Top 5 Best Diabetic Carb Counter Apps

How can using a Carb Counter App for Diabetes Help Me?

For people living with diabetes, prioritizing their health is of utmost importance. According to the American Diabetes Association, people with underlying health conditions including diabetes have a greater risk of complications from Corona Virus (COVID-19).

Studies show that using diabetes apps can greatly improve health for people living with diabetes. For instance, a review published in the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism journal in March 2020 found that using a diabetes app leads to a drop in average blood sugar levels or hemoglobin A1C of 0.57%.

Furthermore, a study published in Obesity in January 2020 reveals that apps for managing diabetes can help type 2 diabetes patients reduce their waist circumference and body weight.

Here are the top 5 smartly designed diabetic carb counter apps to consider using if you have diabetes.

Fooducate

Fooducate is an easy-to-use nutrition-focused app that helps you make health-conscious decisions. It empowers you to scan UPC codes for quality and dietary information about the foods you are eating.

The tracking app uses an in-built database of scannable barcodes allowing you to keep count of your macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) intake. Fooducate also helps you make healthy choices by accessing a food’s nutrition quality using its assigned letter grade (A, B, C, or D).

The app then provides you with clear explanations, good alternative recommendations, and tips from community support and nutrition professionals so you can continue making smart decisions to help you achieve your nutritional goals for optimal blood glucose management.

You can also use the app to input exercise, access your daily intake, calculate your net calories, and keep track of your progress over a set period of time. Its biggest strength is in its in-built functionality and increasing health awareness.

Fooducate is free for Android and iPhone but its built-in functionality for calculating and scanning feature can be upgraded for a cost.

Glucose Buddy

Glucose Buddy is a data storage utility that allows users to track their carbohydrate consumption, glucose numbers, insulin dosage, and activities. The app syncs with monitoring systems such as Dexcom G5 and G6 and it helps you build a detailed record of your overall health while keeping count of your food intake and exercise.

Glucose Buddy also offers push notifications as a reminder of when to check your blood glucose next. The app also features a chat display that helps you track patterns to gain a better understanding of your blood glucose trends and create printable reports that you can bring to your physician’s appointment.

Glucose buddy standard version is free for both Android and iPhone, but the premium version offers a monthly or annual subscription service for a customizable and ad-free experience, including community support, enhanced filters, an A1C calculator and desktop login.

Keto Diet App Carb Manager

Keto Diet App focuses on keeping track of carbs, as well as calories, fats, and protein, with a bar-code scanner and database of foods. The app also allows you to log your meals with voice memos and photos. You can also use it to log exercises and set and track your weight loss goals. However, syncing with a fitness tracker requires an upgrade to the annual or monthly subscription service at a fee.

Keto diet app also includes features for users following the ketogenic diet or a low-carbohydrate diet. However, it’s essential to note that these diets are not appropriate for everyone. Therefore, you should be careful about taking advice from an app and always check with your dietitian, certified diabetes care specialist, or doctor.

The free version of the app offers a macro tracker, exercise tracker, calorie counter, food diary, and weight log (charts both body mass index and weight loss), but upgrading to the subscription service allows users to also track insulin and blood glucose values. The app is available for both Android and iPhone.

Figwee Visual Food Diary

Research shows that most people, including people with diabetes, don’t know what standard food portions look like. Therefore, unless they log their meals, they are probably logging inaccurate food portion sizes.

Figwee Visual Food Diary allows you to view photographs of incremental food portion sizes to ensure that the information you’re logging is accurate.

You simply need to pick a photo that matches the food you ate, adjust the slider to match the portion that you ate before, and then add it to your food diary.

The app also provides nutritional info (cholesterol, carbs, calories, fat, etc.) for the portion size you ate. One of the key strengths of Figwee is that it allows you to visualize what a portion actually looks like.

The app is available for both Android and iPhone but you can upgrade to the premium version for additional features including an activity tracker, zero ads, desktop integration, and custom food builder.

mySugr

mySugr features an aesthetically appealing and easy-to-use interface and is equipped with handy features including a 3-month overview of your glucose levels for accurate tracking of your A1C. It also allows you to input and tracks your meals, carb intake, and meds. The app can be synchronized with the Apple Health app to allow the collection of step data points and physical activity.

