When you’re trying to manage diabetes and keep diabetes symptoms under control, one of the most effective steps you can take is following a diabetes diet. Chances are, your healthcare team has already mentioned certain foods you should include in this diet. These recommendations might consist of fruits, vegetables, and certain types of meat.
But have you ever wondered why these food categories could help you fight diabetes? The answer is simple: foods in these groups tend to be “nutrient-dense.” If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of nutrient density, read on for our guide – and a list of nutrient-dense superfoods that can turbocharge your diabetes diet.
What is Nutrient Density?
People can’t eat an infinite amount of food on a given day. That may seem like a fairly obvious statement, but it means that you and everyone else need to make choices about what you eat to get the nutrients you need. Even if two different food items have similar amounts of calories, they could have radically different effects on your overall health. This is the case because they have differing amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
The concept of nutrient density refers to a food item’s nutritional content compared to its calorie count. Highly nutrient-dense foods are packed with vitamins and minerals while containing relatively few calories. On the flip side, foods with low nutrient density have lots of calories but limited nutrients. They also tend to be high in saturated fats and sugars.
Some foods with low nutrient density (more commonly known as “junk foods”) include candy, white bread, chips, ice cream, and soda. Excessive amounts of these foods can wreak havoc on anyone’s diet. Still, it’s imperative to avoid them if you have diabetes since they could make your diabetes symptoms worse. The good news is that many foods with higher nutrient density levels can help you keep your diabetes diagnosis under control.
Try These Nutrient-Dense Foods
Are you looking for nutrient-dense foods to add to your diabetes diet? Your healthcare team can help, but it may be a good idea to consider these amazing superfoods:
Beans and Peas
Beans are delicious, affordable, and packed with nutrients. Focus on eating these types of beans to manage your blood sugar while getting lots of fiber, protein, iron, zinc, and folate:
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Garbanzo beans
Lima beans
Black beans
Black-eyed peas
Split peas
Lentils
Blueberries
Many items in the produce section are great for your health, but few fruits can match blueberries in terms of nutritional value. Though vegetables can have higher levels of vitamins and minerals, these berries make up for this with the antioxidants they contain. Some of these antioxidants can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing them to protect your brain – studies show that blueberries may boost memory in older people. Furthermore, in another study blueberries appeared to lower obese individual’s with metabolic syndrome their LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. These berries could play a role in fighting cancer, too.
Dark Chocolate
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to mean giving up dessert – especially when you treat your sweet tooth to dark
chocolate! When it has a high cocoa percentage and you eat it in moderation, dark chocolate can be much more nutritious than you might think. Studies have shown that dark chocolate is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods! As a result, dark chocolate has health benefits similar to those associated with blueberry consumption. Furthermore, research suggests that eating this chocolate at least five times a week could lower your heart disease risk by 57 percent.
Garlic
Garlic can do much more than add flavor to your meals. When you add garlic to your diet, you’ll benefit from its high amounts of calcium, manganese, selenium, copper, potassium, and vitamins C, B1, and B6. Meanwhile, it contains sulfur compounds like allicin, which could lower your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. As if that’s not enough, studies show that garlic has various cancer fighting properties too.
Kale
Leafy greens, in general, are great for diabetes management, but nothing beats kale. This veggie is chock-full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and beneficial bioactive compounds. Kale is high in vitamin C, A and vitamin K1. It also contains large amounts of vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. Kale may be even healthier than spinach because of its lower amount of oxalates. These are substances that can bind to certain minerals in your intestines and prevent them from being absorbed by your body.
Salmon
You may have heard that fish are a good source of protein for people with diabetes. But that doesn’t mean that all fish are equally nutritious – and salmon is one of the best options out there. This type of fish is exceptionally high in omega-3 fatty acids, and eating it can reduce your risk of certain serious diseases. Along with essential fatty acids and protein, eating salmon will give you many B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. It is recommended to eat fatty, omega 3 rich fish at least once or twice a week for good health.
Sardines
Sardines are another type of fish that’s packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also a uniquely
nutrient-rich option since they’re customarily eaten whole – including their organs. Because of this, sardines offer small amounts of almost every nutrient you could need. (But be sure to exercise caution when purchasing sardines – canned sardines can be high in sodium. Instead, try to find water-packed sardines with packaging that uses the term “low sodium.”)
Support Your Nutrient-Dense Diet With Diabetes Supplies
Once you’ve built a diabetes diet that focuses on nutrient-dense foods like these, you’ll need to watch your blood sugar levels to make sure it’s working as intended. That means having reliable access to glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, and diabetes testing supplies. If you need a trustworthy supplier of these items and many others, choose ADS to get the job done!
Complications related to diabetes can affect all sorts of organs in the human body, including the eyes, kidneys, and heart. But did you know that this disease could also affect your biggest organ of all – that is, your skin? If you don’t take diabetes management seriously, you could fall victim to all sorts of skin-related complications.
Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy having glowing skin, whether you have diabetes or not. One step that can help improve your skin health is eating right. Check out the ADS guide to building a diet that takes both diabetes and skincare into account, along with all the other skin health tips you need.
How Can Diabetes Affect Your Skin Health?
There’s a good chance that you’re already aware of the most infamous diabetes complications – a category that includes heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and many other conditions. What you may not know is that skin-related diabetes complications are just as common. In fact, these complications can serve as the first warning sign of diabetes or prediabetes, so paying close attention to your skin health is vital.
Like other diabetes complications, skin problems linked to diabetes usually result from uncontrolled blood sugar levels. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes but have started noticing skin problems, it may indicate that you need to make changes to your diabetes treatment regimen. Contact your physician to discuss.
Some diabetes complications related to the skin include:
Itchy patches on the skin, usually brown, yellow, or reddish in color
Hard, thick skin, especially on the backs of hands and fingers
A dark band of skin that feels like velvet
Skin infections
Open wounds or sores, particularly on the feet
The sudden appearance of reddish-yellow bumps that look like pimples
Unusually itchy, dry skin
A large number of skin tags, most common areas for growth include on the eyelids, neck, armpit and groin.
The Four Best Nutrients for Healthy Skin
When you’re working to manage diabetes, it’s crucial to make sure you’re eating a nutritious diet. That also applies to skin health – and many of the foods that help fight diabetes also contribute to glowing skin! By eating foods rich in these four nutrients, you’ll reap the benefits of improved skin health and enhanced diabetes control.
Vitamins
Foods high in vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex are just what you need to keep your skin healthy! The vitamins and antioxidants found in colorful fruits and veggies do a fantastic job of preventing dry skin, protecting against free radical damage, and making wrinkles less visible.
Vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beans (including red, black, and pinto beans), peppers, artichokes, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach are chock-full of vitamins. The same is true for all sorts of fruits, including plums, grapes, berries, and kiwi. Just be sure to include these foods while counting carbs!
Essential Fatty Acids
Weight loss can be highly beneficial when you’re controlling diabetes. But while cutting down on fat is often a good idea, you shouldn’t eliminate fat from your diet – especially since some fats are healthier than others. Reasonable portions of essential fatty acids can help your skin maintain its vital oil barrier.
The best strategy is to focus on foods with unsaturated fats like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in cold-water fish (like sardines, mackerel, and salmon), walnuts, flaxseed, and olive oil. Meanwhile, you’ll get Omega 6 fatty acids from various cooking oils, poultry, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Minerals
Selenium. Studies show that selenium may help lower your risk of skin cancer, along with improving your skin’s elasticity. But this isn’t the only mineral that can boost your skin health, either. Some excellent dietary sources of selenium are the whole grains found in cereals and brown rice, eggs, seafood, and garlic.
Copper promotes elastin development. Whole grains can also help you get extra copper, and the same is true for eating nuts and seeds, avocados, green leafy vegetables, beans, and shellfish.
Zinc. Zinc is a well known mineral for healthy skin. Zinc is necessary for collagen formation and plays an important role in wound healing. Zinc is found in meat, poultry, nuts, beans, dairy foods and whole grains.
Water
You may not usually think of water as a nutrient, but it fits the definition of this category – and staying hydrated is essential to good skin health. Getting at least half a gallon (or eight to ten glasses) of water a day can help your skin look young and stay moist.
Drinking water isn’t the only way you can get this indispensable nutrient. You can also drink beverages like green or black tea, along with eating the right portion sizes of water-packed foods like peaches, celery, and (of course) watermelon.
For a consultation on how to keep your skin healthy while living with diabetes please contact our Certified Diabetes Educator for more details.
