Diabetes Management
Diabetes Management
Diabetes Alert Dogs: How to Get One & How Much It Costs
Diabetes alert dogs (DADs) are specially trained service dogs that can support people with diabetes. These service dogs can detect when blood sugar levels are too high or too low through the scent changes that happen to your breath, saliva, or sweat. While diabetes alert dogs aren’t a replacement for checking blood sugar levels, they can be a potential safeguard for those who don’t experience any symptoms with high and low blood sugars. Oftentimes, DADs can detect changes in blood glucose levels sooner than continuous glucose monitors.
Trial & Error: Troubleshooting Type 1 Diabetes
Everyday with type 1 diabetes looks different even when you eat the same foods and take the same amount of insulin. There’s no doubt that it is frustrating when you don’t get the result you desired. If you are tired of troubleshooting on your own without any real results or tired of living in a rigid routine, keep reading for 3 actionable steps you can take to troubleshoot the trial and error process with T1D.
T1D Tips: Dosing for High Carb/High Fat Meals
Pizza, cheese burgers, french fries, and ice cream all have something in common aside from being delicious. These foods are high in carbs and fat which can make them difficult to bolus for when you have type 1 diabetes. Here’s what you need to know about dosing for high carb/high fat meals.
T1D Tips: Dosing for Protein
Did you know that carbohydrates aren’t the only nutrient that can increase blood sugar? Yes, you heard that right! Despite what you may have been told, protein can actually raise your blood sugar.
Diabetes Diet Review: Is the Keto Approach Best?
Navigating mealtimes and blood sugars with type 1 diabetes can feel like an endless math equation. From carb counts to insulin dosing, it requires a lot of time, effort, and energy to keep blood sugars in range. In an effort to make mealtimes less stressful and time consuming, many people with diabetes end up following a keto diet by cutting out carbs from their diet. This approach can be really difficult to sustain long-term so before purging your pantry of carbs. Check out this blog post for more information.
Diabetes Basics: How to Successfully Master Your Basal Insulin for Better Blood Sugar Management
You can’t build a house without a strong foundation- this reigns true inside your diabetes management as well. You need to have a strong foundation of basal insulin so you can continue to build on top of your management. A solid foundation can make a huge difference in your management. Keep reading to find out the importance of basal insulin for better blood sugar mangement.
Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes
(Bethany Beck / unsplash) Type 1 diabetes is often called “juvenile diabetes” because it is usually diagnosed in children and adolescents. Diagnosis tends to occur between the ages of 4-7 and 10-14. In families without a history of diabetes, getting diagnosed can be frightening and unexpected. Medical emergencies like severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis can be an uncomfortably quick introduction to the world of type 1 diabetes and blood glucose management. What should I know? After your child is diagnosed, your healthcare providers should work to educate you on how to best care for your child. Topics they may cover include carb counting, using a glucometer, different types of insulin, when to use insulin, and how to inject insulin. These skills will help you manage your child’s blood sugar to keep them healthy. Your provider may even recommend using a continuous glucose monitor like the Dexcom G6 or Abbott Freestyle Libre so that your child can track their blood sugar with fewer fingersticks. In this case, you will learn how to place the monitor, sync it with a smartphone app or monitor reader, and set alerts when their blood sugar is too high or too low. Adhesive patches for Dexcom G6, Freestyle Libre or other CGMs can help keep these devices in place for up to 14 days, even when you’re exercising. How do I keep a diabetic child healthy? Whether your child is diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, the goal of treatment is much the same. Keeping their blood glucose levels within a healthy limit will help prevent complications of diabetes. Your healthcare provider will help you set goals for the target blood glucose you should reach and how to manage those levels. Treatment can depend heavily on the age of your child, as not all forms of insulin, insulin pumps, or CGMs are recommended for all pediatric patients. In addition to managing blood glucose, health goals for children with diabetes are similar to the health goals of children without insulin problems. Children should be encouraged to eat an ample, balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs. They should also be encouraged to engage in active play, such as running, jumping, skipping, and spending