Empowering Self-Care Behaviors

The 7 AADE self-care behaviors for successful and effective diabetes self management are essential with a diabetes diagnosis. We discuss these self-care behaviors in our diabetes support group meetings. 

Healthy Coping is defined as: "positive attitude towards diabetes and self-management, positive relationships with others, and quality of life".

Healthy Eating is defined as: "a pattern of eating a wide variety of high quality, nutritionally dense foods in quantities that promote optimal wellness and health". 

Being Active "is inclusive of all types, durations, intensities of daily physical movement. Aerobic or resistance exercise training (structured or planned) as well as unstructured activities may benefit cardiometabolic health". 

Taking Medication "includes following the day-to-day prescribed treatment with respect to timing, dosage and frequency, as well as continuing treatment for the prescribed duration". 

Monitoring has expanded beyond blood glucose testing to include tracking of blood pressure, activity, nutritional intake, weight, medication, mood, and symptoms. 

Reducing Risk refers to identifying risks and implementing behaviors to minimize and/or prevent complications or adverse outcomes.

Problem solving "is a learned behavior that includes generating a set of potential strategies for problem resolution, selecting the most appropriate strategy, applying it and evaluating the effectiveness".