The most important part of any diabetes symptom management is monitoring blood glucose levels. There are three main ways that glucose levels in the blood can be monitored.

1. Fasting Blood Glucose:
Fasting blood glucose or fasting blood sugar is taken after an eight hour fast and measures the level of glucose in the blood at that time. Depending on the lab conducting the test the normal value of this test should be between 70 to 110 mg/dl. If the diabetes is uncontrolled these fasting glucose levels are much higher then normal.

2. Glycosylated hemoglobin:
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HgbA1c) is produced through a process that is irreversible. Hemoglobin combines with glucose as the red blood cells circulate through the blood stream and forms glycohemoglobin. Depending on the amount of glucose in the blood stream a certain amount of glycohemoglobin is formed during the red blood cells 120 day life span. The more glucose in the blood stream the greater the end value. Short term factors such as food, exercise and stress will not affect this value making it easy to take a blood sample at any time and is much easier then scheduling a fasting blood glucose test.

3. Self-monitoring.
This type of blood glucose test can be done in the diabetics own home with a glucometer or blood glucose meter, which is available for purchase at any pharmacy. This device is used to monitor glucose levels at any time but in particular before and after eating and before bedtime. The glucometer is used with a drop of blood obtained through a finger prick to measure blood glucose levels at specified times during the day. By self monitoring the diabetic can chart their glucose level which is important to maintain glycemic control. Through this method the affects of their meal plan, exercise program and other factors can be evaluated to see if the goal of their medical nutrition therapy is being met.

This allows their doctors and nutritionists to individualize the care plan to the particular diabetic's needs. This makes the older method of offering general diet plans and tear-off diet sheets a thing of the past.

The type of diabetes and treatment that is prescribed will determine the number of times the diabetic will need to test the glucose levels in their blood. Diabetic blood glucose monitoring is the lifeline that allows all diabetics to control their disease and live a normal life.

Glucose Monitors and Testing Strips at International Drug Mart
International Drug Mart a leading online foreign pharmacy has added Blood Glucose Monitors and testing strips to their site expanding to serve its customers. They are easy to use, fast, accurate and self-monitoring devices for measuring accurate blood sugar level. Depending upon the blood sugar levels the treatment for diabetes will change. So daily monitoring is essential to maintain good health.

At present International Drug Mart has included easy to use Accu-Check, Contour TS and One-Touch glucose monitoring devices.

Pick the blood glucoses monitors which best suits you.
1. Accu – Check glucose monitors are available with 10, 25 & 50 testing strips packs
2. Contour TS glucose monitor comes along with 50 strips at low cost. 3. One-Touch easy to use blood glucose meter is available along with 25 and 50 testing strips pack.
Have a look at these glucose-monitoring devices at International Drug Mart.

Diabetes is a common problem that can be come very serious if not taken care of properly. The levels in the blood will need to be monitored closely to ensure that proper steps are taken to keep you healthy. It's not pretty, it's not fun, but it may save your life.

With that in mind, it bears mentioning that it is absolutely essential that diabetes patients get the correct diabetes supply. One of the problems that are encountered with finding the right diabetes supply is that it can be quite expensive to get what you want. Sometimes, people will settle for what works, or worse, do without.

There are common types of diabetes supplies that will be needed including syringes, insulin, glucose meter and testing strips, along with lancets. You can also get other accessories for your diabetes supply such as a case in which to carry everything so you can have some privacy and carry the necessary items discreetly.

But if money is tight, how do you get the diabetes supply that you need? When dealing with diabetes, you can not just let it go. Of course, if you work for an employer who offers health insurance, that is going to be the best place to start. This is called an Employer-provided group insurance plan.

Another option is an offering from COBRA and HIPPA plans that are guaranteed to be issued. Also, you can get short term insurance for your medical needs. This is going to be major medical insurance, is available for one to thirty six months and will cover preexisting conditions. Keep in mind, this will be for diabetic who are not dependant on insulin. If all else fails, you can go thru sate and federally funded programs such as Medicate and welfare if you have diabetes and do not have another source of insurance.

After you have the diabetes supply you need to monitor your blood sugar, it is very important for you to take care of it. For example, the blood glucose monitor will need to be cleaned regularly and many may call to be rubbed down with rubbing alcohol before and after each reading. It may get tiresome doing this, especially if you test several times a day.

