Even though you're the one with the diabetes diagnosis, your whole family needs to make some adjustments to living with the disease. A healthful lifestyle promoting good blood glucose control is the best defense against diabetic complications. And the good news is that it's a great prescription for everyone around you as well.

Don't try to go it alone. The changes that diabetes brings to the dinner table can be positive ones for the entire family, particularly if your diet before now has been less than stellar. Exercise is also a healthy choice for the whole family, both physically and on a psychological level — the family that plays together stays together.

You may hear the “why should we all have to suffer?” defense as you encourage your family to join you on your new and more healthful lifestyle. Step back and assess what might be causing that reaction. Fear of giving up the familiar is one possibility. You might also be asking them to do too much too fast, particularly if you were stuck in a fast-food routine.

Start Out Slowly

Try limiting restaurant food to once a week and encouraging healthier menu choices. Instead of mandating “no junk food” off the bat, allow one selection of their choosing to be kept in a cabinet you don't frequent. Above all, work to provide many healthful, fresh, and good-tasting alternatives so the change is perceived as a positive one.

If your family members have a favorite food that's a no-no for you, only keep it on hand if you're sure it won't be calling you from the cupboard. Remember, you are not an ogre for requesting that potato chips, Moon Pies, and Lucky Charms be kept out of the pantry. No matter what degree of pouting and resistance you face from your spouse or children, stand firm. Bypassing these treats won't harm their health, but having them could very well hurt yours.

Make Your Needs Known

It's easy to get discouraged and depressed when others don't seem to be meeting your needs or even seem to be aware that you have them. Stop those feelings before they start by laying out exactly what you need from the people around you.

If you find you don't have enough time to exercise as you should because of child care responsibilities, tell your spouse it's essential to your health to get some assistance. If your significant other keeps making you all the things you shouldn't be eating, give her some guidance, go with her on the next grocery shopping expedition, or, better yet, take her with on your next appointment with the CDE or dietitian. Don't expect your family and friends to be mind readers. Assume they know next to nothing about your new lifestyle needs, and educate them accordingly.

Making Your Home Diabetes-Friendly

There's more to treatment success than whipping the pantry into shape. The first is keeping a frequent watch on where your glucose levels are. One way to encourage yourself is to have several meters available where you'll use them — in the kitchen, by your bed, in your gym bag.

If you're often testing at night, there's at least one model on the market with a glow-in-the-dark faceplate for easier testing. You can use your kitchen timer or alarm clock to remind you to take any postprandial (after-meal) blood sugar checks. Keep several blood sugar logs with your meters so you remember to record your results, or carry a pocket-sized “master log” with you to keep everything in one place.

Home safety is also an issue. If you don't have one already, get a sharps disposal bin. Even if you don't use insulin, you should still have one for your lancets. If you have a small child with type 1 diabetes, you will have to be twice as vigilant about toddler-proofing your home, particularly the kitchen. Keep the cupboards and pantry closed and locked (or fastened with child-safety latches) to avoid any surreptitious snacking.