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Just about everyone who has diabetes has heard about the dangers associated with carbohydrates – and for a good reason. When you don’t closely monitor your carb intake, it can seriously affect your blood glucose level. In turn, that could eventually make you more likely to experience severe complications of diabetes down the line.
But not all carbs have the same effects on your body. When consumed in reasonable portions, some carbohydrates play a vital role in maintaining your health. Fiber is a crucial carb for people with diabetes since it can actively make it easier to manage this condition. For much more information on fiber and diabetes, read on.
The Basics of Fiber
It’s easy to assume that all carbohydrates are basically the same thing. Still, there’s more to know about this nutrient category than this implies. First, it’s necessary to understand that there are three basic types of carbs – sugar, starches, and fiber. Unlike sugars and most starches, the body doesn’t digest dietary fiber. Still, this carb comes with many benefits, including improvements to your digestive health.
Because of this, it might be surprising to learn that most people don’t get enough fiber each day. In fact, most adults in the United States only get half their daily recommended fiber intake. Do you suspect you might fall into this category? In that case, it’s time to talk to your healthcare team about adding more fiber to your diabetes diet.
Know These Types of Fiber
There are two basic subgroups of fiber, both of which come with unique benefits. Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, creating a gel-like material in the process. This type of fiber is most closely associated with reduced blood glucose and cholesterol. You can find soluble fiber in legumes, certain fruits (including apples and citrus fruits), carrots, barley, oats, and psyllium.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in liquid. You need this form of fiber to help waste travel smoothly through your digestive system. Many foods include insoluble fiber, such as beans, nuts, some vegetables, wheat bran, and whole-wheat flour.
Fighting Diabetes with Fiber
Though fiber is a crucial part of anyone’s diet, people with diabetes should put extra emphasis on eating enough fiber daily. That’s because fiber can assist in handling diabetes in several ways. Fiber can help you:
Control your blood sugar. While other carbohydrates can cause blood sugar to spike, that’s not the case for fiber – after all, your body doesn’t absorb it. Fiber can slow the rate at which you absorb other carbohydrates, making it easier to stay in range.
Feel full throughout the day. Weight management plays an essential role in handling diabetes. Since fiber goes through the stomach slowly, it can help you stay full for longer, making it easier to avoid overeating.
Keep your heart healthy. Some of the worst complications of diabetes are related to heart disease. Fiber can cut down on the amount of cholesterol and fats you absorb, which can lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Adding More Fiber to Your Diabetes Diet
Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But to get the fiber you need, you’d have to add five more apples to your everyday diet. Six apples contain about 30 grams of fiber, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 encourage adults to get 22 to 34 grams of fiber daily.
Obviously, you don’t need to eat half a dozen apples each day to reach your fiber requirements. Instead, keep these tips in mind:
Focus on Whole Grains
When shopping for bread, rice, pasta, and other grains, look for products that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient. Two slices of whole-wheat bread and a cup of cooked brown rice both contain four grams of fiber. (A word of warning: if an item is advertised as “multigrain” or “100-percent wheat,” it probably isn’t whole-grain.)
Get The Day Started Right
Not all cereals are good sources of whole grains, and even some whole-grain cereals are full of unneeded sugars. Instead, try cereals like Fiber One (which has 14 grams of fiber per half-cup) and Raisin Bran (which has 7.5 grams of fiber per cup). Otherwise, consider eating oatmeal with berries and nuts or avocado toast with chickpeas.
Load Up on Legumes
Beans aren’t just a fantastic source of fiber – they also come with a ton of nutritious plant-based protein. Add a quarter-cup of kidney beans to a green salad for three grams of fiber, or eat a cup of canned minestrone soup for five grams of this nutrient. Other legumes, like peas and lentils, are also great for adding fiber to your diet.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
A good diabetes diet should include lots of produce, and the fiber found in many fruits and veggies is a big reason for that. You’ll get five grams of fiber in a cup of cooked carrots and four grams in a cup of strawberries.
Consider Chia Seeds
Chia seeds and flaxseed make it easy to add fiber to almost anything. A tablespoon of flaxseed contains three grams of fiber, while an identically-sized serving of chia seeds comes with five grams. Just mix them into smoothies, soups, cereals, and other dishes for a quick dose of fiber!
Take It Slow
If your current diet doesn’t include much fiber, getting more of this nutrient is wise. However, you should make a point of introducing fiber gradually and drinking lots of water while you do! You could run into digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation if you don’t.
Enhance Your Diabetes Management With Fiber – And ADS
With our advice, you’ll be ready to add fiber to your diabetes diet the smart way and reap the health benefits associated with this nutrient. While you’re making improvements to your diabetes management strategy, why not take a moment to think about how you’re getting diabetes supplies? If you could use a reliable supplier of insulin, glucose meters, and any other diabetes-related products, you can’t go wrong ordering from ADS.
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Eating a healthy diet is a massive part of any effective diabetes management strategy. If you have diabetes, your research into dietary health may have led you to the idea that eating more small meals over the course of the day is healthier than the “standard” three large meals.
That sounds logical enough on the surface – after all, many people with diabetes need to eat snacks to keep their blood sugar in check. However, the truth is more complicated than this may suggest. In this article, you’ll find a complete explanation of scheduling your diabetes diet, along with the foods you should make sure to include as part of your everyday meals.
What the Research Says About Meal Scheduling
It’s “common knowledge” that eating a larger number of smaller meals can help you lose weight, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. A University of Ottawa study determined that dividing calories between six meals instead of three doesn’t have any notable impact on weight loss. Instead, it seems like this can make people more likely to overeat.
Another study, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on the relationship between meal frequency and type 2 diabetes. This study found that eating three meals a day is the best option for blood glucose management. When you consider both studies, it’s clear that making significant changes to your dietary schedule probably isn’t the best idea.
Healthy Snacks Can Still Help
While it’s best to stick to the three main meals when managing diabetes, that doesn’t mean you should only eat at these times. Quite a few people with diabetes have found that small snacks help keep their blood sugar in range throughout the day. When you put some thought into your snacking plan, snacks can even lower your likelihood of overeating during meals.
The key to successful snacking is to avoid overindulging in carbohydrates. Your exact needs may vary, but for most people, the ideal diabetes snack contains no more than 15 grams of carbs. That way, you’ll get a quick energy boost without putting yourself at risk of binge-eating.
Putting Your Diabetes Diet Together
Now that you know when to eat, the follow-up question is obvious: what foods should your diabetes diet include, and what foods should it omit? The easiest way to start planning a diabetes diet is to look at foods in terms of the categories they fall into:
Focus on Fruits and Veggies
Though they count as a source of carbs, fresh fruits and raw/cooked vegetables contain lots of fiber and nutrients that can help keep your diabetes in check. Just be sure to include them while counting carbs, and look for options that are high in fiber.
Get the Protein You Need
Most protein sources are fine for people with diabetes, but lean protein
s (including meat, fish, poultry, tofu, and dairy) are ideal. Meanwhile, plant-based protein sources contain nutrients and fiber, so add some of these proteins to your diet.
Make Sure to Eat Nutritious Complex Carbs
Instead of avoiding carbohydrates entirely, your best option is to focus on eating controlled portions of carbs that are high in nutritious value. These are often found in whole-grain foods like brown rice and oatmeal.
Steer Clear of These Foods
When you’re planning a diabetes diet, knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what you should eat. Unhealthy fats, oils, and sweets are at the top of the list when it comes to foods you shouldn’t normally bother with, but processed grains aren’t far behind. And while produce is usually a great option, salty canned vegetables, fruit juice, fast food and other products in this vein can cause more trouble than you might expect.
Some Good Snack Ideas from the American Diabetes Association
(Include about 15-20 grams of carbohydrates)
⅓ cup of hummus and 1 cup raw fresh cut vegetables
1 small apple and 1 slice reduced fat cheese
3 cups light popcorn
½ turkey sandwich made with 1 slice whole wheat bread and 2 slices of lean turkey
¼ cup of low fat cottage cheese and ½ cup light canned fruit or fresh fruit
ADS Can Help You Manage Diabetes
The process of planning a diabetes diet can be overwhelming, but you don’t need to follow fad diets or make massive changes to your meal schedule to stay healthy. Instead, eat three balanced meals a day, along with small, healthy snacks when you need them. Finally, don’t make any significant changes to your diet without talking to your healthcare team first! You can also contact Halle Elbling, ADS’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with any questions.