time with friends. Not only does a balanced diet and an active life encourage healthy growth and physical development, these are critical components to managing diabetes across a lifetime. Doing these activities as a family can lead to improved health outcomes for parents and siblings, too. Lastly, parents of children with type 1 diabetes should provide education to their children about their condition early and often to empower children to make healthy choices. Because children often spend time away from their parents at school, friends’ houses, camps, etc., it is important that they understand their particular health conditions and how to care for their bodies. Parents of children with type 1 diabetes often become informal diabetes educators themselves, as they educate their children, teachers, school administrators, friends, and family about the condition and the issues their child may face. Parenting beyond physical health As with many chronic health conditions, diabetes comes with its own unique mental health challenges. This can include anxiety, fear, depression, and frequent feelings of being overwhelmed. For pediatric cases of diabetes, these mental health struggles don’t just affect the patient but the whole family. Adult caretakers are responsible for helping their kids manage their mental health while balancing their own worries, fears, etc. While some may feel the need to hide these vulnerable emotions from their children, research shows that forming a care plan alongside diabetic children creates better outcomes for children and parents. Working together to voice concerns and fears and decide how to best address them allows both parties to alleviate concerns and find emotional validation. Developing routines, schedules, and care plans can help create an atmosphere of stability that allows parents and children to feel more secure. Many fears and anxieties are rooted in the unknown, and developing routines can make caring for diabetes feel more “normal.” Over time, children and families learn to manage their condition with ease, particularly as children become more self-sufficient and more treatment options become available to them. Joining groups online or in person may also help families find a community that normalizes their lifestyle. Skin Grip is a strong supporter of the diabetes community, as the more connected we feel, the happier we are. We want people with diabetes around the world to feel like their struggles are relatable, the condition is manageable, and they can do anything they set their mind to. To support the community, on the 11th of each month, we donate 100% of our online profits to a type 1 diabetes charity of our customers’ choice. If you are interested in getting a voice in who we donate to, you can visit our Instagram page and vote in our stories or recommend a charity in our DMs. Our motto is to live without limits. If you are interested in keeping your child’s CGM sensor secure, no matter how hard they play, try a sample of our hypoallergenic tape and adhesive patches for diabetic sensors and devices. And to help your kids move from fearful to fearless, have them tune into our vlog to see people who are traveling with inspiring courage on their diabetes journey.
Naturally Lower Your A1C: 3 Holistic Measures to Start Today
Green smoothies, juice cleanse, dietary supplements, and yoga classes are just a few things that come to mind when thinking about a holistic lifestyle. While these things may be a part of someone’s holistic journey, that isn’t the true definition of holistic. When taking a holistic approach, it means looking at a person as a whole and not just their A1C. In this blog post, we are going to take a closer look at 3 holistic measures that you can start today that can support you with naturally lowering your A1C.
Protein, Fat, and Fiber: Food Pairing for Blood Sugar Management
There is a common misconception that when you have diabetes you need to automatically cut out all of the carbohydrates from your diet. But, this is not the case! Utilizing the protein, fat, and fiber method (or PFF for short) can help you manage your blood sugars without cutting out carbohydrates. Keep reading to find out how you can get started utilizing this method!
4 Ways to Beat Post-Meal Spikes without Prebolusing
There are a number of variables that can influence blood sugar levels after meals when living with type 1 diabetes. One of the most crucial components that will influence how blood sugars levels will behave after a meal is prebolusing. Depending on the circumstances, fast-acting mealtime insulin can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to begin working. Injecting insulin 10-20 minutes before a meal or prebolusing can significantly lower post-meal blood sugars compared to when insulin is given at the start of a meal or immediately after. However, there are times where taking insulin ahead of time is just not feasible so what do you do? Keep reading to find out!