However, keep in mind that if you don't take care of your equipment properly, it may not give you accurate readings, which would be a waste of time, money and blood. Not to mention that it could cause you to take extra steps or none at all regarding your body's given insulin levels.

Technology is emerging all the time and diabetes supply is not immune to this. There are meters that work on less blood than ever before while giving you faster results and will even tell you in a voice what your reading is.

Low Cost Diabetic Supplies - Pay Less!
Diabetes is a chronic disease. Most experts in the medical field consider diabetic supplies as an awesome solution to keep the disease and complications related to it under control.

Most people are aware of the importance of purchasing diabetic supplies. With a lot of study, development, research and efforts of the scientists, analysts and managers gone in to manufacturing these supplies, the cost is definitely high.

Another reason for such rocket shooting prices for these supplies is the effectiveness. These supplies definitely work towards maintaining healthy and safe glucose and insulin levels inside the body. The benefit of having these supplies handy is that one can resort to these in case of an emergency or while traveling. Living with diabetes is very easy via relying on diabetic supplies.

Since people with diabetes are vulnerable to a lot complication and require undergoing a various treatment options, it is important to keep a stock of requisite diabetic supplies. Some of the common complications associated to diabetes include renal failure, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, hypertension, tissue damage and general organ.

When it comes to the costs related to diabetic supplies, you need to make some efforts in order to enjoy the benefits. Purchasing these supplies straight away from a retailer, pharmacists or a drug store can cost a fortune. Here are some tips you can take in to consideration in order to purchase these supplies at an affordable rate:

a) Discuss
First, you need to fix up an appointment with your doctor in order to make a list of the diabetic supplies you would actually require. Your health care practitioner will take in consideration your health condition and then prescribe the supplies reserved for you.

b) Availability
Once you have the list of diabetic supplies try to look for the availability of these. Make a list of all the retailer and drug stores near your area that sell these supplies.

c) Compare
Comparison shopping is the key to find the supplies you want at an affordable price. Try to visit most of the shops and know about the discounts offered. Settle for the shop owners that provide the lowest prices and then bargain.

d) Online stores
visiting online drug stores are the best option to purchase affordable diabetic supplies. Here, you would not face any hassles to roam about and visit drug retailers. All you require to do is to click the mouse button and the supplies required by you at your doorstep within a short period of time.

Following the steps mentioned above will let you purchase diabetic supplies at discounted prices.

Some currently popular eating plans like The Perricone Prescription, A Week in the Zone and The Protein Power Life plan recommend low glycemic foods.

The theory is that sugar and high glycemic carbs that rapidly convert to sugar trigger a release of insulin to control the level of sugar in the bloodstream. Excess sugar in the bloodstream is inflammatory and causes a cascade of free radical damage.

To explain how dangerous this is, Dr, Perricone points out that diabetics with poorly controlled blood sugar age one third faster than no diabetics and are prone to kidney failure, blindness, heart attack and stroke.

So insulin comes to the rescue to clear the excess sugar from the bloodstream. And what do you suppose the insulin does with all this sugar? It stores it as fat. And worse yet, until the insulin sweeps up the excess sugar, it runs rampant throughout the body causing glycation and cross-linking of the body's collagen. Nutritionists have recommended that people cut their consumption of sugar for decades. The surprise when one ranks sugars and carbs by their glycemic index is that some foods we normally think of as healthy show up as being bad for you.

The glycemic index is a ranking from 1 to 100, with 100 indicating the increase in blood sugar from eating table sugar (or white bread in one scale). Whichever scale is used, the important thing is a rank ordering of a food's effect on blood sugar.

The low glycemic food diets mentioned above have different cut off points. For example, Dr. Perricone's 28-day program prohibits any foods that score above 50 on the glycemic scale. That leaves out such things as bananas, bagels, carrots, corn, potatoes, rice and watermelon.

You can read more about the glycemic index (GI) and view the whole table http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm here. This site is authored by David Mendoza, a freelance medical writer and consultant specializing in diabetes. The site is a gold mine of information.