Creating a healthy diet is an essential part of diabetes management, but it isn’t enough to control diabetes on its own. You’ll also need reliable access to high-quality diabetes supplies like insulin, glucose meters, and testing supplies. Advanced Diabetes Supply is a leading national supplier of all diabetes testing supplies – take a look at everything we can send to you today!
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If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s essential to start building your diabetes management strategy right away. Along with a diabetes diet and regular exercise, blood glucose tests are a crucial element of any attempt to keep diabetes symptoms under control.
Still, there are some things you’ll need to know before your first blood sugar test. Here, you’ll learn when you should check your blood sugar and much more about blood glucose testing.
The Importance of Blood Sugar Tests
When you’re trying to manage diabetes, every decision matters – countless factors can play a role in your ability to live with this disease. These include everything from what you eat, to how much physical activity you get, to whether or not you smoke. Because so many things can have positive or negative effects on your diabetes management, having some way to keep track of everything is crucial.
Blood sugar numbers are the most effective way to see how lifestyle changes have impacted your diabetes. By testing your blood sugar levels, you can get regular updates on the effectiveness of your approach to diabetes management. You’ll also be able to make changes if something isn’t working, lowering your likelihood of running into serious complications later on.
Blood Sugar Testing 101
There are two blood sugar testing methods you need to know about:
Blood sugar self-tests, and
The Hemoglobin A1C test.
For now, we’ll focus on the first method. When testing your blood sugar, you’ll need to use a blood glucose meter. These devices can quickly measure the amount of sugar contained in a single drop of your blood, making them valuable tools for people with diabetes.
That said, no two blood glucose meters work identically. You’ll need to read the instructions that come with your meter to make sure you’re using it correctly – if you get confused, your healthcare team will be able to help. Some meters can also automatically store blood sugar test results; if yours doesn’t, it’s important to write down your results manually so you can share them with your healthcare team later on.
When to Test Your Blood Sugar
Generally speaking, people with diabetes can benefit from checking their blood sugar regularly. But based on things like the medications you use to control diabetes and the type of diabetes you have, your ideal testing schedule could look very different from someone else’s.
If you have type 1 diabetes, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to test your blood sugar more often than people with other types of diabetes. The same holds true for people who have type 2 diabetes but need to take insulin to manage this condition. On the other hand, people who have type 2 diabetes but don’t need insulin may be testing their blood sugar much less often. Still, it’s important to note that people in this category should still have access to a glucose meter.
Many people with diabetes find that some good times to test their glucose levels are:
Immediately after waking up
Right before a meal
Two hours after the start of eating a meal
Just before bed
To make sure your blood sugar testing schedule is as close as possible to your individual needs, make sure to work with your healthcare team when setting it up.
When you’re dealing with unusual circumstances, keeping an extra-close eye on your glucose levels can go a long way. Remember this when:
You’ve come down with any sort of illness
Your blood glucose levels are out of range more often than normal
You plan on getting an abnormally high amount of exercise
Meanwhile, you might not need to test your blood sugar as often as you have been if you’ve successfully managed your diabetes for a long time. Your doctor will inform you if and when this is the case – don’t cut down on testing without their OK.
Know Your Target Blood Glucose Levels
No matter how diligent you are when testing your blood sugar and recording your results, it won’t help if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. To give you a head start, many people with diabetes strive for these goals:
Before a meal: 80-130
Two hours after eating: Under 180
These numbers are just meant to give you a sense of what common target numbers look like. Ask your healthcare team what your target readings are!
How to Respond to High or Low Readings
If your readings are significantly higher than your target level, you’re dealing with something called “hyperglycemia” – put simply, high blood sugar. If you don’t take care of this condition, it can eventually cause severe damage. Hyperglycemia can be treated by drinking a glass of water and if you feel alright, taking a walk. Also, you might have to make changes to what you ate in your meals. If exercise and changes in your diet do not work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it. However, let your healthcare team know if this happens to you three or more times within two weeks.
It’s not a good idea to keep your blood sugar as low as possible, either – that’s called “hypoglycemia,” and it poses significant dangers of its own. If your blood sugar levels are under 70, respond by consuming fast-acting carbs, like glucose tablets, fruit juice, or (non-diet) soda. Also, contact your physician of frequent daily occurrences of hypoglycemia.
What Sets the Hemoglobin A1C Test Apart?
It may be confusing for people who are good at keeping up on their daily blood sugar tests to learn that you need to get another blood glucose test multiple times each year. However, getting Hemoglobin A1C tests is a necessary part of your approach to diabetes management. What does this test measure? The CDC explains that when sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everyone has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but individuals with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.
Unlike self-monitoring tests, the A1C test is designed to help you and your healthcare team keep track of your average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months. This test can also help determine the medications you need and the ideal dosage of these medications.
Additionally, the results of A1C tests are different from the results of “normal” glucose tests. Your healthcare team will find an A1C goal number that fits your situation; for many people with diabetes, the goal is a result under 7 percent. You’ll need to get an A1C test at least twice a year, with additional tests necessary if your results are above your goal or your treatment methods change.
Find Glucose Testing Supplies You Can Trust
A successful blood glucose testing plan starts with knowledge of how often you should check your blood sugar. But to do so, you’ll have to get reliable equipment and supplies.
ADS can provide everything you need to test your blood glucose levels. Choose us for blood glucose meters, testing supplies, and much more. It’s easy to get started – just visit our online shop to see what we have available!
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Plants of all shapes and sizes are a cornerstone of any successful diabetes diet. That includes vegetables, fruits, and plant-based protein sources – but have you ever thought about the role herbs can play in diabetes management? While you may not eat these plants on their own, they can still add health benefits to other foods you eat.
However, it’s important not to go overboard. Some herbs can help with diabetes, but they shouldn’t be the sole step people take to treat this condition. Whether you’re curious about the possibility of treating diabetes naturally or just want to add some flavor to your diabetes diet, here’s what you need to know about diabetes and herbs.
Don’t Rely on Herbs Alone
In any discussion of herbs and diabetes, the topic of natural medicine is never far behind. There’s a good reason for that: herbs can have notable health benefits when added carefully to a diabetes treatment plan. As part of this, they can reduce diabetes side effects, replace nutrients a patient lacks, and even lower glucose levels and insulin resistance.
That said, it’s crucial to remember that the use of herbs for diabetes management has its limits. While herbs can lower some people’s reliance on insulin, trustworthy naturopathic doctors and herbalists will never ask their patients to take herbal products instead of insulin. If your pancreas cannot produce the insulin you need, regular insulin therapy is the only way you can keep living a healthy life. Be sure to work with your healthcare team and discuss any herbs or natural remedies you are taking along with your diabetes medications. And remember the best way to manage your diabetes is to take your prescribed medications, and make healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight, increasing exercise and sticking to a healthy and balanced diet.
The Best Herbs for Diabetes
Here are some herbs and natural remedies that may help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes:
Cinnamon. Several scientific studies have supported links between cinnamon and improved diabetes management. Consuming half a teaspoon of this spice each day can possibly help your blood sugar, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.
Aloe Vera. You most likely are aware of the uses of this plant for the skin however it may help lower levels of both fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels. Aloe vera is used as a juice and can even be added to smoothies.
Bitter melon. While this plant may sound like a bitter pill to swallow, its health benefits are worth the trouble. Bitter melon extract was found to help reduce fasting blood glucose levels.
Ginger. This herb has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicines. It has been found that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. Use it fresh in cooking, or brew it in a tea.
Psyllium. Fiber is excellent for people with diabetes – including this plant fiber, often found in fiber supplements and bulk laxatives. It can lower your blood sugar and your cholesterol.
Keep These Cooking Tips In Mind
Follow these tips when buying and using herbs in the kitchen:
Herbs should always be fresh when you purchase them. Steer clear of herbs that are wilted or discolored.
Store herbs on the top shelf of your refrigerator – since heat rises, this is usually the warmest part of the fridge. To keep them moist, wrap them in a damp paper towel.
Don’t wash herbs before storing them. Instead, wash them right before using them.
When recipes call for dry herbs, it’s easy to use fresh herbs instead. In most cases, you can swap 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Tender herbs (including basil and cilantro) should be added just before a meal is done cooking. On the other hand, robust herbs (like rosemary and thyme) can stand up to longer cooking times.
While freezing herbs can damage their quality, you can still use frozen herbs in cooked dishes. Try freezing rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, parsley, tarragon, dill, and chives.
Know Which Herbs to Use
If you haven’t used herbs and spices while cooking before, it can be hard to determine which herbs go best with which foods. To make this easier, use our “cheat sheet” while you get started.