HbA1c, Diabetes & You
(Nguyễn Hiệp / unsplash) If you have a diabetes mellitus diagnosis, you have likely discussed your HbA1c (A1c) with your provider at length. Those who are in the process of getting diagnosed have probably heard the word tossed around but may not yet understand what it is. Skin Grip is here to help everyone, regardless of where they are on their diabetes journey, to understand their Hba1c a little more. Knowledge is power, and we are all about empowering the diabetic community. What is an HbA1c? This medical test stands for Hemoglobin A1c. It is a measurement of glycated hemoglobin in your blood. If “glycated hemoglobin” sounds like a fantasy creature to you, allow us to explain. Hemoglobin is a part of your blood cells that carries oxygen. Sometimes, this hemoglobin can attach to sugar molecules in the blood called glucose. When this occurs, we call the sugary hemoglobin “glycated hemoglobin.” By measuring how much of your hemoglobin is glycated, we can determine your average blood sugar over the past three months. This measurement is useful for determining whether or not an individual has elevated blood glucose levels, a key indicator of diabetes. After diagnosis, the A1c test is used to measure how well medications, insulin, and diet are affecting long-term disease management. Tracking the A1c over time allows doctors to adjust medication regimens to keep people with diabetes at normal blood glucose levels, which keeps them healthy. What’s a good A1c? A “normal” A1c should be below 5.7%. An A1c that measures above that level indicates chronic hyperglycemia. Between 5.7% and 6.4% are frequently described as “prediabetic.” Above 6.4% is a result that indicates diabetes. The higher your A1c, the greater your risk of developing complications of diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you and your provider will likely set an A1c goal. For most people with diabetes, an A1c of approximately 6-7 will be selected, though individual factors can affect your exact goal. Why does it matter? Keeping your A1c down can help prevent severe complications of diabetes. While ketoacidosis is one of the most frequently discussed complications of diabetes, complications of chronically high blood glucose levels can emerge without ever entering ketoacidosis. These complications can include neuropathy, vision changes, kidney disease, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and more. These complications can compound over time, leading to severe consequences as the condition progresses. Neuropathy can lead to injuries that go unnoticed, and damage to blood vessels from chronically high blood glucose levels causes poor wound healing. Wounds that remain unhealed for long periods of time risk becoming infected and gangrenous. This is the kind of scenario that leads to horror stories of limbs lost to diabetes. The good news is that these complications can be prevented by good diabetes management. Working with providers to keep blood glucose levels within normal limits can prevent chronic complications and allow you to live a long and healthy life. How do I keep my A1c low? Your exact plan for meeting your A1c goal will be worked out between you and your provider, but the most important thing you can do is follow that plan. This includes checking your blood glucose regularly, managing blood sugars with insulin, and taking other medications as directed. Additionally, keeping a healthy lifestyle by eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly will help you stay healthy throughout your life. Healthy habits don’t just reduce your risk of complications from diabetes; they keep your entire body healthy by improving cardiac health, mental health, and keeping your bones and muscles strong. Your provider may recommend using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to help you stay on top of your blood glucose levels. You may even pair your CGM with an insulin pump to manage your blood sugar without constant injections. Using adhesive patches for your CGM can help make managing your blood sugar even easier. Skin Grip’s patches for the Freestyle Libre, Dexcom, and Guardian sensors keep your CGM secure and where it should be. Skin Grip’s tape for diabetic sensors can even be used with pumps like the Omnipod. Skin Grip’s goal is to help people with diabetes live free, healthy, and empowered lives. We help our clients live without limits by keeping their devices secured and safe, regardless of where they are or what they’re doing. Whether you’re climbing a mountain or whitewater rafting, having a CGM shouldn’t hold you back. Infographic A blood test called HbA1c calculates your average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months. It's a crucial tool for managing diabetes, as elevated HbA1c levels can indicate poor blood sugar control and increase the risk of diabetes-related complications. Understanding HbA1c and how it affects your diabetes is key to living a healthy and fulfilling life. Stay informed and take control of your diabetes with regular HbA1c testing and management. Video
Is Stress and Inflammation Making Your Blood Sugar More Difficult to Manage?
Stress can be a significant motivating factor in your diabetes management. Can you imagine, you are experiencing a low blood sugar episode and your body treats it like it is no big deal? The potential danger of the situation allows you to be proactive in that moment so you can get your blood sugars back into a safe range quickly. But like anything else in life, too much of a good thing can actually be bad. Continue reading to find out how different types of stress may be making your blood sugar more difficult to manage.
