The sugar thieves
Do you know any sugar thieves? Those well-meaning people who steal your real sugar and replace it with stevia, saccharin or other substitutes? I think about one holiday celebration a few years ago. There was a table filled with pies, cakes and bars straight out of Willy Wonka's dream. The smell alone made my mouth water. Next to that table was a smaller one with sugar-free apple pie and gummy bears, just for me. While it was extremely thoughtful and considerate of my diabetes, well, YUCK! I choked down a few forkfuls and watched the others enjoy their desserts....
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Ten Tips To Keep Smiling
It’s not a myth: diabetes can indeed affect your mood. Managing a blood sugar rollercoaster isn’t always easy. You’ve probably noticed that having your level too low or too high can make you feel tired, nervous, angry or sad. So, are mood swings an unavoidable part of living with diabetes? Of course not! You just need to find tricks to let off some steam or cheer yourself up. Start with the basics: monitor your blood sugar level. If that’s stable, your mood will follow suit. When you feel anger...
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“I do”
It’s decided—you’re getting married! Obviously, you have tons of things to think about, from the venue to the seating plan to the invitations… and there’s diabetes, too. In a dream situation, it wouldn’t be on your guest list, but you’re well aware that wedding or not, you’ll still have to count carbs and monitor your blood sugar. Even so, you can have everything running like clockwork in order to fully enjoy your big day. Here are the ten commandments for keeping your diabetes in check (a crash in the middle of exchanging your vows would not be cool)! Thou shalt create a detailed plan. Because...
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Money, diabetes and you
Glucose meter, syringes, lancets, strips, insulin, medication… for many people, all of that costs a lot—sometimes too much. The burden is even heavier for the less affluent, such as seniors with fixed incomes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 57% of people living with diabetes say they are unable to follow the treatment they were prescribed because they can’t afford the medication, the devices and the associated supplies. Considering the risks of complications related to improper blood glucose management—neuropathy, strokes, blindness, amputation,...
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Paper is for origami, not diabetes logbooks
I think I speak for many people with diabetes (PWDs) when I say that manually keeping track of diabetes data is a lot of work! Of course, there are a lot of things we do that take work—like brushing our teeth—yet we still do them. Why? Because there are benefits. In the case of tooth brushing, that means bright, white teeth, fewer cavities and a beautiful smile. Keeping a logbook is similar in that there's a payoff and it gets easier once you make it a habit. You can't learn from data that isn't there Years ago, I went to my diabetes doctor empty handed. Unfortunately, I also...
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Ten Tips To Keep Smiling
It’s not a myth: diabetes can indeed affect your mood. Managing a blood sugar rollercoaster isn’t always easy. You’ve probably noticed that having your level too low or too high can make you feel tired, nervous, angry or sad. So, are mood swings an unavoidable part of living with diabetes? Of course not! You just need to find tricks to let off some steam or cheer yourself up. Start with the basics: monitor your blood sugar level. If that’s stable, your mood will follow suit. When you feel anger...
Read More “I do”
It’s decided—you’re getting married! Obviously, you have tons of things to think about, from the venue to the seating plan to the invitations… and there’s diabetes, too. In a dream situation, it wouldn’t be on your guest list, but you’re well aware that wedding or not, you’ll still have to count carbs and monitor your blood sugar. Even so, you can have everything running like clockwork in order to fully enjoy your big day. Here are the ten commandments for keeping your diabetes in check (a crash in the middle of exchanging your vows would not be cool)! Thou shalt create a detailed plan. Because...
Read More Money, diabetes and you
Glucose meter, syringes, lancets, strips, insulin, medication… for many people, all of that costs a lot—sometimes too much. The burden is even heavier for the less affluent, such as seniors with fixed incomes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 57% of people living with diabetes say they are unable to follow the treatment they were prescribed because they can’t afford the medication, the devices and the associated supplies. Considering the risks of complications related to improper blood glucose management—neuropathy, strokes, blindness, amputation,...
Read More Paper is for origami, not diabetes logbooks
I think I speak for many people with diabetes (PWDs) when I say that manually keeping track of diabetes data is a lot of work! Of course, there are a lot of things we do that take work—like brushing our teeth—yet we still do them. Why? Because there are benefits. In the case of tooth brushing, that means bright, white teeth, fewer cavities and a beautiful smile. Keeping a logbook is similar in that there's a payoff and it gets easier once you make it a habit. You can't learn from data that isn't there Years ago, I went to my diabetes doctor empty handed. Unfortunately, I also...
Read More