Manage Diabetes with Herbs – And Supplies from ADS
When you combine the health benefits of natural herbs with the diabetes supplies you already rely on every day, it’s easy to take your diabetes management efforts to the next level. Along with increasing your herb intake, you can make it simpler to live with diabetes by ordering your supplies right here at ADS. We sell insulin, diabetes testing supplies, glucose meters, and more – get started by placing your first order today!
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It’s a good idea for people with diabetes to eat lots of vegetables, and one of the best veggies for diabetes is asparagus! Learn why asparagus is a diabetes superfood and how you can add it to your diabetes diet.
Did your parents constantly tell you to “eat your veggies” when you were younger? You might not have enjoyed hearing this as a child, especially if you were a picky eater – but there’s a good reason why it’s such a classic piece of advice. Increased vegetable intake can improve just about anyone’s health, and that’s especially true for people living with diabetes. Veggies are a nutritious source of carbohydrates, and they often come packed with valuable fiber, nutrients, and vitamins.
There’s no denying that asparagus is one of the healthiest vegetables out there, whether you have diabetes or not. And if you are living with diabetes or are trying to reduce your diabetes risk, there’s reason to believe this delicious vegetable can help! Read on to find out what makes asparagus so amazing.
Asparagus May Help Fight Diabetes
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, adding asparagus to your diet might help you keep diabetes symptoms under control. This study, performed at Pakistan’s Karachi University, looked at rats with diabetes. Half of the rat population received asparagus extract for a month, while the other half received glibenclamide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The result: Small amounts of the asparagus extract appeared to help with blood sugar control. More significant amounts had the same effect – and the benefit of increased insulin production.
Better yet, this study supports previous research done on the topic of asparagus and diabetes. Another study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal in 2006, found that asparagus consumption was linked to an 81-percent increase in the body’s ability to use glucose.
Even More Asparagus Health Benefits
On its own, the link between asparagus and improved diabetes control would be enough of a reason to put this vegetable on your plate. But the health perks of asparagus don’t stop there! When you make a point of eating asparagus regularly, you’ll also get:
High levels of folate. One 5.3-ounce serving of asparagus delivers 60 percent of your recommended daily allowance of folacin. The vitamin folate is important for making red blood cells and for cell division.
Low in calories and with countless nutrients. Asparagus boasts fiber, thiamin, vitamins A, B6, and K – just to name a few.
Good source of antioxidants. Asparagus is rich in Vitamins C and E, and the antioxidants called flavonoids and polyphenols.
Antioxidants have been shown to prevent the accumulation of free radicals and may reduce chronic disease.
Can improve digestive health. Asparagus is high in insoluble fiber which adds bulk to stool and supports regular bowel movements. It also contains small amounts of soluble fiber, which dissolves in water and forms a gel like substance in the digestive tract.
Lots of minerals. While asparagus is known for its iron and copper content, you’ll also get a bit of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and manganese from this vegetable. Since it can help lower blood pressure, potassium is vital for treating diabetes.
Asparagus Nutritional Values
Are you looking for the nutritional values for asparagus? Here they are:
Serving size
1 cup
Calories
27
Protein
3 grams
Carbohydrates
5 grams
Fat
0 grams
Cholesterol
0 milligrams
Sodium
3 milligrams
Potassium
271 milligrams
Dietary Fiber
3 grams
Protein
6 percent DV
Vitamin A
20 percent DV
Vitamin C
12 percent DV
Iron
16 percent DV
Vitamin B6
5 percent DV
Adding Asparagus to Your Diabetes Diet is Easy
If you’re like many people, eating more vegetables is easier said than done – especially if you have bad memories of eating asparagus as a kid. Still, if you take the time to prepare it right, asparagus can be as delicious as it is nutritious.
Give one of these ideas a try:
Add asparagus spears to soups, omelets, casseroles, and pasta.
Serve steamed asparagus with some parmesan and olive oil drizzled on top.
For extra protein and a unique flavor, eat asparagus along with pistachios or other nuts.
Make a healthy, delicious appetizer by grilling asparagus stalks with onions and macadamia nut oil.
Try stir-frying asparagus, along with sesame seeds, pepper, ginger, and garlic for added flavor.
Control Diabetes with Asparagus – And ADS
Whether asparagus is already one of your favorite vegetables or you haven’t eaten it in years, it’s always a bright idea to use this veggie the next time you cook dinner. When you do, you’ll be able to appreciate how it’s helping you manage your diabetes!
Along with eating a healthy diet, a crucial part of diabetes management is ensuring you have the diabetes supplies you need. Whether you use insulin, glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, or other supplies, you can count on ADS to ship them to you as quickly and reliably as possible!
https://www.northcoastmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/amazing-asparagus.jpg321845projectmanagerhttps://www.northcoastmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ads-logo-new.pngprojectmanager2021-12-23 09:38:412021-12-22 17:34:53Asparagus Is Good for Diabetes: Find Out Why | ADS
Sometimes, people with diabetes can treat this disease through diet and exercise alone. However, that’s not always the case – everyone with type 1 diabetes needs to use insulin to manage their condition, and the same is true for some individuals with type 2 diabetes.
One common insulin analog product is insulin lispro, sold under the brand name “Humalog” and manufactuered by Eli Lilly. If you have diabetes and wonder if th
is product is right for you, keep reading for the ADS guide to insulin lispro, the bioequivalent to Lilly’s Humalog.
What is Insulin Lispro?
Insulin lispro is a type of bolus insulin used to lower after-meal glucose levels. You may be prescribed insulin lispro to treat your diabetes. In that case, it can help to understand the vital role insulin plays in your health, along with the characteristics that define this type of insulin.
Usually, specific cells in the pancreas called “beta cells” produce insulin. Insulin’s job is to help the body use or store the glucose derived from carbohydrates in your food. Basal insulin (sometimes called background insulin) helps regulate glucose levels between meals and is released 24 hours a day. On the other hand, the pancreas releases bolus insulin in direct response to the ingestion of food to manage the rise in blood glucose that immediately follows.
When the body doesn’t produce insulin (as seen in type 1 diabetes) or when it becomes resistant to using insulin properly (as is the case for people with gestational and type 2 diabetes), cells can no longer access the energy they need. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, which can result in serious complications. Some people with diabetes receive a prescription for insulin to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
There are two varieties of bolus insulin: rapid-acting insulin and short-acting insulin. Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin, which means it is:
Absorbed quickly from your fat tissue (subcutaneous) into the bloodstream.
Used to control the blood sugar during meals and snacks and to correct high blood sugars.
How to Use Insulin Lispro
To understand how insulin lispro works in your body, you need to know that insulin has an action curve with three phases:
Onset: The amount of time that lapses between when you inject insulin and when it starts to affect blood sugar levels.
Peak: The point at which insulin is working at maximum capacity.
Duration: How long insulin continues to work after taking effect.
Since insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin, it is taken at mealtimes and starts working in 15 minutes or less. It peaks anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes, and it remains in the bloodstream for up to three to five hours.
Because it starts working so quickly, patients generally take rapid-acting insulin within 15 minutes of eating – either within the 15 minutes before a meal or as much as 15 minutes after starting to eat.
If you have any questions about using this medication, talk with your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare provider.
Delivering Insulin Lispro
Insulin lispro and other types of insulin usually get injected into the subcutaneous tissue – that is, the fatty tissue located just under the skin. The body areas used most commonly for insulin injections are the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs.
You can deliver insulin in three ways:
Insulin vial and syringe. The traditional way of taking insulin, in which patients use a needle to draw insulin from a vial and inject it.
Insulin pens and dosing devices. Insulin pens are usually the size of a large fountain pen. Some are reusable, and some are disposable. Disposable pens come prefilled with insulin, while reusable models use a cartridge filled with insulin.
Insulin pumps. These are small, computerized, mechanical devices about the size of a pager. You can wear these pumps on your belt or in a pocket, and they deliver a steady stream of rapid- or short-acting insulin 24 hours a day through a needle attached to a flexible plastic tube. Whenever you eat, you press a button on the pump to give yourself bolus insulin.
Storage of Insulin Lispro
As is the case for all unopened insulin products, you must store unopened insulin lispro in the refrigerator. Refrigerate this medication at 36° to 46°F (2° to 8°C), and make sure it is not frozen. Opened insulin lispro vials may be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature; opened insulin lispro cartridges and prefilled pens can only be stored at room temperature and should not be refrigerated. Throw away all insulin lispro in use after 28 days, even if there is still some left. Along with this, throw away all insulin products after the expiration date on the package.