The pro subscription allows you to set reminders to log blood sugar levels, calculate insulin doses, as well as meal shots. You can also download reports and send them directly to your diabetes educators or doctors.

Conclusion

As you explore diabetic carb-counting apps, it’s important to keep in mind that your main goal is to find an app that will be a good fit for you and make your life easier. Find apps that give you useful information, are easy to use, and sync seamlessly with your devices.

Although diabetes apps are valuable tools, they should not replace individualized medical care and advice. It’s recommended that you walk through your diabetic apps with your doctor to be sure they are a suitable tool for you.

Learn more about the DARIO glucose Meter – turn your smart phone into a glucose meter HERE!

Best Treatment for Low Blood Sugar?

Maintaining your blood glucose levels within the target range can help delay or prevent serious health complications. Although this is very important, close management of blood glucose levels can also increase your risk for hypoglycemia.

Levels below 70 mg/dL are considered low. In case you suspect your blood sugar level is low, be sure to check it and treat it.

If left unresolved, low blood glucose can be very dangerous. Therefore, it’s important for people with diabetes as well as their caregivers to know how to treat it quickly and properly.

You are at a higher risk of having low blood sugar reactions if you:

Delay or skip a snack or meal
Exercise
Consume alcohol without eating carbs
Eat too few carbs or administer too much insulin

Check your blood sugar level if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Sweating
Fatigue and/or weakness
Anxiety
Headache
Increased heartbeat
Shaking
Dizziness

Follow the 15-15 rule

If your blood sugar level is between 55 and 69 mg/dL, you can raise it using the 15-15 rule.

Have 15 grams of carbohydrates and check it after 15 minutes.

If your blood sugar is still not within your target range, repeat this procedure until it’s within the target range. After raising it to your target level, eat a snack or nutritious meal to prevent it from getting too low again.

Items that have 15 grams of carbohydrates include:

½ cup (4 ounces) of regular soda or juice (apple, orange, pineapple, grape, prune, or cranberry juice).
1 tsp of syrup, honey, or sugar.
Gumdrops, jellybeans, hard candies (check the food label for the amount you should eat).
1 dose (1 tube) of glucose gel (follow instructions).
3-4 glucose tablets.
12 gummy bears
6 large jelly beans
15 skittles
4 starburst
5 small gumdrops
1 tube glucose gel
3-4 glucose tablets
5 lifesavers
1 tsp sugar in water
1 cup fat-free milk
1 small orange
15 grapes
1 small apple
½ banana
½ cup applesauce
2 tsp of raisins

Note: The foods listed above are easily absorbed and will raise blood sugar levels quickly. Foods that contain protein or fat – such as chocolate, candy bars, ice cream, cookies, crackers, and bread – don’t raise blood sugar quickly enough.

Tips you should keep in mind

Young kids usually require less than 15 grams of carbohydrates, especially toddlers and infants. Your doctor can provide guidance on how much carbs your child needs.
Avoid eating carbs rich in fiber, such as lentils or beans, or carbs that have fat. Fat and fiber slow down the absorption of sugar.
Raising your blood sugar takes time. Allow some time for the 15-15 treatment to work.
When the risk of lows is high, check your blood sugar more often. The risk of lows is higher when you travel or when the weather is hotter.

How do you treat severely low blood sugar?

If your blood sugar is below 55 mg/dL, it is considered too low and you may be unable to regulate it using the 15-15 rule. In fact, checking your blood sugar or treating it by yourself might be impossible, depending on the symptoms.

Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your caregivers, friends, and family know the signs of severely low blood sugar so they can help with treatment if needed.

One of the best ways of treating severely low blood sugar is using glucagon. However, a glucagon kit requires a prescription. Consult your healthcare provider to see if you need a kit and learn when and how to use it. Inform those close to you (friends and family members) where you keep the kit and train them on how to use it.

Contact your healthcare provider for emergency treatment after administering a glucagon injection. In case the person passes out (faints) due to extremely low blood sugar, they typically wake up 10-15 minutes after the injection. Administer one more dose if they don’t wake up 15 minutes after the glucagon injection.

