Diabetes care can cost a lot when you add up all of the products you use to maintain good glucose control - medicines, syringes or insulin pump tools, a glucose meter, lancets, blood glucose test strips, glucose tablets, diabetes-friendly snacks, and more. Any way you can reduce such costs can help you gain control over your diabetes without hurting your budget. One way is to choose your medicines wisely. A recent study found that sulfonylureas, a group of type 2 diabetes drugs, worked as well as options such as incretin, but cost less. [...]
Stock your kitchen with these 8 tools and small appliances to pump up the flavor of your meals, boost nutrition and whittle away at unhealthy fats and sodium. [...]
It is estimated that today, about 1 in 10 adults in the US has diabetes. That’s a pretty scary idea, but what’s even scarier is the rate of diabetes disease in veterans of the US military. For this group, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that about 1 in 5 veterans suffers from the disease. [...]
It can be hard to get children to trade their chips for veggies, or cookies for fruit. However, it is important to get the country’s children off to a healthy start to prevent them from having to live with chronic disease. A recent report found that a program linking healthy living to fulfilling dreams has been successful in building healthy habits in children. [...]
For many people who have diabetes, one of the greatest challenges is budgeting time and money. Eating healthier foods, working out, and buying medicines and diabetes care supplies can put a strain on your schedule and your wallet. In fact, a recent report has found that food prices can affect your blood glucose level if you have diabetes. [...]
Whether you call them beans, legumes or pulses, beans are nutritionally wholesome. They are gastronomically versatile, economical, and with the exception of soy, most beans are non-genetically modified foods. Beans are a great source of soluble fiber, high-quality protein and minerals, including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium and zinc. Soluble fiber has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. [...]
Favored in salads and soups for their earthy, smoky and meaty taste, edible mushrooms are found in every supermarket. Long considered healthful for their medicinal properties, shiitake, enokitake, maitake and oyster mushrooms have been part of the Asian diet for centuries. In the United States, mushrooms are produced in every state, but Pennsylvania accounts for 61% of the country’s mushroom production. Although considered a vegetable, mushrooms are fungi. [...]
Do you find it hard to keep your blood glucose level in the healthy range after meals? Are you confused about how certain foods will affect your blood glucose? While it’s true that each person with diabetes has a unique blood glucose response after eating, we know that certain foods affect it more than others do. [...]
Do you like yogurt but wonder whether it's wise to eat it regularly? Good news: As long as you choose the right type, yogurt can be a great addition to your diet. In fact, consuming a serving every day provides many benefits. [...]
One of the most common complaints of menopausal women is weight gain. While their lifestyles, eating habits and exercise levels have not changed, they cannot seem to keep weight off. Often, what has worked in the past doesn't work in this stage of life. Although weight gain in general cannot be blamed on menopause alone, the hormonal changes can be linked to a change in how – and where – we store fat. [...]
Prediabetes is when your blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Having prediabetes means that you do not yet have diabetes, but you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. [...]
What role does stress play in affecting your blood glucose level?
Stress is the physical and mental reaction of the body when it senses danger. Conditions that seem uncontrollable or that require emotional and behavioral changes are usually perceived by the body to be dangerous. These threats cause you to feel stress and can cause blood glucose levels to increase. [...]
Hunger is often thought of as a bad thing, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, this type of thinking can actually make it much harder to change your eating habits. Why? Hunger is a normal and natural body signal and should not be viewed negatively. Physical hunger tells you that it is time to eat. However, the idea of letting your hunger guide food and eating choices may seem too good to be true, especially if you have diabetes. [...]
As a healthcare provider with a focus on diabetes, I take care of a lot of people who monitor their blood glucose level, blood pressure, and weight at home. And even though we all understand how important these readings are, most of my patients don’t like keeping a written record to bring to me. Many of them don’t know the readings that should concern them, or if their readings are as they should be. [...]
The warm weather is coming and as you tackle your spring cleaning and pack away your winter boots, don’t forget about your kidneys. Why? March is known as National Kidney Month, so it’s a perfect time to take stock of your diabetes treatment plan and make sure that you’re doing what you can [...]