Insulin Lispro and Medicare
When your physician prescribes insulin, you must find a method of delivery that works for you. Expense and insurance coverage may influence your choice, but it’s equally important to take convenience and level of manual dexterity into account. Having your insulin billed to your Medicare Part B benefit may help you save on out-of-pocket expenses and get the delivery method you need.
Along with this, having your insulin billed to your Medicare Part B benefit will help avoid costs that affect your Part D/Pharmacy Benefit “doughnut hole.” Make sure to work with your physician and your diabetes care team to choose and learn to use the best method for you.
Choose ADS for Insulin Lispro
Are you a Medicare patient using an insulin pump with pump supplies billed to your Medicare Part B benefit? If so, and if you live in the continental United States, ADS can deliver Eli Lilly’s Insulin Lispro directly to you. It’s easy to get started – just give us a call at 877.838.3026 and ask for our Insulin Team!
Diabetes is a condition which millions of patients navigate daily – whether they know it or not. In the last fifty years, several scientific discoveries have significantly improved the lives of patients living with this disease. One major step in this field is a relatively recent development: the invention of the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system.
It’s far from an exaggeration to say that CGMs have been one of the most significant achievements in the fight against diabetes thus far. These systems are currently the latest technological tools available for people with diabetes to control their blood glucose levels. Better yet, they can significantly reduce the number of fingerstick tests diabetes patients need to do on an average day.
Are you interested in learning more about CGM systems? This article will give you all the information you need about this cutting-edge technology – and some of the best products available in this category today.
ALBANY, N.Y., Mar. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Price Chopper/Market 32 and Advanced Diabetes Supply (ADS) announced today that the progressive New York-based supermarket chain with 82 pharmacies is the first in the Northeast to partner with the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) supplier to offer a solution for CGM fulfillment for qualified Medicare Part B patients with a valid prescription.
Choose Nutrient Dense Foods Daily
When you’re trying to manage diabetes and keep diabetes symptoms under control, one of the most effective steps you can take is following a diabetes diet. Chances are, your healthcare team has already mentioned certain foods you should include in this diet. These recommendations might consist of fruits, vegetables, and certain types of meat.
But have you ever wondered why these food categories could help you fight diabetes? The answer is simple: foods in these groups tend to be “nutrient-dense.” If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of nutrient density, read on for our guide – and a list of nutrient-dense superfoods that can turbocharge your diabetes diet.
What is Nutrient Density?
People can’t eat an infinite amount of food on a given day. That may seem like a fairly obvious statement, but it means that you and everyone else need to make choices about what you eat to get the nutrients you need. Even if two different food items have similar amounts of calories, they could have radically different effects on your overall health. This is the case because they have differing amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
The concept of nutrient density refers to a food item’s nutritional content compared to its calorie count. Highly nutrient-dense foods are packed with vitamins and minerals while containing relatively few calories. On the flip side, foods with low nutrient density have lots of calories but limited nutrients. They also tend to be high in saturated fats and sugars.
Some foods with low nutrient density (more commonly known as “junk foods”) include candy, white bread, chips, ice cream, and soda. Excessive amounts of these foods can wreak havoc on anyone’s diet. Still, it’s imperative to avoid them if you have diabetes since they could make your diabetes symptoms worse. The good news is that many foods with higher nutrient density levels can help you keep your diabetes diagnosis under control.
Try These Nutrient-Dense Foods
Are you looking for nutrient-dense foods to add to your diabetes diet? Your healthcare team can help, but it may be a good idea to consider these amazing superfoods:
Beans and Peas
Beans are delicious, affordable, and packed with nutrients. Focus on eating these types of beans to manage your blood sugar while getting lots of fiber, protein, iron, zinc, and folate:
Blueberries
Many items in the produce section are great for your health, but few fruits can match blueberries in terms of nutritional value. Though vegetables can have higher levels of vitamins and minerals, these berries make up for this with the antioxidants they contain. Some of these antioxidants can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing them to protect your brain – studies show that blueberries may boost memory in older people. Furthermore, in another study blueberries appeared to lower obese individual’s with metabolic syndrome their LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. These berries could play a role in fighting cancer, too.
Dark Chocolate
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to mean giving up dessert – especially when you treat your sweet tooth to dark
chocolate! When it has a high cocoa percentage and you eat it in moderation, dark chocolate can be much more nutritious than you might think. Studies have shown that dark chocolate is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods! As a result, dark chocolate has health benefits similar to those associated with blueberry consumption. Furthermore, research suggests that eating this chocolate at least five times a week could lower your heart disease risk by 57 percent.
Garlic
Garlic can do much more than add flavor to your meals. When you add garlic to your diet, you’ll benefit from its high amounts of calcium, manganese, selenium, copper, potassium, and vitamins C, B1, and B6. Meanwhile, it contains sulfur compounds like allicin, which could lower your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. As if that’s not enough, studies show that garlic has various cancer fighting properties too.
Kale
Leafy greens, in general, are great for diabetes management, but nothing beats kale. This veggie is chock-full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and beneficial bioactive compounds. Kale is high in vitamin C, A and vitamin K1. It also contains large amounts of vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper. Kale may be even healthier than spinach because of its lower amount of oxalates. These are substances that can bind to certain minerals in your intestines and prevent them from being absorbed by your body.
Salmon
You may have heard that fish are a good source of protein for people with diabetes. But that doesn’t mean that all fish are equally nutritious – and salmon is one of the best options out there. This type of fish is exceptionally high in omega-3 fatty acids, and eating it can reduce your risk of certain serious diseases. Along with essential fatty acids and protein, eating salmon will give you many B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. It is recommended to eat fatty, omega 3 rich fish at least once or twice a week for good health.
Sardines
Sardines are another type of fish that’s packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. They’re also a uniquely
nutrient-rich option since they’re customarily eaten whole – including their organs. Because of this, sardines offer small amounts of almost every nutrient you could need. (But be sure to exercise caution when purchasing sardines – canned sardines can be high in sodium. Instead, try to find water-packed sardines with packaging that uses the term “low sodium.”)
Support Your Nutrient-Dense Diet With Diabetes Supplies
Once you’ve built a diabetes diet that focuses on nutrient-dense foods like these, you’ll need to watch your blood sugar levels to make sure it’s working as intended. That means having reliable access to glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, and diabetes testing supplies. If you need a trustworthy supplier of these items and many others, choose ADS to get the job done!
Keep Your Skin Healthy With These Nutrients | ADS
Complications related to diabetes can affect all sorts of organs in the human body, including the eyes, kidneys, and heart. But did you know that this disease could also affect your biggest organ of all – that is, your skin? If you don’t take diabetes management seriously, you could fall victim to all sorts of skin-related complications.
Fortunately, there are many ways to enjoy having glowing skin, whether you have diabetes or not. One step that can help improve your skin health is eating right. Check out the ADS guide to building a diet that takes both diabetes and skincare into account, along with all the other skin health tips you need.
How Can Diabetes Affect Your Skin Health?
There’s a good chance that you’re already aware of the most infamous diabetes complications – a category that includes heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, and many other conditions. What you may not know is that skin-related diabetes complications are just as common. In fact, these complications can serve as the first warning sign of diabetes or prediabetes, so paying close attention to your skin health is vital.
Like other diabetes complications, skin problems linked to diabetes usually result from uncontrolled blood sugar levels. If you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes but have started noticing skin problems, it may indicate that you need to make changes to your diabetes treatment regimen. Contact your physician to discuss.
Some diabetes complications related to the skin include:
Skin infections
The Four Best Nutrients for Healthy Skin
When you’re working to manage diabetes, it’s crucial to make sure you’re eating a nutritious diet. That also applies to skin health – and many of the foods that help fight diabetes also contribute to glowing skin! By eating foods rich in these four nutrients, you’ll reap the benefits of improved skin health and enhanced diabetes control.
Vitamins
Foods high in vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex are just what you need to keep your skin healthy! The vitamins and antioxidants found in colorful fruits and veggies do a fantastic job of preventing dry skin, protecting against free radical damage, and making wrinkles less visible.
Vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beans (including red, black, and pinto beans), peppers, artichokes, kale, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach are chock-full of vitamins. The same is true for all sorts of fruits, including plums, grapes, berries, and kiwi. Just be sure to include these foods while counting carbs!
Essential Fatty Acids
Weight loss can be highly beneficial when you’re controlling diabetes. But while cutting down on fat is often a good idea, you shouldn’t eliminate fat from your diet – especially since some fats are healthier than others. Reasonable portions of essential fatty acids can help your skin maintain its vital oil barrier.