Once they wake up and are able to swallow:

Feed them fast-acting sources of sugar (fruit juice or regular soft drink).
Have them eat long-acting sources of sugar (a sandwich with meat, cheese, and crackers).

It is important that people you are around often (family, friends, teachers, co-workers, and coaches) know how to test blood sugar and treat low blood sugar as well as severely low blood sugar. Medical IDs such as necklaces and bracelets can be critical in keeping diabetes patients healthy and safe. Emergency medical responders are usually trained to look for medical IDs when caring for people who are unable to speak for themselves.

When should you call 911?

Your helper, relative, or friend should call 911 if:

You’ve passed out and a glucagon kit is not available.
You had a glucagon injection but are still feeling confused.
You’ve had the first dose of glucagon but have not woken up after 15 minutes
Your blood sugar is still low 15-20 minutes after administering treatment or does not respond to the usual treatment

After treating low blood sugar

If you had mild low blood sugar (55-69 mg/dL), you can resume your normal activities after successful treatment. Be sure to confirm whether your blood sugar is in your target range.

Early signs of low blood sugar may go unnoticed for 48 to 72 hours. Check your blood sugar level more often to ensure it’s within your target range, especially before physical activity, driving a car, or eating.

If you administered glucagon injection to treat severe low blood sugar (below 54 mg/dL), call your doctor immediately for emergency treatment. Moreover, if you have had several lows close together (whether severe or not), be sure to notify your doctor. They may recommend changing your diabetes treatment plan.

Keep an accurate record of your numbers

If low blood sugars continue to occur, be sure to share your insulin, blood sugar, food, and physical activity logs with your healthcare provider.

They will look for patterns and may be able to prevent lows by changing the amount and timing of your meals, physical activity, and insulin.

Log Book For Diabetes

What is a Diabetes Log Book?

Accurately keeping track of your health is very important when it comes to the successful management of diabetes. By recording your daily blood glucose readings as well as other parameters such as medication, food, sickness, exercise, and sleep in a diabetes logbook, you and your healthcare provider will be able to identify patterns more easily and customize your treatment plan and goals.

There are various types of blood sugar log books that make it easy to record your daily levels by the time of day, as well as any other relevant notes.

What is the importance of tracking your blood glucose in a logbook?

Data collection and logbooks are a critical part of ensuring your diabetes remains under control. Writing down the numbers makes it easier to see blood glucose patterns and easily know whether you are within your target levels or not.

For most diabetes patients, remembering multiple blood glucose numbers as well as what was happening at that particular time the blood sugar test was done is often difficult and may be inaccurate.

Moreover, depending upon your condition and type of treatment your healthcare provider may recommend checking your blood sugar level multiple times per day or once every few days.

For patients whose blood sugar levels are under control and are treated with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, they may need to check their levels once every few days. However, for people whose blood sugar levels are not well controlled and who are on medication, they should check multiple times per day.

When you are taking insulin, you also need to keep a record of your insulin dose, activity level, food, and carbs intake. Consult your doctor about blood glucose levels and diabetes logbook recommendations ideal for your specific condition.

Types of Diabetes Log Records

There are three main ways diabetics usually fill out logbooks:

Simple method

Simple logs track blood sugar levels at different times of the day on different days. It is ideal for people whose treatment doesn’t change. If your treatment changes, it can put you at risk of low blood sugar.

Comprehensive method

Comprehensive logs include blood sugar levels at different times of the day on different days, and typically include notations about medication dosages, food (carbohydrates), and exercise. Use the comprehensive log when you want to keep track of your blood sugar’s response to different activities, medications, and foods.

Intensive method

This is the most complex as well as an intensive diabetic log book. It is designed to capture the vital variables that affect blood sugar levels, including:

Blood sugar level
Time of day
Food diary
Amount of sugar or carbs eaten
Dose and type of insulin and medications
Duration and type of exercise
Unusual events such as stresses or medications

Intensive diabetes logbooks are ideal for patients who are using an insulin pump or taking several doses of insulin in a day.

Using a log book for diabetes to keep your blood sugar level within your target range helps prevent diabetes-related complications such as cardiovascular damage, eye problems, foot problems, and kidney damage.

