In a world where managing diabetes often feels like following outdated advice and restrictive routines, it's time to embrace new, innovative strategies. With tech advancements and a better understanding of diabetes, there are modern ways to help people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) manage their condition. The days of rigid schedules and one-size-fits-all solutions are over; today, we have the tools to personalize diabetes management to fit our unique lifestyles. Let's explore the latest strategies that simplify diabetes care and empower you to live a fuller, freer life.
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6 a.m. hits and my alarm clock goes off for Day 1 of our family vacation in 2014. I had put my spare insulin vial in the hotel fridge the night before along with an apple and yogurt that I wanted to have fresh for breakfast…
I opened the fridge door, and to my horror, my insulin vial had ice crystals frozen over the outside (which rendered it essentially useless).
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For far too many years after I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, exercise felt like a “necessary evil”, where I KNEW that it was healthy and good for me… but glucose levels were a nightmare to manage.
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Half of a mile into my first ever Triathlon training, my glucose levels started to plummet towards a low. My dexcom G6 gave me the arrow down alert signaling that I’d likely be low in the next 30 minutes… and I’d barely begun the workout.
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I think we can all agree, type one diabetes has a high cost...
From the physical cost of having to poke and prick ourselves with needles..
To the financial cost of insulin..
We pay a high price.
This blog is discussing a lesser talked about but equally important cost of T1D and the effects it has on us.
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Do you ever feel alone as you deal with your diabetes? How can family members, friends, and a Type 1 Diabetes community help you? Seeking support from others will help you manage your diabetes!
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It’s easy to feel alone as you deal with your diabetes day after day. While your family and friends may support you, it can be tough if you have no one in your life that experiences diabetes as well. The good news is that there is no need to navigate diabetes on your own!
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Did you know that a woman’s insulin sensitivity changes throughout her monthly cycle? This post will focus on the correlation between monthly fluctuation in hormones and insulin sensitivity so Type 1 diabetic women can better navigate blood sugar management every month. First, let’s walk through the menstrual cycle and its four phases to begin to see why blood sugars may be affected.
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As we all know, living with Type 1 Diabetes isn't easy. From having to make diet changes to monitoring your blood sugar levels often, the proper treatment and lifestyle choices are essential in controlling the symptoms. Just like most diseases out there, one of the best things Type 1 Diabetes patients can do for themselves is exercise. Curious to know just how much exercising can help in managing Type 1 Diabetes? Keep reading as we discuss and recommend some workouts to try out.
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If you’re eating a sweet treat, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to see a high amount of added sugar, however when eating common foods like granola bars, trail mix, tomato/pasta sauce, or salad dressings, you start to see how food companies have been quietly sneaking sugar into their products.
While we won’t be able to avoid sugar completely and we definitely won’t have time to read every single label, this information can help us figure out which product contains less sugar and is healthier for us.
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Usually, hypoglycemia can be detected by its symptoms that start to appear when glucose levels are 70 mg/dl or lower. And they include:
Hunger: especially a very strong cravings for sugars and carbs.
Sweating: this type of sweating is different from the regular sweat experienced normally after exercising or embarrassing situations. This one is cold sweats that usually feels like the energy you have left is being expelled from the body with these small droplets.
Sleepiness: this symptom freaks us all out when we experience hypoglycemia during sleep, so you start to wonder if you're really sleepy or if you are experiencing a hypoglycemia.
Fast and Irregular heartbeat: as your body is trying to compensate the insufficient amount of fuel.
Fatigue: overall feeling of tiredness or exhaustion.
Unusual behavior, slurred speech or clumsiness: you feel like being drunk (and this leaves some funny memories). This happens mainly due to insufficient supply of glucose to the brain cells.
Hyperglycemia is the term describing “too” much glucose in your blood exceeding the normal levels during fasting greater than 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dl) or when it is greater than 11.0 mmol/L (200 mg/dl) 2 hours after having your meal.
What can we do to prevent it from occurring?
An essential key for diabetes management is the regular checking of blood glucose levels and try always to record them to always have quick access and recall.
Stick to the recommended doses of glucose-lowering drugs and insulin.
Exercise as a lifestyle is really important in helping keep your sugar levels under control.
Avoid consuming food that has a high glycemic index and substitute it with low glycemic index food.
Stress controlling.
DKA is associated with an insulin deficiency (a person is either all or mostly deficient in insulin) and a severely elevated blood glucose level, typically greater than 300 mg/dL, per medical documentation. Individuals can experience DKA even if they have a low/normal blood glucose level, which can occur in the beginning of an illness if a person reduces their insulin in fear of hypoglycemia. The slow progression of DKA can result in a slow increase to the higher blood glucose levels usually seen by the time a person goes to the doctor. DKA is from a severe LACK of insulin, not from the high level of blood glucose.
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Fats and protein can delay carbohydrate digestion and absorption - digestion is a break down of carbs into simple sugars, while absorption is the process where these simple sugars leave the gut and are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The time frame becomes important especially when it relates to our insulin peak time.
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