Your health care provider has probably recommended that you stay active to keep your blood glucose levels stable. This is because daily exercise helps your insulin work more effectively. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA),staying active most days of the week means better [...]
As you know, your health care team can do a lot to help you manage your diabetes. But research shows working with others who have diabetes, or your peers, can also help with your self-care efforts. A peer is a person who is similar to you. Although peers may have other things in common with you, [...]
If you are like most women in the United States today, you are likely the main person responsible for your family’s health. You urge your husband to get his annual physical. You deal with the pediatrician, the dentist and even the pet’s vet. Perhaps you even care for your aging parents. Do all [...]
Why do I need to pay attention to my feet? People with diabetes are more likely to develop foot sores that can become serious if they aren’t treated. This is because diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet, so you might not feel it if you are getting a sore on your foot. Diabetes can also [...]
If you spend a lot of time thinking about taking your medicines, you are not alone. According to a recent study, many people struggle to take their medicines safely and correctly. The average person with diabetes takes 7-9 pills a day. That’s a lot of pills to manage! [...]
If your answer is yes, then you are not alone. A recent survey from the Diabetic Research Foundation showed that almost 85 percent of people with diabetes reported that fatigue was one of their leading daily challenges. Although everyone feels tired now and then, fatigue is different. Many people [...]
One of the hardest things about living with diabetes is thinking about the possibility of long-term complications: eye, kidney and nerve damage, as well as heart attacks and strokes. You may already know that keeping your blood glucose as close to normal as is safe for you is the best way to lower [...]
Your body and weight loss When you start to lose weight, you lose some of your stored fat. That may seem like a good thing to you, but your body doesn’t always agree. We used to think fat just sat in your body and did nothing. But we now know that is not true. The fat you store makes hormones [...]
How can you stay well when you get sick? This may sound like a trick question, but if you have diabetes and get sick, it places your body under added stress. Your blood glucose may be harder to control. This can lead to ketoacidosis and diabetic coma if you have type 1 diabetes. People with type 2 [...]
If you are a senior and have diabetes, there is no reason you can’t travel the world and fully enjoy your golden years. The key to traveling well is to go while you are healthy and to stay in good health during your entire trip. Plan a trip that fits your personal needs and abilities. If you wish [...]
Weather disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes, can be devastating. Other physical disasters, such as fires or power outages, can cause disruptions in your life, as well. You may not have access to diabetes supplies, food and medicines or basic necessities. Being prepared to manage [...]
If you have diabetes, you most likely have been offered lots of help by people who love and care about you and want the best for you. Many people with diabetes find that family and friends have lots of advice for them, and some of this advice may contradict what your health care team has taught [...]
In his book, The Tipping Point, written primarily for business-people, Malcolm Gladwell describes a “tipping point” as the point at which change just happens, seeming to happen naturally and quickly. In business, marketers strive to find the point at which sales of their product go up. So, how [...]
Taking care of diabetes means you need to take certain steps each day throughout the years to keep the parts of your body which can be affected by diabetes healthy. These include your heart, eyes, kidneys and feet. As a podiatrist (a doctor who specializes in feet and foot care), I work with many people who have diabetes. What I often share with these people is this: Your feet can last you for the rest of your life if you make the daily effort to treat them well. [...]
Physical activity has many benefits for your health if you have diabetes and/or heart disease. Being active can help prevent both of these diseases. Check your activity IQ with the following quiz. Answer true or false to the questions below, then read on to see the answers. [...]