What is a Safe Blood Sugar Level?

Understanding blood sugar level ranges is extremely important when it comes to diabetes self-management. After being diagnosed with diabetes, most people wonder what normal, high, or low blood sugar levels actually mean.

Due to the differences in our health history and the way our bodies function, it may also affect factors that influence blood sugar levels such as medication and food.

Blood sugar levels in people without diabetes are different from the target levels recommended for diabetes patients. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will work with you to determine personalized safe blood sugar levels that meet your specific health needs.

Therefore, recommended blood sugar levels may vary for every individual and it is important to discuss this with your physician or healthcare provider.

What are safe blood sugar levels?

Health organizations like the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and ADA (American Diabetes Association) have provided the following guiding principles on safe glucose levels for people who have not been diagnosed with diabetes:

Fasting plasma glucose level

This measurement is taken at least 8 hours after your last meal (when you’re fasting) such as in the morning. According to ADA recommendation, fasting plasma glucose for people who don’t have diabetes should be below 100 mg/dL.

2 hour/ after meal plasma glucose level

This measurement is typically taken 2 hours after your last meal. According to ADA recommendation, after-meal plasma glucose should be below 140 mg/dL for healthy individuals.

A1C

This test is usually taken regardless of when you last ate. It measures the amount of blood sugar bonded with hemoglobin, which typically accumulates over a period of 3 months. CDC recommends that A1C levels should be below 5.7%.

Safe blood sugar levels for diabetes patients

Diabetes patients have difficulty using or creating enough insulin, the hormone responsible for converting blood sugar into energy. There’s no standard blood glucose chart for all diabetes patients. However, organizations such as the AACE (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) and the ADA offer recommendations on target blood glucose levels as a baseline.

Physicians usually tailor target blood glucose levels to an individual by considering factors such as lifestyle, age, other health conditions, mental state, years since diagnosis, risk of extremely low blood sugar levels, and availability of economic resources needed to reach target blood sugar goals.

Safe blood sugar levels for diabetes patients (non-pregnant)

	AACE	ADA
Before meals	Below 110 mg/dL	70 to 130 mg/dL
2 hours after meals	Below 140mg/dL	Below 180 mg/dL
HbA1c (A1C)	Below 6.5%	Below 7.0%

Safe blood sugar levels for pregnant women with diabetes

Target blood sugar levels during pregnancy are usually lower largely as a result of hormonal influences. The AACE and ADA guidelines for safe blood glucose levels for pregnant women with diabetes differ slightly. However, it is essential for pregnant women with diabetes to follow individual recommendations provided by their physicians.

According to the ADA, pregnant women should maintain blood glucose levels of between 95 and 140 mg/dL. However, some organizations recommend even tighter goals of less than 89 mg/dL before meals and below 120 mg/dL after meals.

To monitor their levels, diabetes specialists recommend that pregnant women with diabetes check their blood glucose levels:

First thing after waking up (fasting)
At bedtime
Before meals
1 hour after meals

Factors that affect blood glucose levels

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes, your body may have difficulty producing insulin or you may have resistance to insulin. As a result, your body is unable to regulate blood glucose on its own. Therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with factors that may cause blood glucose levels to rise or fall below the recommended levels.

Factors that cause blood sugar to rise

According to ADA recommendations, if blood glucose level rises above 180 mg/dL 2 hours after your last meal, it is generally considered above the safe range. Some of the main factors that may cause your blood glucose level to rise above the normal range include:

Consuming larger meals or more carbs than usual
Reduced physical activity
Menstrual periods
Pain, stress, and illness (both long-term and short-term)
Not taking oral diabetes medication or insulin based on activity levels or carbohydrates intake
Side effects from a wide range of medications including antipsychotics or steroids
Dehydration

Factors that cause blood sugar levels to drop

If your blood sugar level is less than 70 mg/dL, it is considered below normal levels. Some of the factors that can cause low blood sugar levels include:

Reducing the number of carbs you normally eat
Missing snacks or meals
Not eating enough
Alcohol consumption (especially on an empty stomach)
Increased physical activity
Taking too much oral diabetes medication or insulin based on activity levels or carbohydrates intake
Side effects from some medications (other than antipsychotics or steroids)

Everyone responds differently to various factors, which is the main reason why it’s essential to have custom target blood sugar levels. To maintain safe blood sugar levels, work with your physician to discuss adjustments to your medications, physical activity, or diet, and be sure to alert them of other essential factors like recent stressful events or illnesses.

