7 Apps That Will Help You Manage Your Diabetes

Apps That Will Help You Manage Your Diabetes (stevepb / pixabay)

CGM apps

Many modern CGMs have apps explicitly designed in conjunction with their devices. These apps will help you see your blood sugar in real-time and keep a record of your glucose measurements so that you can look at the data over time. Some CGMs can even coordinate with smartwatches, so checking your blood sugar is as easy as glancing at your wrist. These CGMs are often only compatible with certain brands of smartwatches, so if you're planning on getting a CGM or smartwatch to go with it, this should be a consideration as you choose the device that will best fit your needs. The Freestyle Libre CGM and its companion Librelink app is one of the most popular systems (And we happen to like it so much we make Freestyle Libre sensor adhesive patches).

Beat Diabetes

Beat Diabetes is a fine app for someone who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, pre-diabetes, or is close to someone with those conditions. The app is focused primarily on education, so it provides up-to-date guides on nutrition, exercise, and articles about diabetes itself. For people who are familiar with and have managed diabetes for some time, the app might lack the functionality they're looking for. People with Type I diabetes may particularly find the app lacking in applicable information, as it seems to focus on Type II.

MySugr

MySugr is a powerful, multifunctional app that is designed to help people manage their diabetes. The app allows users to log the number of carbs they've eaten, how many units of insulin they've taken, log their blood sugars, and keep a diary of their meals. The app is also compatible with the Aviva Accu-Chek wireless blood glucose meter, importing readings directly into the app. MySugr's ability to show blood sugar readings over time makes identifying patterns easy, as you can see exactly when your blood glucose spikes and drops throughout a day of readings. You can also export these readings and trends into a PDF report that many users find helpful at home and when they go to the doctor.

Diabetes M

For a free app, Diabetes M packs a punch. Like many of these apps, Diabetes M allows users to track their blood sugar, diet, etc. Unlike the others, Diabetes M offers an insulin and bolus calculator that uses the dietary information you provide. The nutrition database, similar to apps like MyFitnessPal, allows users to search and add foods to their diet log. The daily log also keeps track of weight and daily activity. In short, the app is the best of diabetes and fitness apps combined.

Glucose Buddy

This app is free and provides similar functionality as other diabetes apps. Glucose Buddy will track your blood sugar, provide reports, track weights, and log meals. Glucose Buddy shines most in its friendly-looking design and visual appeal. The app has easily navigable menus and some interesting features, such as a diabetes coach. In spite of this, many users report issues with ads and bugs. If these glitches are fixed, the combination of record-keeping and personalized coaching makes Glucose Buddy an app worth trying.

Diabetic Recipes: Healthy Food

Finding creative recipes is difficult enough, but finding new diabetes-friendly recipes is even harder. This app is meant to ease your burden by showing you delicious recipes that won’t blow out your daily carbs. The app is divided into sections like “Diabetic Desserts,” “Diabetic Soups,” etc. Each recipe features a bright, clear photo of the final product that makes it hard to choose just one recipe each night!

A major drawback of the app is that the user-generated content frequently results in recipes that are not nearly as healthy as the app might advertise. Browsing through recipes reveals dishes full of all-purpose flour, sugars, and high-carb grains. While the app does a great job of exposing the user to a wide variety of recipes, the nutritional content is lacking. Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be a function within the app to track calories and macronutrients, which is a common method people with diabetes use to control their diet.

MyFitnessPal

It’s nearly impossible to discuss health and wellness apps without mentioning MyFitnessPal. While the app isn’t intended specifically for people with diabetes, it is one of the absolute best apps on the market for tracking diet and fitness goals. Type I diabetics may benefit from the app’s food tracker, which allows users to log their food, calories, macronutrients, micronutrients, and when they ate what. The app will automatically add a day’s dietary information together to create charts that allow you to see relative proportions of carbs, protein, and fat, which is great for managing carbs at a glance.

One of the most powerful features is the ability to set goals in a variety of dimensions. Users can set fitness goals, weight goals, and nutritional goals to tailor the app to their needs. If you’re interested in limiting carbs and sodium, the app will track those nutrients and even warn you if you’re near or exceeding your limit for the day.