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.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreUsually, 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.
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.
Read MoreLiving with type 1 diabetes takes a pretty hefty toolbox to tackle effectively. From insulin vials to CGM’s to BG meters, it takes a lot of different devices and medications to control your blood glucose levels. Has anyone ever told you that moving your body can be one of the most effective tools for caring for your type 1 diabetes?
Read MoreLiving with type 1 diabetes can be tough - to say the least. Not only do we have extreme regimens with insulin and low corrections but our diets tend to be fairly strict as well. So of course when a low-carb anything comes out, we have to and are drawn to try it. Makes sense, we are only humans after all. The thing is, we are so conditioned to think about what we can’t eat, it makes eating/drinking these products that much more appealing and while there are many products I can talk about, this month I wanted to focus primarily on “sugar free” beverages specifically.
Read MoreHaving good bacteria in our gut microbiome helps appetite, digestion, bowel movements, can aid with weight loss efforts and help us better control our blood sugars. For example in our gut microbiome, bacteria break down different food products that we wouldn’t normally be able to digest. While the bacteria are afforded a nice warm SAFE place to live. Therefore we both benefit. This may gross you out, but in fact is essential to human life and without it we would not be able to function.
Read MoreKeto is short for Ketosis, a metabolic state where the body is burning fat as a method to run on alternate “fuel.” See normally the body runs, and prefers to run, on glucose but in times of famine or other shortage of food, the body has the ability to switch gears and metabolize fat to ensure survival. For diabetes, weight loss typically results in an increase in insulin sensitivity and better blood sugar control.
Read MoreExercise and blood sugars. Its an interesting relationship between the two, but I want to demystify the cause and effect that can lead to us shying away from getting our exercise in. I want to show you that it can actually be relatively consistent and predictable with proper planning, documentation, and consistency. While this is something that I coach on in depth through my diabetic health coaching program, this will be more of an overview so that we can keep it short.
Read More"I was told I'd never eat sugar again." Matt Vande Vegte turned his diabetes diagnosis into his strength. FTF/From The Fight a beacon of hope for diabetics everywhere.
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