What can you do to lower your blood sugar levels?

lowering blood sugar levels
lowering blood sugar levels

What can you do to lower your blood sugar levels, for diabetics this very serious question that needs an answer. Diabetes is a disease that is currently taking over the nation. Today’s sugar filled foods and the ability for diabetics to live longer is only fuel to the already massive fire. Diabetes is a disease where the body is failing to get the required amounts of chemical called insulin. This absolutely necessary chemical is produced by the pancreas.

For some unknown reason the pancreas will stop or slow in production of this chemical. This chemical is used by the body to transform the sugar (glucose) in the blood into fuel that the cells are able to use. Without proper amounts of this necessary chemical the glucose levels in the blood begin to rise to high levels. Once they reach a certain level the body begins to suffer damage. The damage most commonly associated with high blood sugar levels is nerve damage, heart damage, kidney damage, and eye damage. But this can all be avoided if the diabetic can lower their blood sugar level and keep it at that lower level. So how can you lower your blood sugar levels?

There are quite a few things you can do to lower your blood sugar levels. The first and most important is to talk to your doctor. He can give you the best information for your body and diabetes. The next thing is to do a diabetic diet, as prescribed by your doctor. This usually means cutting out the sugar filled junk and fruit. These items can throw your blood sugar off in a heartbeat and must be avoided. Also you should exercise as it stimulates insulin production and helps lower the blood sugar level. But you should talk to your doctor about this so you can do the best helping exercise for your body. These things will help lower your blood sugar levels.

Continue ReadingWhat can you do to lower your blood sugar levels?

Glucose Meter Ratings

Glucose Meter Ratings
Glucose Meter Ratings

When it comes to glucose meter ratings there are any number of glucose meter reviews posted online and they can occasionally be found in medical magazines. When it comes to any kind of ratings, including glucose meter ratings, the smart consumer reads the ratings and understands that they are just guidelines and may even by biased in one direction or the other depending on the way the ratings may be slanted by the manufacturers and suppliers.

No matter what the glucose meter ratings are or what the reviews say the smart consumer should always do their own research before deciding what to buy. After all, everyone is different, every situation is different, and when the glucose meter ratings or reviews say that 8 out of 10 consumers preferred brand X it doesn’t necessarily mean that brand X is the right brand for you.

If you make a ratings and reviews based purchase without doing your own research you may suddenly find that you belong to the 2 out of 10 people who thought that brand X was the worst thing on the market.

There is a large number of glucose meters on the market today, and they all have features only dreamed of a few years ago. Some of today’s new glucose meters can even be plugged into your computer and the data downloaded directly into your glucose charting program so that trending and tracking your blood sugar can be done with just a few clicks of the mouse. Glucose meters are like cell phones, not everyone wants or needs the newest smart phone on the market, and some people actually prefer a simple and straightforward glucometer without all the bells and whistles. The best glucose meter ratings are the ones you do yourself during your pre-purchase research.

Consumer ratings and reviews on any product provide an invaluable tool for those in the market to begin their search for the right product. When it comes to glucose meter ratings and reviews be sure and check things out for yourself before you buy.

Continue ReadingGlucose Meter Ratings

Accu Check Glucose Meters

Accu Check Glucose Meters
Accu Check Glucose Meters

Accucheck glucose meters are one of the new breed of compact glucometers. The accu check glucose meters are so small as to fit neatly in the palm of the hand and so light at to be practically unnoticed when stowed in a purse of carry bag for easy travelling. The newest accu check glucose meters are a miniature when compared to the bulky meters that were available just a few years ago, and it is so sensitive that it takes only the smallest amount of blood to read the glucose level. This means that a thinner gauge lancet can be used to obtain the blood sample and this of course means a great deal less discomfort than the meters that were used just a few years ago.

The accu check glucose meters are also fast. The days of waiting a minute or more for a glucose reading are gone, the newer model meters are able to read the blood sugar in just a few seconds. The accu check can store and recall a multitude of readings complete with a time and date stamp for each reading, and can even be set up to make trending and tracking your blood glucose levels quick, simple, and easy.

If you are a diabetic who also uses insulin, the accucheck glucose test meter even allows you to record your insulin doses for easy tracking and access, so practically all your treatment information can be kept in one place.

If you are in the market for a new glucometer, or if you are newly in need of one, the accucheck glucose meters are one of the best options on the market today. When you buy an accu check you will get all the best features of the new generation glucometers rolled into one compact yet powerful little unit.

Accu Check Glucose Meters

Continue ReadingAccu Check Glucose Meters

Freestyle Flash Glucose Meter

Freestyle Flash Glucose Meter
Freestyle Flash Glucose Meter

The freestyle flash glucose meter is among the best and most reliable on the market. When it comes to properly managing blood glucose levels a reliable glucose meter is a must have. The key to fending off the worst diabetes complications is by maintaining a blood glucose level that is as close to normal as possible. In order to do this the diabetic patient must be constantly vigilant and keep a close watch on their glucose levels. In these cases only the most reliable and easy to use meters, like the freestyle flash glucose meter, will do the job as it needs to be done.

When it comes to charting or keeping a log of blood sugar readings the newest and best meters, such as the new freestyle flash glucose meter, has usb access so they can be plugged directly into your computer so that your blood sugar log can be updated and read with just a few clicks of the mouse.

If you are diligent in keeping a chart or log of your blood sugar levels you will begin to see patterns and trends so that you may even be able to anticipate changes before they happen. In this way you will be constantly prepared to manage any changes in sugar levels through medication management of dietary changes. A freestyle flash glucose meter makes this a simple test.

Not only should a good glucose meter be reliable and easy to use, but it should also be fast and require a minimum of blood. Nobody likes the idea of sticking themselves three four or five times a day to draw blood to check their sugar.

With the newer blood glucose meters, like the Bayer blood glucose meters, only a very small amount of blood is needed. This means that a smaller pinprick can be used and less discomfort experienced. The freestyle flash glucose meter is among the best available and are a vast improvement over the glucose meters of the past.

Continue ReadingFreestyle Flash Glucose Meter

American Diabetes Assoc. Diet

American Diabetes Assoc Diet
American Diabetes Assoc Diet

The American Diabetes Assoc. diet consists of a variety of foods that are not only good for you, but also taste good and the diet isn’t only healthy just for diabetics but can be healthy for anyone. The American Diabetes Assoc. diet recommends a daily intake of four food groups which consist of vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and low fat dairy products. It is worth noting that the American Diabetes Assoc. diet is without sweets and other forms of simple sugars as these food items can cause dangerous spikes and sudden low in blood sugar.

The whole grains vegetables and low fat dairy products can supply the type of complex carbohydrates that are needed to keep the blood sugar reasonably stable.

There are two types of carbohydrates simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are sugars like glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose and are mainly found in processed foods and fruits. Complex carbohydrates are usually found in starchy foods like nuts, potatoes, rice, and beans.

Complex carbohydrates are generally more desirable as part of a healthy diet as they digest slowly and provide long lasting and steady sources of energy father than the quick spike and fall of glucose levels which comes from simple carbohydrates. When considering any diet, even the American Diabetes Assoc. diet, it is important to make sure that both types of carbs are included in the count.

Though the American Diabetes Association is a great place to get information on diet and many other things that are of utmost importance to the diabetic patient only the diabetic’s personal doctor will be completely familiar with their overall health.

Therefore the diabetic’s personal physician should be the first person turned to in order to obtain information on whether the American Diabetes Assoc. diet may be right for a particular diabetic.

Continue ReadingAmerican Diabetes Assoc. Diet