The best strategy is to focus on foods with unsaturated fats like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in cold-water fish (like sardines, mackerel, and salmon), walnuts, flaxseed, and olive oil. Meanwhile, you’ll get Omega 6 fatty acids from various cooking oils, poultry, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Minerals
Selenium. Studies show that selenium may help lower your risk of skin cancer, along with improving your skin’s elasticity. But this isn’t the only mineral that can boost your skin health, either. Some excellent dietary sources of selenium are the whole grains found in cereals and brown rice, eggs, seafood, and garlic.
Copper promotes elastin development. Whole grains can also help you get extra copper, and the same is true for eating nuts and seeds, avocados, green leafy vegetables, beans, and shellfish.
Zinc. Zinc is a well known mineral for healthy skin. Zinc is necessary for collagen formation and plays an important role in wound healing. Zinc is found in meat, poultry, nuts, beans, dairy foods and whole grains.
Water
You may not usually think of water as a nutrient, but it fits the definition of this category – and staying hydrated is essential to good skin health. Getting at least half a gallon (or eight to ten glasses) of water a day can help your skin look young and stay moist.
Drinking water isn’t the only way you can get this indispensable nutrient. You can also drink beverages like green or black tea, along with eating the right portion sizes of water-packed foods like peaches, celery, and (of course) watermelon.
Even More Diabetes Skin Care Tips
Putting some thought into improving your diet is a fantastic way to start working on skincare if you have diabetes. That said, it isn’t the only way to keep your skin as healthy as possible. You should also:
Avoid anxiety by ordering the diabetes supplies you need from ADS! We’re the nation’s most trusted supplier of insulin, diabetes testing supplies, glucose meters, and more.
For a consultation on how to keep your skin healthy while living with diabetes please contact our Certified Diabetes Educator for more details.
How Fiber Can Enhance a Diabetes Diet | ADS
Just about everyone who has diabetes has heard about the dangers associated with carbohydrates – and for a good reason. When you don’t closely monitor your carb intake, it can seriously affect your blood glucose level. In turn, that could eventually make you more likely to experience severe complications of diabetes down the line.
But not all carbs have the same effects on your body. When consumed in reasonable portions, some carbohydrates play a vital role in maintaining your health. Fiber is a crucial carb for people with diabetes since it can actively make it easier to manage this condition. For much more information on fiber and diabetes, read on.
The Basics of Fiber
It’s easy to assume that all carbohydrates are basically the same thing. Still, there’s more to know about this nutrient category than this implies. First, it’s necessary to understand that there are three basic types of carbs – sugar, starches, and fiber. Unlike sugars and most starches, the body doesn’t digest dietary fiber. Still, this carb comes with many benefits, including improvements to your digestive health.
Because of this, it might be surprising to learn that most people don’t get enough fiber each day. In fact, most adults in the United States only get half their daily recommended fiber intake. Do you suspect you might fall into this category? In that case, it’s time to talk to your healthcare team about adding more fiber to your diabetes diet.
There are two basic subgroups of fiber, both of which come with unique benefits. Soluble fiber can dissolve in water, creating a gel-like material in the process. This type of fiber is most closely associated with reduced blood glucose and cholesterol. You can find soluble fiber in legumes, certain fruits (including apples and citrus fruits), carrots, barley, oats, and psyllium.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in liquid. You need this form of fiber to help waste travel smoothly through your digestive system. Many foods include insoluble fiber, such as beans, nuts, some vegetables, wheat bran, and whole-wheat flour.
Fighting Diabetes with Fiber
Though fiber is a crucial part of anyone’s diet, people with diabetes should put extra emphasis on eating enough fiber daily. That’s because fiber can assist in handling diabetes in several ways. Fiber can help you:
Adding More Fiber to Your Diabetes Diet
Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But to get the fiber you need, you’d have to add five more apples to your everyday diet. Six apples contain about 30 grams of fiber, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 encourage adults to get 22 to 34 grams of fiber daily.
Obviously, you don’t need to eat half a dozen apples each day to reach your fiber requirements. Instead, keep these tips in mind:
Focus on Whole Grains
When shopping for bread, rice, pasta, and other grains, look for products that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient. Two slices of whole-wheat bread and a cup of cooked brown rice both contain four grams of fiber. (A word of warning: if an item is advertised as “multigrain” or “100-percent wheat,” it probably isn’t whole-grain.)
Get The Day Started Right
Not all cereals are good sources of whole grains, and even some whole-grain cereals are full of unneeded sugars. Instead, try cereals like Fiber One (which has 14 grams of fiber per half-cup) and Raisin Bran (which has 7.5 grams of fiber per cup). Otherwise, consider eating oatmeal with berries and nuts or avocado toast with chickpeas.
Load Up on Legumes
Beans aren’t just a fantastic source of fiber – they also come with a ton of nutritious plant-based protein. Add a quarter-cup of kidney beans to a green salad for three grams of fiber, or eat a cup of canned minestrone soup for five grams of this nutrient. Other legumes, like peas and lentils, are also great for adding fiber to your diet.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables
A good diabetes diet should include lots of produce, and the fiber found in many fruits and veggies is a big reason for that. You’ll get five grams of fiber in a cup of cooked carrots and four grams in a cup of strawberries.
Consider Chia Seeds
Chia seeds and flaxseed make it easy to add fiber to almost anything. A tablespoon of flaxseed contains three grams of fiber, while an identically-sized serving of chia seeds comes with five grams. Just mix them into smoothies, soups, cereals, and other dishes for a quick dose of fiber!
Take It Slow
If your current diet doesn’t include much fiber, getting more of this nutrient is wise. However, you should make a point of introducing fiber gradually and drinking lots of water while you do! You could run into digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation if you don’t.
Enhance Your Diabetes Management With Fiber – And ADS
With our advice, you’ll be ready to add fiber to your diabetes diet the smart way and reap the health benefits associated with this nutrient. While you’re making improvements to your diabetes management strategy, why not take a moment to think about how you’re getting diabetes supplies? If you could use a reliable supplier of insulin, glucose meters, and any other diabetes-related products, you can’t go wrong ordering from ADS.
Eating Right for Diabetes | Modified Meal Plans
Eating a healthy diet is a massive part of any effective diabetes management strategy. If you have diabetes, your research into dietary health may have led you to the idea that eating more small meals over the course of the day is healthier than the “standard” three large meals.
That sounds logical enough on the surface – after all, many people with diabetes need to eat snacks to keep their blood sugar in check. However, the truth is more complicated than this may suggest. In this article, you’ll find a complete explanation of scheduling your diabetes diet, along with the foods you should make sure to include as part of your everyday meals.
It’s “common knowledge” that eating a larger number of smaller meals can help you lose weight, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. A University of Ottawa study determined that dividing calories between six meals instead of three doesn’t have any notable impact on weight loss. Instead, it seems like this can make people more likely to overeat.
Another study, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on the relationship between meal frequency and type 2 diabetes. This study found that eating three meals a day is the best option for blood glucose management. When you consider both studies, it’s clear that making significant changes to your dietary schedule probably isn’t the best idea.
Healthy Snacks Can Still Help
While it’s best to stick to the three main meals when managing diabetes, that doesn’t mean you should only eat at these times. Quite a few people with diabetes have found that small snacks help keep their blood sugar in range throughout the day. When you put some thought into your snacking plan, snacks can even lower your likelihood of overeating during meals.
The key to successful snacking is to avoid overindulging in carbohydrates. Your exact needs may vary, but for most people, the ideal diabetes snack contains no more than 15 grams of carbs. That way, you’ll get a quick energy boost without putting yourself at risk of binge-eating.
Putting Your Diabetes Diet Together
Now that you know when to eat, the follow-up question is obvious: what foods should your diabetes diet include, and what foods should it omit? The easiest way to start planning a diabetes diet is to look at foods in terms of the categories they fall into:
Focus on Fruits and Veggies
Though they count as a source of carbs, fresh fruits and raw/cooked vegetables contain lots of fiber and nutrients that can help keep your diabetes in check. Just be sure to include them while counting carbs, and look for options that are high in fiber.
Get the Protein You Need
Most protein sources are fine for people with diabetes, but lean protein
s (including meat, fish, poultry, tofu, and dairy) are ideal. Meanwhile, plant-based protein sources contain nutrients and fiber, so add some of these proteins to your diet.
Make Sure to Eat Nutritious Complex Carbs
Instead of avoiding carbohydrates entirely, your best option is to focus on eating controlled portions of carbs that are high in nutritious value. These are often found in whole-grain foods like brown rice and oatmeal.