Check the article on diabetic watches HERE!

What is Postprandial Blood Sugar?

For people with diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. As a result, blood sugar levels may be too high. Over time, consistently high blood sugar levels can lead to complications such as nerve, eye, kidney, and heart damage. Postprandial refers to after meals.

What is a postprandial blood sugar test?

Also known as a two-hour PPG test, a postprandial blood sugar test is done to see how the body responds to starch and sugar after a meal. As the body digests food in the stomach, blood sugar levels increase sharply. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin to help move glucose from the blood into cells of tissues such as muscles where it is used for energy or fuel. Two hours after eating, blood glucose and insulin levels should return to the normal range. However, if blood sugar levels remain high, it shows that you may have diabetes.

Why do you need the test?

In most cases, you may need a postprandial blood glucose level test if your physician wants to determine whether you have insulin-related disorders such as diabetes. Your healthcare provider may suggest this test if you have symptoms such as:

Tiredness
Frequent urination
Sores and wounds that heal slowly
Unusual thirst
Blurred vision
Repeated infections

For pregnant women, this test screens for gestational diabetes. Prompt treatment of gestational diabetes helps reduce risk for health problems for the mother as well as the baby.

Other tests that might be done with this test

In most cases, healthcare providers request other tests to evaluate or confirm diabetes diagnosis. These tests include:

Fasting blood sugar test: This test measures blood sugar levels after at least 8 hours without eating (overnight fast).
Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C/HbA1c) test: Measures blood glucose levels over a period of about 3 months.
Glucose tolerance test: This lab test checks how the body moves glucose from the blood into muscle, fat and other tissue.

What do the lab test results mean?

Results usually vary depending on various factors such as the test method used, health history, gender, age, and other things. However, your test results do not necessarily mean you have a problem. Therefore, it is essential to consult your doctor about what the results mean specifically for you.

Results for postprandial blood sugar levels are usually displayed in mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) and normal test results are:

For non-diabetics: below 140 mg/dL
For people with diabetes: below 180 mg/dL

In case your blood sugar level is still high 2 hours after eating, it indicates that you may have diabetes or prediabetes.

Factors that may affect postprandial blood sugar test results include:

Extreme stress
Smoking during the test period
Eating candy or snacks just before being tested
Working out just before you’re tested
Inability to eat as recommended

Notify your healthcare provider about all supplements, medicines, vitamins, and herbs you’re taking. This includes all illegal drugs as well as medications that don’t require a prescription.

Knowing your postprandial blood glucose levels gives you control over your condition

Information on your postprandial blood sugar levels can help you detect problematic areas in very important ways. According to the AACE (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) when blood sugar levels rise after meals, and remain elevated, it is usually hard to lower them to the desired range. It is important to keep in mind that continuously high A1C levels increase the risk of developing diabetes-related complications.

Measuring PPG helps determine whether pre-meal bolus insulin or dietary modifications are needed to reduce spikes. PPG therapy and monitoring is recommended for patients whose A1C levels remain above target even after achieving their pre-meal blood glucose targets.

Who should check postprandial blood sugar levels?

Your specific condition as well as your blood sugar level goals help determine how often PPG tests should be done. Your healthcare team can help you determine your target goals and testing regimen. According to the ADA, certain people should test blood sugar and PPG levels more frequently, these include:

Pregnant women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes
Patients who are trying a new insulin dosage or new insulin
People with uncontrolled diabetes
People who are under multiple medications
People who are at risk of low or high blood sugar

Carbohydrates make a higher contribution to postprandial blood sugar levels than the protein and fat content of a meal. Checking PPG on a regular basis helps you determine the best balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Therefore, it’s essential to learn how to count carbs in a bid to achieve your blood sugar level goals, especially after eating.

Read more about normal random blood sugar levels HERE.