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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The Right Cure For What Ails You
Summer promises plenty of fun, but can also have bad surprises in store that may ruin the day. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but we’ve also got some tips for you if the damage is already done. Sunburn. Avoid it by using sunscreen and taking shelter in the shade when UV rays are at their strongest. If you’ve got a nasty burn, take a lukewarm bath or apply a wet towel to the affected area. Aloe gel is also a good option to reduce discomfort. Athlete’s foot. Sweat and lack of ventilation are...
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Too Good To Be True
“Lose 15 pounds in 15 days!”, “Burn calories just by sitting!”, “Discover the marvelous superpowers of the magical Malaysian Meme Beans!”... you've probably heard promises like that before. The idea of losing weight effortlessly sounds great, but what’s the truth of it? Miracle diets, shock diets and company Extreme diets promise drastic and rapid weight loss using severe calorie deficits and dietary restrictions. Of course you’ll shed pounds like crazy if all you have is smoothies or cabbage soup. But in the end, it’ll only harm your...
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Driving With Diabetes
For many people, driving means being free to go wherever they want, whenever they want. When you’re behind the wheel, that freedom comes with responsibilities. What does this mean for someone living with diabetes? Driving-related risks According to guidelines published by Diabetes Canada, one major risk associated with driving is hypoglycemia that’s not detected in time. It causes a variety of symptoms that make traffic violations and accidents much more likely: tremors, loss of focus, drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, and so on....
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Exotic Flavours: A Recipe For Success
You’ve chosen your destination, watched all the slideshows, salivate at the delicious dishes that await you… and then, diabetes crashes your party. Yes, travelling impacts your routine, especially food-wise, but there’s no need for you to go hungry. Follow this guide! Before setting sail First, research your destination and its cuisine. For example, Mediterranean food is generally easier to manage than carb-rich Italian dishes (pizza and pasta ahoy!). Also, make sure you learn about local eating habits. In some countries, such as Spain, people...
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8 Diabetes Hacks You Can Try Today
The diabetes community is great at sharing—especially when they come up with an idea for making life a little easier. Consider these tricks for managing your health and your gear. Show emergency information on a locked phone. You may have your ICE (in case of emergency) contact noted in your phone, but that doesn't help if emergency workers can't unlock it. For Apple devices, important information that has been entered into the health app, such as health conditions, allergies and emergency contacts, can be accessed without unlocking. Android phones running on Android...
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Take a new look at your lunchbox
Whether it's your child's school lunchbox or something to eat at your desk, it's easy to get caught in a lunchtime rut. Here are a few diabetes-friendly lunchbox ideas to help you shake things up without a lot of extra preparation or planning. Start with dinner. If you're already cooking, make extra food. You can just reheat and eat, but you don't have to. Tonight's roast chicken makes a great quesadilla with a little cheese and sweet red pepper. A baked pasta dish becomes finger food when cut into...
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Lighter Chicken and Leek Pie
4 steps to a lighter chicken and leek pie We've slimmed down this chicken and leek pie so it still has all of the comforting goodness of the original, without the extra fat, calories and carbs1. How? Skip the bottom crust. This may seem like cheating—of course a single-crust pie will be easier on the carbs. But it also means you don't have to pre-bake the bottom crust or try cutting through soggy pastry when you reheat the leftovers. Use a prepared top crust....
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Handy Guide to Portion Control
Many people living with diabetes learn how to count carbohydrates in order to manage their blood sugar, and others are asked to watch their weight. But one of the easiest ways to miscount carbs or calories is by underestimating portion sizes, so here are a few handy tips. Measure now, feel good later Using a food scale and measuring cups can save you a lot of worry. This way, you'll know that you had a half-cup of brown rice with 22 carbs and 100 calories1, instead of "about" that much and "20-ish carbs...
Read MorePages
The Right Cure For What Ails You
Summer promises plenty of fun, but can also have bad surprises in store that may ruin the day. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but we’ve also got some tips for you if the damage is already done. Sunburn. Avoid it by using sunscreen and taking shelter in the shade when UV rays are at their strongest. If you’ve got a nasty burn, take a lukewarm bath or apply a wet towel to the affected area. Aloe gel is also a good option to reduce discomfort. Athlete’s foot. Sweat and lack of ventilation are...
Read More Too Good To Be True
“Lose 15 pounds in 15 days!”, “Burn calories just by sitting!”, “Discover the marvelous superpowers of the magical Malaysian Meme Beans!”... you've probably heard promises like that before. The idea of losing weight effortlessly sounds great, but what’s the truth of it? Miracle diets, shock diets and company Extreme diets promise drastic and rapid weight loss using severe calorie deficits and dietary restrictions. Of course you’ll shed pounds like crazy if all you have is smoothies or cabbage soup. But in the end, it’ll only harm your...
Read More Driving With Diabetes
For many people, driving means being free to go wherever they want, whenever they want. When you’re behind the wheel, that freedom comes with responsibilities. What does this mean for someone living with diabetes? Driving-related risks According to guidelines published by Diabetes Canada, one major risk associated with driving is hypoglycemia that’s not detected in time. It causes a variety of symptoms that make traffic violations and accidents much more likely: tremors, loss of focus, drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, and so on....
Read More Exotic Flavours: A Recipe For Success
You’ve chosen your destination, watched all the slideshows, salivate at the delicious dishes that await you… and then, diabetes crashes your party. Yes, travelling impacts your routine, especially food-wise, but there’s no need for you to go hungry. Follow this guide! Before setting sail First, research your destination and its cuisine. For example, Mediterranean food is generally easier to manage than carb-rich Italian dishes (pizza and pasta ahoy!). Also, make sure you learn about local eating habits. In some countries, such as Spain, people...
Read More 8 Diabetes Hacks You Can Try Today
The diabetes community is great at sharing—especially when they come up with an idea for making life a little easier. Consider these tricks for managing your health and your gear. Show emergency information on a locked phone. You may have your ICE (in case of emergency) contact noted in your phone, but that doesn't help if emergency workers can't unlock it. For Apple devices, important information that has been entered into the health app, such as health conditions, allergies and emergency contacts, can be accessed without unlocking. Android phones running on Android...
Read More Take a new look at your lunchbox
Whether it's your child's school lunchbox or something to eat at your desk, it's easy to get caught in a lunchtime rut. Here are a few diabetes-friendly lunchbox ideas to help you shake things up without a lot of extra preparation or planning. Start with dinner. If you're already cooking, make extra food. You can just reheat and eat, but you don't have to. Tonight's roast chicken makes a great quesadilla with a little cheese and sweet red pepper. A baked pasta dish becomes finger food when cut into...
Read More Lighter Chicken and Leek Pie
4 steps to a lighter chicken and leek pie We've slimmed down this chicken and leek pie so it still has all of the comforting goodness of the original, without the extra fat, calories and carbs1. How? Skip the bottom crust. This may seem like cheating—of course a single-crust pie will be easier on the carbs. But it also means you don't have to pre-bake the bottom crust or try cutting through soggy pastry when you reheat the leftovers. Use a prepared top crust....
Read More Handy Guide to Portion Control
Many people living with diabetes learn how to count carbohydrates in order to manage their blood sugar, and others are asked to watch their weight. But one of the easiest ways to miscount carbs or calories is by underestimating portion sizes, so here are a few handy tips. Measure now, feel good later Using a food scale and measuring cups can save you a lot of worry. This way, you'll know that you had a half-cup of brown rice with 22 carbs and 100 calories1, instead of "about" that much and "20-ish carbs...
Read More