label by other names. One trick is to look for words that end in the letters -ose, such as fructose, sucrose, or dextrose.
Being active
Balance activities: These movements help prevent falls when you stand or move. Walking backward, standing on one leg, or using a wobble board can improve your balance. Building strong muscles in your back, abs (abdomen), and legs can also improve balance.
Bone-strengthening activities: These movements put force on your bones to promote bone growth and strength. Jumping jacks, running, brisk walking, and weightlifting are examples.
Cardio/aerobic activities: This is when you move enough to make you breathe harder and get your heart to beat faster. Brisk walking, running, bicycling, jumping rope, and swimming are all examples.
Flexibility activities: Movements to help your body's joints, like those in your arms and legs, stay loose and able to make full motions without injuries. Stretching, yoga, and tai chi are examples.
Metabolism: The way that your body uses food to give you energy. Moving more during the day can help improve your metabolism.
Resistance training activities: Movements that help you build muscle and strength. Weightlifting, using elastic bands, rock climbing, and pushups are examples.
Taking medicines
Insulin: A hormone made in your body (or given as a medicine) to help your body manage blood sugar. Insulin acts like a key to unlock your body's cells so that blood sugar can get inside and provide energy.
Prescription: A health care provider's order for medicine or treatment.
Monitoring
A1C: This blood test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. It's also known as the hemoglobin A1C or HbA1c test.
Blood glucose meter (glucometer): A small device used to check your blood sugar levels. It uses test strips and a tool for collecting a blood drop for testing.
Continuous glucose monitor (CGM): This device is worn on your body and monitors blood sugar levels every few minutes. It sends the levels to a reader, receiver, or phone app where you can monitor them.
Glucose (blood sugar): A form of sugar in your body that comes from food and gives you energy.
Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar (above 180 mg/dL 1 to 2 hours after eating) that can make you feel very tired, thirsty, have blurry vision, or need to pee more often. Many things can cause high blood sugar, including being sick, being stressed, eating habits, and not giving yourself enough insulin.
Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar (below 70 mg/dL) that can make you feel shaky, sweaty, nervous, or weak. Severe low blood sugar (below 55 mg/dL) can be dangerous and should be treated right away.
Target range: The high and low limits to aim for in tests that measure your health, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Your health care provider can explain what your personal target range is.
Time in range: When using a CGM, this is the percentage (%) of time your blood sugar is between 70 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL. These numbers are the highest and lowest your blood sugar can be before it becomes a concern.
Reducing risks
Eye complications: High blood sugar can lead to eye problems and, in some cases, vision loss or blindness.
Foot complications: Nerve damage and poor blood flow can lead to pain, numbness, injuries, infections, ulcers, and other damage to your feet. People with diabetes have a higher risk of amputations (surgical removal) of a toe, part of a foot, or whole foot.
Hearing complications: Nerve damage from high or low blood sugar can affect your hearing and balance. Poor balance can increase your risk of falls.
Long-term complications: Health problems can happen after many years with diabetes, including heart attacks, strokes, blindness, and kidney failure. You might also have sexual problems, mental health problems, and skin problems.
Oral (dental/mouth) complications: Increased sugar and bacteria in your mouth can cause cavities, gum disease, or tooth loss.
Short-term complications: High or low blood sugar can put you at risk of hurting yourself or others if you're dizzy or pass out and may result in your having to go to the hospital.