Change 1 Thing, Improve Your Life
There are probably many things that each of us would like to change about our life, but thinking about them all at once can be overwhelming. Instead, choose just 1 thing to improve for now. Changing any one of the things below could have a big impact on your life with diabetes – both your physical health, and your emotional well-being. Make testing matter For people with diabetes, testing more often is the key to staying in control of your health. Frequent testing provides the data you need to make informed decisions about your medication, diet, and exercise regimens. Your test...
Read MoreDiabetes Basics
Understanding the basics of diabetes is the first step in gaining control of your health. Let’s look at what causes diabetes, some of the common symptoms, the benefits of healthy living, and what to do if you’ve just been diagnosed. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic disease. Your blood sugar levels are controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas. When you eat, food gets broken down and glucose enters your bloodstream. Insulin takes the glucose out of your bloodstream and allows it to enter your cells where it is broken down and turned into energy. If you have diabetes, either you...
Read MoreWhy sleep is important for people with diabetes
When you are getting enough sleep, you may find that you have an easier time controlling your blood sugar. You’ll be more alert during the day, have more energy, less stress, and an overall better mindset for monitoring and managing your diabetes. Consider what happens when you don’t get enough sleep. In addition to other things that may interfere with your sleep like schedule changes or stress, people with diabetes can have potential complications with sleep. Both high and low blood sugar levels can interrupt your sleep. People with type 2 diabetes who don’t get a good night’s sleep may me more insulin resistant and...
Read MoreChange 1 Thing, Improve Your Life
There are probably many things that each of us would like to change about our life, but thinking about them all at once can be overwhelming. Instead, choose just 1 thing to improve for now. Changing any one of the things below could have a big impact on your life with diabetes – both your physical health, and your emotional well-being. Make testing matter For people with diabetes, testing more often is the key to staying in control of your health. Frequent testing provides the data you need to make informed decisions about your medication, diet, and exercise regimens. Your test...
Read MoreLow blood glucose: Know the signs and steps to take
You may recognize the feeling—feeling hungry, dizzy, sweaty or just a little bit "off." These signs of hypoglycaemia, or low blood glucose, mean it's time to take action. What causes low blood glucose? For most people, low blood glucose refers to anything below 3.89 mmol/L, (70 mg/dL) although your number may be different.1 Low blood glucose can be caused by taking too much medication, not having enough to eat or exercising. In fact, hypoglycaemia can occur up to 12 hours after you've been physically active.1 Don't be too hard on yourself, though...
Read MoreFeeling your best—life in your target range
When you find your mind wandering—thinking about the future—what do you see? Whether you dream about taking photos somewhere amazing or starting a family, or you'd simply like to have more energy or sleep through the night, keeping your blood glucose in line can help you achieve it. Sometimes it can seem like diabetes is all about the numbers. But your efforts to stay within your target ranges for blood glucose before and after meals, as well as meeting your HbA1c goal, are really about feeling your best today and for years to come. Self-checks vs. HbA1c and why you need both...
Read MoreFeeling fine? It's the perfect day to create a sick day plan.
When you're feeling ill, you'd like nothing more than to lie in bed with a good book or movie. Yet that's when you need to focus even more on diabetes self-care. The key to sick days with diabetes is doing all of the thinking ahead of time. That way, when you don't feel like concentrating, you can simply follow the plan. What to include in your plan Involve your diabetes care healthcare team in developing your sick day plan1—ask them when you should call for help, how often you should check your blood glucose and ketones, what medicines to take and what to...
Read MoreDiabetes Basics
Understanding the basics of diabetes is the first step in gaining control of your health. Let’s look at what causes diabetes, some of the common symptoms, the benefits of healthy living, and what to do if you’ve just been diagnosed. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic disease. Your blood sugar levels are controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas. When you eat, food gets broken down and glucose enters your bloodstream. Insulin takes the glucose out of your bloodstream and allows it to enter your cells where it is broken down and turned into energy. If you have diabetes, either you...
Read MoreWhy sleep is important for people with diabetes
When you are getting enough sleep, you may find that you have an easier time controlling your blood sugar. You’ll be more alert during the day, have more energy, less stress, and an overall better mindset for monitoring and managing your diabetes. Consider what happens when you don’t get enough sleep. In addition to other things that may interfere with your sleep like schedule changes or stress, people with diabetes can have potential complications with sleep. Both high and low blood sugar levels can interrupt your sleep. People with type 2 diabetes who don’t get a good night’s sleep may me more insulin resistant and...
Read MoreChange 1 Thing, Improve Your Life
There are probably many things that each of us would like to change about our life, but thinking about them all at once can be overwhelming. Instead, choose just 1 thing to improve for now. Changing any one of the things below could have a big impact on your life with diabetes – both your physical health, and your emotional well-being. Make testing matter For people with diabetes, testing more often is the key to staying in control of your health. Frequent testing provides the data you need to make informed decisions about your medication, diet, and exercise regimens. Your test...
Read MoreLow blood glucose: Know the signs and steps to take
You may recognize the feeling—feeling hungry, dizzy, sweaty or just a little bit "off." These signs of hypoglycaemia, or low blood glucose, mean it's time to take action. What causes low blood glucose? For most people, low blood glucose refers to anything below 3.89 mmol/L, (70 mg/dL) although your number may be different.1 Low blood glucose can be caused by taking too much medication, not having enough to eat or exercising. In fact, hypoglycaemia can occur up to 12 hours after you've been physically active.1 Don't be too hard on yourself, though...
Read MoreFeeling your best—life in your target range
When you find your mind wandering—thinking about the future—what do you see? Whether you dream about taking photos somewhere amazing or starting a family, or you'd simply like to have more energy or sleep through the night, keeping your blood glucose in line can help you achieve it. Sometimes it can seem like diabetes is all about the numbers. But your efforts to stay within your target ranges for blood glucose before and after meals, as well as meeting your HbA1c goal, are really about feeling your best today and for years to come. Self-checks vs. HbA1c and why you need both...
Read MoreFeeling fine? It's the perfect day to create a sick day plan.
When you're feeling ill, you'd like nothing more than to lie in bed with a good book or movie. Yet that's when you need to focus even more on diabetes self-care. The key to sick days with diabetes is doing all of the thinking ahead of time. That way, when you don't feel like concentrating, you can simply follow the plan. What to include in your plan Involve your diabetes care healthcare team in developing your sick day plan1—ask them when you should call for help, how often you should check your blood glucose and ketones, what medicines to take and what to...
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