Mr. Mendoza points out that a food's glycemic index tells you how rapidly a particular carb turns into sugar, but not how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving.
The version of glycemic index on his site (courtesy of Professor Jennie-Brand Miller of the University of Sydney) includes a column called glycemic load (GL) as well as a column of serving size in grams.

Looking at this bigger picture, some of the "bad" carbs in low-glycemic food diets turn out to be not so bad. A 120g serving of watermelon has a horrible GI of 74 but a very low GL of 4. A medium banana (129g) has a bad GI of 51 but a medium GL of 13. An 80g serving of carrots has a borderline GI of 47 but a low GL of only 3. A 70g bagel has a high GI (72) as well as a high GL (25). A 150g serving of boiled white rice has a GI of 56 and a GL of 24. A medium baked potato (159g) has a high GI (60) and a marginal GL (18).

If you decide to concentrate on low-glycemic foods, I recommend you focus on a food's glycemic load. Just be careful to adhere to the indicated serving sizes (or adjust the calculation accordingly), GL is a better measure of how much sugar in total is being poured into the bloodstream and the amount of sugar that will be stored as fat.

3 Myths about Low Glycemic Foods and the Glycemic Index
The glycemic index is one of the newer tools used to measure the "healthiness" of a food item. The lower the Glycemic Index score of the food item, the healthier it is supposed to be. However, this is an oversimplification of what a low glycemic food actually is. There are many prevalent myths about the Glycemic Index and Low Glycemic foods that are encouraged by the latest 'fad' of low glycemic foods being the 'in' thing to eat. Here are five of the most common ones:

Myth #1 - The Glycemic Index Measure How Good the Food Is for Your Health:
The glycemic index is not a measure of healthiness in any way, shape or form. What it actually measures is the rate at which the food releases sugar into the system and how quickly it is digested. The faster the food is digested or absorbed, the faster it releases sugar leading to a spike in sugar level in the blood. The foods which cause a spike quickly, is given a higher GI (Glycemic Index) score, and vice versa. As such, high Glycemic foods lead to a sudden feeling of being "full" and hunger returns soon afterwards. On the other hand, low GI foods take longer to digest, giving a much longer feeling of being full. Additionally, for diabetics, it is "safer" to eat low GI foods as the sugar level does not spike rapidly and the body can absorb the food slowly. For example, a food that is generally good for your health may be a high GI food, such as protein shakes. Conclusion: GI rating is just one of the things to keep in mind while organizing your diet. Low glycemic foods are not naturally healthier.

Myth #2 - Glycemic Index is an accurate measurement of the sugar content in a food:
This one comes from the wrong understanding of the Glycemic index itself. Some people assume that foods high in sugar case a high blood sugar level spike, and therefore have a high GI rating. The truth is that a food with lower sugar content might actually lead to a higher spike. You might sprint 300 meters, or jog 300 meters. Conclusion: Two foods with significantly different sugar content may have the same GI score. At the same time, two foods with different GI scores may have the same sugar content. Low glycemic foods simply release the sugar slower, not more or less of it.

Myth #3 - Diabetics Should Buy Low Glycemic Foods without Knowing Anything More:
The truth is that the Glycemic Index scores of various foods are drastically affected by the way the foods are cooked. For example, raw carrots have a much lower glycemic index rating than cooked carrots do. As such, it is actually MORE important to know how to prepare and cook foods properly rather than simply buying low GI foods (unless they are ready to eat). As such, all diabetics and people looking to adopt a low GI diet should equip themselves with the proper knowledge on how to cook foods the right way.

These are just some common misconception that misrepresents what Low Glycemic foods are and how they are applicable for someone's diet.

Diabetes is a condition that develops when your body can no longer produce insulin (type 1 diabetes) or your body's ability to produce insulin is inhibited (type 2 diabetes). This restricts your ability to absorb blood sugar and leads to your blood sugar levels becoming extremely high.

