Several recent studies have shown that people taking only pills to manage their diabetes do not get much benefit from checking their blood glucose levels at home. Their A1C levels are about the same as people who do not monitor very often or at all. That may seem surprising, but it makes sense. After all, you would not expect people who weigh themselves every day to lose more weight than people who did not weigh themselves if they did not use what they learned to make changes in their eating or exercise habits. Knowing how much you weigh doesn’t change the results. [...]
Checking your blood glucose can be frustrating—if your numbers are too low, too high, or you are not sure what the numbers mean, your meter can start to feel like your worst enemy. HIGH BLOOD GLUCOSE How high is too high? Generally a blood glucose reading above 250 mg/dL is too high, especially [...]
Are you tired of all the fuss involved in taking insulin when you are away from home? Do you find it a hassle to carry syringes and bottles of insulin? Do you worry about keeping your bottles of insulin at the right temperature? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then an insulin pen may be a solution for you. [...]
If you take insulin and struggle to manage high and low blood glucose numbers, one reason may be the timing of your injections. Coordinating when you take your insulin with the timing of your meals, your physical activity, and other parts of your diabetes care plan can help. Here are some tips to help you time your insulin just right. [...]
For many people with type 2 diabetes, deciding to start insulin is a hard choice to make. Even when your pancreas can’t keep up and your blood glucose levels are increasing, it is easy to put it off. But once you make the decision, the next question is how to get started. Here are some tips that may help you start and stay with insulin. [...]
If you have diabetes, you may take an aspirin each day as a way to help prevent heart attacks and strokes. But the guidelines developed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and other organizations about who will benefit from aspirin have recently changed. Although it is frustrating when guidelines change, it can be a very good thing. It means that more and better studies are being done all the time, and people with diabetes will benefit from more accurate, up-to-date information. [...]
Having diabetes means you are more likely to get or have heart disease-especially if you have type 2 diabetes. One way to reduce your risk of, or take care of heart disease, is to get and keep your blood lipids (fats) in control. Blood lipids include your LDL (bad cholesterol); HDL (good [...]
High blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and high LDL (bad) cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease. But have you heard that high levels of something called “homocysteine” in the body may be one more risk factor for heart disease? This article describes the link between homocysteine and [...]
A ‘statin’ a day can keep a heart attack away. Heart disease is often thought of as a silent killer because you can have it without any warning signs. This makes it hard to diagnose until something happens. People with diabetes are at high risk for developing heart disease. There is new [...]
Heart disease is the number one killer in America today. This article will help you learn about the common tests used today to detect heart disease. It also helps you learn the signs and risk factors that mean you might get or already have heart disease. [...]
The decision to stop smoking is one of the best actions you can take to improve your health. You may be concerned about gaining weight, but try not to worry about it as you quit. Focus on stopping smoking first, and then continue to improve your health in other ways. [...]
Can you picture yourself at 70 years old enjoying an evening stroll? Will you be a cool grandma hanging out on the beach with your grandchildren? Will you tinker with the latest gadget as you sit in your favorite rocking chair? Or do you fear for your future because of ailments that are starting to [...]
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that sugary drinks are one of the main sources of added sugars for Americans. These include soda, energy drinks, fruit punch, and sports drinks. Drinking too many sugary drinks puts many Americans at risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity, and [...]
Whole grains are natural carbohydrates that keep all the parts of the entire grain, even after processing. Some examples of whole grains are corn, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, whole oats and 100% whole-wheat breads and crackers. When you eat them, your body gets all the good nutrients they [...]
Traditional Greek Salad A bright, fresh Greek salad to lighten up any meal! Recipe type: Salad Cuisine: Greek Serves: 2 Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced ¼ green pepper, finely sliced 1 cup cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks ¼ cup Kalamata olives 1 cup tomatoes, sliced ½ cup [...]