Steer Clear of These Foods
When you’re planning a diabetes diet, knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what you should eat. Unhealthy fats, oils, and sweets are at the top of the list when it comes to foods you shouldn’t normally bother with, but processed grains aren’t far behind. And while produce is usually a great option, salty canned vegetables, fruit juice, fast food and other products in this vein can cause more trouble than you might expect.
Some Good Snack Ideas from the American Diabetes Association
(Include about 15-20 grams of carbohydrates)
ADS Can Help You Manage Diabetes
The process of planning a diabetes diet can be overwhelming, but you don’t need to follow fad diets or make massive changes to your meal schedule to stay healthy. Instead, eat three balanced meals a day, along with small, healthy snacks when you need them. Finally, don’t make any significant changes to your diet without talking to your healthcare team first! You can also contact Halle Elbling, ADS’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with any questions.
Creating a healthy diet is an essential part of diabetes management, but it isn’t enough to control diabetes on its own. You’ll also need reliable access to high-quality diabetes supplies like insulin, glucose meters, and testing supplies. Advanced Diabetes Supply is a leading national supplier of all diabetes testing supplies – take a look at everything we can send to you today!
How Frequently Should You Test Blood Glucose Levels? | ADS
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, it’s essential to start building your diabetes management strategy right away. Along with a diabetes diet and regular exercise, blood glucose tests are a crucial element of any attempt to keep diabetes symptoms under control.
Still, there are some things you’ll need to know before your first blood sugar test. Here, you’ll learn when you should check your blood sugar and much more about blood glucose testing.
The Importance of Blood Sugar Tests
When you’re trying to manage diabetes, every decision matters – countless factors can play a role in your ability to live with this disease. These include everything from what you eat, to how much physical activity you get, to whether or not you smoke. Because so many things can have positive or negative effects on your diabetes management, having some way to keep track of everything is crucial.
Blood sugar numbers are the most effective way to see how lifestyle changes have impacted your diabetes. By testing your blood sugar levels, you can get regular updates on the effectiveness of your approach to diabetes management. You’ll also be able to make changes if something isn’t working, lowering your likelihood of running into serious complications later on.
Blood Sugar Testing 101
There are two blood sugar testing methods you need to know about:
For now, we’ll focus on the first method. When testing your blood sugar, you’ll need to use a blood glucose meter. These devices can quickly measure the amount of sugar contained in a single drop of your blood, making them valuable tools for people with diabetes.
That said, no two blood glucose meters work identically. You’ll need to read the instructions that come with your meter to make sure you’re using it correctly – if you get confused, your healthcare team will be able to help. Some meters can also automatically store blood sugar test results; if yours doesn’t, it’s important to write down your results manually so you can share them with your healthcare team later on.
When to Test Your Blood Sugar
Generally speaking, people with diabetes can benefit from checking their blood sugar regularly. But based on things like the medications you use to control diabetes and the type of diabetes you have, your ideal testing schedule could look very different from someone else’s.
If you have type 1 diabetes, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to test your blood sugar more often than people with other types of diabetes. The same holds true for people who have type 2 diabetes but need to take insulin to manage this condition. On the other hand, people who have type 2 diabetes but don’t need insulin may be testing their blood sugar much less often. Still, it’s important to note that people in this category should still have access to a glucose meter.
Many people with diabetes find that some good times to test their glucose levels are:
To make sure your blood sugar testing schedule is as close as possible to your individual needs, make sure to work with your healthcare team when setting it up.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change Your Testing Schedule
While it’s healthy to have a schedule for testing your blood sugar levels, flexibility is essential, too. There are some situations where checking these levels more or less often than usual may be wise.
When you’re dealing with unusual circumstances, keeping an extra-close eye on your glucose levels can go a long way. Remember this when:
Meanwhile, you might not need to test your blood sugar as often as you have been if you’ve successfully managed your diabetes for a long time. Your doctor will inform you if and when this is the case – don’t cut down on testing without their OK.
Know Your Target Blood Glucose Levels
No matter how diligent you are when testing your blood sugar and recording your results, it won’t help if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. To give you a head start, many people with diabetes strive for these goals:
These numbers are just meant to give you a sense of what common target numbers look like. Ask your healthcare team what your target readings are!
How to Respond to High or Low Readings
If your readings are significantly higher than your target level, you’re dealing with something called “hyperglycemia” – put simply, high blood sugar. If you don’t take care of this condition, it can eventually cause severe damage. Hyperglycemia can be treated by drinking a glass of water and if you feel alright, taking a walk. Also, you might have to make changes to what you ate in your meals. If exercise and changes in your diet do not work, your doctor may change the amount of your medication or insulin or possibly the timing of when you take it. However, let your healthcare team know if this happens to you three or more times within two weeks.
It’s not a good idea to keep your blood sugar as low as possible, either – that’s called “hypoglycemia,” and it poses significant dangers of its own. If your blood sugar levels are under 70, respond by consuming fast-acting carbs, like glucose tablets, fruit juice, or (non-diet) soda. Also, contact your physician of frequent daily occurrences of hypoglycemia.
What Sets the Hemoglobin A1C Test Apart?
It may be confusing for people who are good at keeping up on their daily blood sugar tests to learn that you need to get another blood glucose test multiple times each year. However, getting Hemoglobin A1C tests is a necessary part of your approach to diabetes management. What does this test measure? The CDC explains that when sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches to hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. Everyone has some sugar attached to their hemoglobin, but individuals with higher blood sugar levels have more. The A1C test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have sugar-coated hemoglobin.
Unlike self-monitoring tests, the A1C test is designed to help you and your healthcare team keep track of your average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months. This test can also help determine the medications you need and the ideal dosage of these medications.
Additionally, the results of A1C tests are different from the results of “normal” glucose tests. Your healthcare team will find an A1C goal number that fits your situation; for many people with diabetes, the goal is a result under 7 percent. You’ll need to get an A1C test at least twice a year, with additional tests necessary if your results are above your goal or your treatment methods change.
Find Glucose Testing Supplies You Can Trust
A successful blood glucose testing plan starts with knowledge of how often you should check your blood sugar. But to do so, you’ll have to get reliable equipment and supplies.
ADS can provide everything you need to test your blood glucose levels. Choose us for blood glucose meters, testing supplies, and much more. It’s easy to get started – just visit our online shop to see what we have available!
Cooking With Herbs
Plants of all shapes and sizes are a cornerstone of any successful diabetes diet. That includes vegetables, fruits, and plant-based protein sources – but have you ever thought about the role herbs can play in diabetes management? While you may not eat these plants on their own, they can still add health benefits to other foods you eat.
However, it’s important not to go overboard. Some herbs can help with diabetes, but they shouldn’t be the sole step people take to treat this condition. Whether you’re curious about the possibility of treating diabetes naturally or just want to add some flavor to your diabetes diet, here’s what you need to know about diabetes and herbs.
Don’t Rely on Herbs Alone
In any discussion of herbs and diabetes, the topic of natural medicine is never far behind. There’s a good reason for that: herbs can have notable health benefits when added carefully to a diabetes treatment plan. As part of this, they can reduce diabetes side effects, replace nutrients a patient lacks, and even lower glucose levels and insulin resistance.
That said, it’s crucial to remember that the use of herbs for diabetes management has its limits. While herbs can lower some people’s reliance on insulin, trustworthy naturopathic doctors and herbalists will never ask their patients to take herbal products instead of insulin. If your pancreas cannot produce the insulin you need, regular insulin therapy is the only way you can keep living a healthy life. Be sure to work with your healthcare team and discuss any herbs or natural remedies you are taking along with your diabetes medications. And remember the best way to manage your diabetes is to take your prescribed medications, and make healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight, increasing exercise and sticking to a healthy and balanced diet.
The Best Herbs for Diabetes
Here are some herbs and natural remedies that may help in the treatment of type 2 diabetes:
Cinnamon. Several scientific studies have supported links between cinnamon and improved diabetes management. Consuming half a teaspoon of this spice each day can possibly help your blood sugar, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels.
Aloe Vera. You most likely are aware of the uses of this plant for the skin however it may help lower levels of both fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C levels. Aloe vera is used as a juice and can even be added to smoothies.
Bitter melon. While this plant may sound like a bitter pill to swallow, its health benefits are worth the trouble. Bitter melon extract was found to help reduce fasting blood glucose levels.
Ginger. This herb has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicines. It has been found that ginger may reduce insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. Use it fresh in cooking, or brew it in a tea.
