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What has diabetes taught you?

When our co-founder Bridget wrote this column about 15 things diabetes taught her, she was overwhelmed by all the excellent feedback from our South Africans with Diabetes community. So we gathered it up. We asked our community: What has diabetes taught you?

Answers to “What has diabetes taught you?”



That I am not to blame.

Kim Andersen


You have one life, live it well ๐Ÿ’

Sharon Baratang Khoza


To accept the person that I had become and not explain myself to the ignorant.

Alice Mabe


It’s taught me that looking after my body is the most important thing I can do.

Alexandra Van Essche


Go with the flow….and understand that sometimes you need to kick it to the kerb!

Isabella Eksteen


Don’t let it become your “Tag”… go on with your life and learn what to eat.


Ams Huisamen


That you must accept it, and try to manage your diabetes as well as you can, with the medications prescribed to you.

Beatrix Botha


That I’m always a target for infections and in peaceful nights sometimes.

Cpho Smah Nkosi


Eat correctly, and watch the carbs!!!

Mary-Anne Cass Arnolds


That sugar is not sweet.

Siraj Majid


To be humble and appreciate life.
I can only sadly think about my life before I was diagnosed and I should have appreciated life and my health more.

Nicolene Andries



That I am so sweet ๐Ÿ™‚

Lethu Makhathini


Stay positive, not the end.

Charles Bezuidenhout


Be in the moment. Diabetes is hard! Appreciate CGM technology. Some days you have no control..

Juliet Mattheus



I have learnt no sugar no carbs is best option. No bread, no pastas etc. You won’t believe it…


Ray de Wee


It’s taught me that just because you avoid getting tested and aren’t officially diagnosed, doesn’t mean you aren’t diabetic. It’s a difficult condition, but at least we KNOW we have it and can start managing it – many others don’t. I’m one month into my diagnosis and grateful for this group, and the others I’ve found on Facebook. The advice and sense of community is invaluable – thank you ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿ’™

Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer



To be grateful.

Maggie Rose Bez


Re-establish relationship with food… it can be a beautiful relationship. Advocating for your own health and learning and unlearning new behaviours.

Kemantha Govender


To love yourself, to take care of yourself, to eat healthy food, to exercise ๐ŸŒน


Mikie Mongale



To be the best version of myself.


Katleho Iolom Moloi


It’s taught me that it’s normal to be moody and tired after 8 hours of normal sleep.

Psalm Psalm


Taking good care of yourself and stick to the treatment.

Nokuthula Thuli



That your life can dramatically change in a blink of an eye and after that your life will never be the same ๐Ÿ˜”

Juliana Henry Cilliers


Be cautious daily of my intake on food, drink, sweets etc.. drink water with lemon ๐Ÿ‹ every day, eat a lot of vegetables ๐Ÿฅฆ and fruits ๐ŸŽ

Sharon Fourie


Never ever underestimate what diabetes ๐Ÿ’‰๐Ÿ’Š can do to your body with the complications it can cause if you do not take care of the management of it.


Riaan Naudรฉ

What about you? What has diabetes taught you?

What to read next?

What are the different food groups? A simple explanation: According to the South African food-based dietary guidelines (SAFBDGs 2012) there are seven food groups that can be eaten regularly. An adequate diet is one that includes a variety of these food groups in moderation.

Free Healthy Food Guide- how to eat healthy with diabetes or to lose weight: This Healthy Food Guide shows you exactly which foods to choose (and which to avoid), as well as sharing which portions to eat. Itโ€™s also useful if you have high blood pressure or cholesterol โ€“ itโ€™s a Healthy Food Guide for the whole family!

How to do carb counting- a detailed list of all the foods you need to know: Whether youโ€™ve chosen a low carb diet or a more traditional diabetes diet, itโ€™s helpful to know exactly how many carbs youโ€™re eating, so that you know exactly how much insulin to inject.

Photo by Graca Assane and Morgan Sessions on Unsplash

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Sweet Life is a registered NPO/PBO (220-984) with a single goal: to improve diabetes in South Africa. We are funded by sponsorships and donations from aligned companies and organisations who believe in our work. We only share information that we believe benefits our community. While some of this information is linked to specific brands, it is not an official endorsement of that brand. We believe in empowering people with diabetes to make the best decisions they can, to live a healthy, happy life with diabetes.