1) BAKED CHICKEN DINNER
You will need:

• 4 oz. chicken
• 1 egg
• 4 oz. cooked peas
• 1/3 c. dry milk
• 2 tbsp. dehydrated onion flakes
• 2 tbsp. green peppers, diced
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt, seasoned
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 tbsp. pimento, chopped

To prepare combine all the ingredients in a casserole dish, place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

2) DELICIOUS SALMON SNACK
You will need:

• 6 oz. salmon
• 1 tbsp. chopped green pepper
• 1/4 tsp. onion flakes
• 1/4 tsp. horseradish
• 1 to 2 tbsp. diet French dressing
• 3 oz. Swiss cheese
• 6 slices tomatoes
• 3 slices of toast

To prepare mix the first 5 ingredients together and then divide the mix into thirds. After this spread the mix on 3 slices of toast and 1 ounce cheese and 2 slices of tomato to each slice. Finally, place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles.

3) CHEESE AND ONION CASSEROLE
You will need:

• 8 oz. onions. sliced
• 4 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 c. skim milk
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 slices enriched white bread, crumbled, divided in half

To prepare combine all the ingredients except 1/2 of the bread crumbs in a casserole dish. Mix them well and then top the casserole with the remaining bread crumbs. Place the casserole in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (or longer if the casserole is not cooked all the way through. The finished casserole should serve 4 people.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating these tasty recipes. Many people who are diagnosed with diabetes think that their diet will become bland and boring but these recipes are proof that this is simply not the case. Get yourself in the kitchen and start testing these fantastic recipes today.

Sharing Diabetes Recipes with Others
It is a great benefit for those who are diagnosed with diabetes to be able to share their favorite recipes with others. For newly diagnosed diabetics, you can receive some great recipes that can help you start living a healthy and controlled diet. Try sharing recipes with other diabetics who are successfully living with the illness.

If you have been living with diabetes for a while then you probably have quite a collection of diabetic recipes. Why not share your wisdom and share some of those recipes to those who are new to managing diabetes. By providing your recipes to others you will be helping another person who needs the support and help of other diabetic persons. You can also become involved with a recipe sharing program and get some great recipes for yourself. Everyone can benefit from sharing the recipes that are right for a diabetic diet.

For the person who has been recently diagnosed with diabetes there is a comfort in sharing recipes with other diabetes sufferers. You are joining a community of people who are caring for their health and managing diabetes in the healthiest possible way. This can show you that it is possible to live a completely normal life and still care for your illness.

When you are sharing recipes with other folks who are managing diabetes, you will want to be sure to look them over to make certain that they are, indeed, healthy for your diet. Just because someone is on a diabetes forum and sharing their recipes does not necessarily mean that they have taken the time to create a healthy diet. Many people make mistakes with their diet plan and could inadvertently give you a recipe that is not appropriate.

You should take the same care when you are participating in the diabetes community. Always check with your doctor to be sure that the advice that you are reading in these forums is accurate.

You will find that when you have diabetes you are able to live a completely normal life and eat foods that are enjoyable and delicious. You can share recipes with other diabetic persons and enjoy the benefits of good health. You can also pass these benefits on to every member of your family when you begin preparing the great recipes that you find in diabetes forums and through other diabetic people.

Diabetic diet is extremely important in all diabetes types and it must be respected regardless the medical treatment followed. In order to be efficient, diet for diabetes must be personalized according to age, sex, physical activity, alimentary preferences, and according to other complementary diseases as well (obesity, high blood pressure, kidney problems etc.).

Here are, for the beginning, some general recommendations concerning a diet for diabetes:

• Calories: a diabetic person having normal weight needs the same caloric values as a healthy person, but calories come from different proportions of lipids, sugars, proteins. Overweight people will follow a diet for diabetes with low number of calories, whereas underweight people will follow a diet based on high number of calories.
• sugars: 50-55% of the calories content (about 300g/day) avoiding simple sugars, with rapid absorption and refined products like sugar and sugar based food;
• Proteins: 12-15% of calories (about 1g/kg/day); in the case of kidney problems, you won’t exceed 0.8g/kg/day;
• Lipids: 30-35% of calories (about 125g/day);
• Alimentary fibers: 30-35 g. /day taken from vegetables, fruit, cereals;
• Salt amount: less than 7 g/day and people who suffer from high blood pressure won’t exceed 3 g.