Psyllium. Fiber is excellent for people with diabetes – including this plant fiber, often found in fiber supplements and bulk laxatives. It can lower your blood sugar and your cholesterol.
Keep These Cooking Tips In Mind
Follow these tips when buying and using herbs in the kitchen:
Know Which Herbs to Use
If you haven’t used herbs and spices while cooking before, it can be hard to determine which herbs go best with which foods. To make this easier, use our “cheat sheet” while you get started.
Manage Diabetes with Herbs – And Supplies from ADS
When you combine the health benefits of natural herbs with the diabetes supplies you already rely on every day, it’s easy to take your diabetes management efforts to the next level. Along with increasing your herb intake, you can make it simpler to live with diabetes by ordering your supplies right here at ADS. We sell insulin, diabetes testing supplies, glucose meters, and more – get started by placing your first order today!
Asparagus Is Good for Diabetes: Find Out Why | ADS
It’s a good idea for people with diabetes to eat lots of vegetables, and one of the best veggies for diabetes is asparagus! Learn why asparagus is a diabetes superfood and how you can add it to your diabetes diet.
Did your parents constantly tell you to “eat your veggies” when you were younger? You might not have enjoyed hearing this as a child, especially if you were a picky eater – but there’s a good reason why it’s such a classic piece of advice. Increased vegetable intake can improve just about anyone’s health, and that’s especially true for people living with diabetes. Veggies are a nutritious source of carbohydrates, and they often come packed with valuable fiber, nutrients, and vitamins.
There’s no denying that asparagus is one of the healthiest vegetables out there, whether you have diabetes or not. And if you are living with diabetes or are trying to reduce your diabetes risk, there’s reason to believe this delicious vegetable can help! Read on to find out what makes asparagus so amazing.
Asparagus May Help Fight Diabetes
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, adding asparagus to your diet might help you keep diabetes symptoms under control. This study, performed at Pakistan’s Karachi University, looked at rats with diabetes. Half of the rat population received asparagus extract for a month, while the other half received glibenclamide, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. The result: Small amounts of the asparagus extract appeared to help with blood sugar control. More significant amounts had the same effect – and the benefit of increased insulin production.
Better yet, this study supports previous research done on the topic of asparagus and diabetes. Another study, which appeared in the British Medical Journal in 2006, found that asparagus consumption was linked to an 81-percent increase in the body’s ability to use glucose.
Even More Asparagus Health Benefits
On its own, the link between asparagus and improved diabetes control would be enough of a reason to put this vegetable on your plate. But the health perks of asparagus don’t stop there! When you make a point of eating asparagus regularly, you’ll also get:
Asparagus Nutritional Values
Are you looking for the nutritional values for asparagus? Here they are:
Adding Asparagus to Your Diabetes Diet is Easy
If you’re like many people, eating more vegetables is easier said than done – especially if you have bad memories of eating asparagus as a kid. Still, if you take the time to prepare it right, asparagus can be as delicious as it is nutritious.
Give one of these ideas a try:
Control Diabetes with Asparagus – And ADS
Whether asparagus is already one of your favorite vegetables or you haven’t eaten it in years, it’s always a bright idea to use this veggie the next time you cook dinner. When you do, you’ll be able to appreciate how it’s helping you manage your diabetes!
Along with eating a healthy diet, a crucial part of diabetes management is ensuring you have the diabetes supplies you need. Whether you use insulin, glucose meters, continuous glucose monitors, or other supplies, you can count on ADS to ship them to you as quickly and reliably as possible!
Understanding the Medication Insulin Lispro
Sometimes, people with diabetes can treat this disease through diet and exercise alone. However, that’s not always the case – everyone with type 1 diabetes needs to use insulin to manage their condition, and the same is true for some individuals with type 2 diabetes.
One common insulin analog product is insulin lispro, sold under the brand name “Humalog” and manufactuered by Eli Lilly. If you have diabetes and wonder if th
is product is right for you, keep reading for the ADS guide to insulin lispro, the bioequivalent to Lilly’s Humalog.
What is Insulin Lispro?
Insulin lispro is a type of bolus insulin used to lower after-meal glucose levels. You may be prescribed insulin lispro to treat your diabetes. In that case, it can help to understand the vital role insulin plays in your health, along with the characteristics that define this type of insulin.
Usually, specific cells in the pancreas called “beta cells” produce insulin. Insulin’s job is to help the body use or store the glucose derived from carbohydrates in your food. Basal insulin (sometimes called background insulin) helps regulate glucose levels between meals and is released 24 hours a day. On the other hand, the pancreas releases bolus insulin in direct response to the ingestion of food to manage the rise in blood glucose that immediately follows.
When the body doesn’t produce insulin (as seen in type 1 diabetes) or when it becomes resistant to using insulin properly (as is the case for people with gestational and type 2 diabetes), cells can no longer access the energy they need. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, which can result in serious complications. Some people with diabetes receive a prescription for insulin to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
There are two varieties of bolus insulin: rapid-acting insulin and short-acting insulin. Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin, which means it is:
How to Use Insulin Lispro
To understand how insulin lispro works in your body, you need to know that insulin has an action curve with three phases:
Since insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin, it is taken at mealtimes and starts working in 15 minutes or less. It peaks anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes, and it remains in the bloodstream for up to three to five hours.
Because it starts working so quickly, patients generally take rapid-acting insulin within 15 minutes of eating – either within the 15 minutes before a meal or as much as 15 minutes after starting to eat.
If you have any questions about using this medication, talk with your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare provider.
Delivering Insulin Lispro
Insulin lispro and other types of insulin usually get injected into the subcutaneous tissue – that is, the fatty tissue located just under the skin. The body areas used most commonly for insulin injections are the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs.
You can deliver insulin in three ways:
Storage of Insulin Lispro
As is the case for all unopened insulin products, you must store unopened insulin lispro in the refrigerator. Refrigerate this medication at 36° to 46°F (2° to 8°C), and make sure it is not frozen. Opened insulin lispro vials may be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature; opened insulin lispro cartridges and prefilled pens can only be stored at room temperature and should not be refrigerated. Throw away all insulin lispro in use after 28 days, even if there is still some left. Along with this, throw away all insulin products after the expiration date on the package.
Insulin Lispro and Medicare
When your physician prescribes insulin, you must find a method of delivery that works for you. Expense and insurance coverage may influence your choice, but it’s equally important to take convenience and level of manual dexterity into account. Having your insulin billed to your Medicare Part B benefit may help you save on out-of-pocket expenses and get the delivery method you need.
Along with this, having your insulin billed to your Medicare Part B benefit will help avoid costs that affect your Part D/Pharmacy Benefit “doughnut hole.” Make sure to work with your physician and your diabetes care team to choose and learn to use the best method for you.
Choose ADS for Insulin Lispro
Are you a Medicare patient using an insulin pump with pump supplies billed to your Medicare Part B benefit? If so, and if you live in the continental United States, ADS can deliver Eli Lilly’s Insulin Lispro directly to you. It’s easy to get started – just give us a call at 877.838.3026 and ask for our Insulin Team!
Of course, insulin isn’t the only diabetes-related product we carry. While you’re visiting ADS’ web page, take a look at our online catalog! We can help you find CGM systems, diabetes testing supplies, insulin pumps, and more.
By, Halle Elbling, MS, RDN, CDE
Resources:
www.diabetesselfmanagement.com
American Diabetes Association. Insulin basics. Updated 2019.
American Diabetes Association. Insulin & other injectables. Updated 2019.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Review 2021
Diabetes is a condition which millions of patients navigate daily – whether they know it or not. In the last fifty years, several scientific discoveries have significantly improved the lives of patients living with this disease. One major step in this field is a relatively recent development: the invention of the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system.
It’s far from an exaggeration to say that CGMs have been one of the most significant achievements in the fight against diabetes thus far. These systems are currently the latest technological tools available for people with diabetes to control their blood glucose levels. Better yet, they can significantly reduce the number of fingerstick tests diabetes patients need to do on an average day.
Are you interested in learning more about CGM systems? This article will give you all the information you need about this cutting-edge technology – and some of the best products available in this category today.
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CGM Partnership: Price Chopper/Market 32 & Advanced Diabetes Supply
ALBANY, N.Y., Mar. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Price Chopper/Market 32 and Advanced Diabetes Supply (ADS) announced today that the progressive New York-based supermarket chain with 82 pharmacies is the first in the Northeast to partner with the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) supplier to offer a solution for CGM fulfillment for qualified Medicare Part B patients with a valid prescription.
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