Food permitted to a diabetic patient:

• Tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, cucumbers, cabbage, egg plants, leek, lettuce, carrots, celery, beetroot, onion, garlic;
• Watermelon, lemons, strawberries, cherries, black currants, nuts;
• Meat, fish and food based on them;
• Milk and dairy products (cheese, cream, butter);
• Eggs;
• Soft drinks sugar free.

Food containing much sugar, prohibited to diabetic people:

• Sugar, honey;
• Biscuits, cakes made with sugar, candies, chocolate;
• Figs, raisins, dates, dried plums, grapes, jams, marmalade;

Food which has to be weighed before consumption:

• White bread;
• Graham bread;
• Potatoes, beans, peas;
• Rice.

For a young adult 170 cm tall, having a weight of 70 kg, who performs average physical activity (energy consumption 40cal/kg/day) an example of diet for diabetes can be the following:
Morning: white coffee (250 gr.), bread (60 gr.) light cheese (100 gr.) and green pepper
Snack: bread (40 gr.) and butter (20 gr.) and some sausage, low in fats (100 gr.), fruit (100 gr.)
Lunch: vegetable soup with croutons (bread 100 gr.), vegetables and mashed potatoes (150 gr.)
lettuce, bread (60 gr.), compote (100 gr. fruit)
Snack: salty cheese (50 gr.) tomatoes and bread (40 gr.), fruit (100 gr.)
Dinner: salad, bread (40 gr.), rice and meat pudding, custard (a cup)
Supper: milk (250 ml.) and bread (20 gr.)
Total calories: 2800/day

You can alternate these foods, with yogurt, tomatoes soup, cabbage salad, fruit jelly, fish, carrots, apples or semolina pudding.

Information about a Diet for Diabetes
For the type 1 and type 2 diabetic the importance of a diet for diabetes cannot be overstated. Used in conjunction with drug therapy a proper diet is considered the single most important part of managing this deadly disease. Those who are newly diagnosed need to be properly educated with regards to diet, exercise, and medication to help avoid and minimize the complications that diabetes creates.

The doctor will be the primary point of information and reference for their diabetes care and management. A good doctor will also be able to refer their diabetic patients to a licensed nutritionist who is skilled at helping create a diet for diabetes that is individualized to each of their clients.

The most important aspect of this type of diet is controlling blood glucose (sugar) levels. This can be hard for people who have an inherent sweet tooth but avoiding foods and snacks with large amounts of sugar is a basic necessity for the diabetic. The good news is that there is no shortage of foods available that the diabetic can eat along with plenty of recipes to help prepare tasty meals.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has a website full of dietary information for the diabetic. They also have information about the latest treatments and medical research that those with diabetes need to stay current with. You will also find the Diabetic Food Pyramid on the ADA site. The food pyramid for diabetes is much like the regular food pyramid most people are familiar with except that it breaks down the food groups based on which are the better choices and the daily amounts a diabetic should be eating.

Because diabetes is becoming such a serious and growing health issue for an estimated 17 million people in the United States the food industry in this country has created a large array of food items aimed at people with diabetes. The situation is only going to get worse because the obesity epidemic will continue to create type 2 diabetics at an alarmingly growing rate into the future. A diet for diabetes is a drastic change for most people diagnosed with this disease, but if they are to successfully manage and live with their condition it is something they must do. Having the support and understanding of family and friends during this transition to a dietary change is also important and will help more quickly deal with their diabetes and the complications it can cause.

As much as possible, when a child is still young or in his toddler age, which is eighteen months to four, parents try their best to not spoil them or give in to their demands. These demands are usually sweets and snacks in between meals. That is because if they continue to give in, then when the child goes to school, or worse, attends middle school, he may be overweight.

Losing weight is a hard thing to do. Obesity is a common problem among Americans. When one is obese, he has less self-confidence and self-esteem than the average weighed Joe and Jane. A research study done by "The Insider" correspondent Vanessa Minnillo shows that obese people receive condescending and disgusted looks from pedestrians. Some engage in diet such as Watsons and South Beach. Now this is a huge step for them. If some people love playing video games, there are people who love to eat.

Just as there are people who have diabetes. They cannot avoid not having it - it's in their genes. Children with diabetes are the more unfortunate because normally, you'd want to give those candies and chocolates. Nowadays, there could be a possible solution for yo-yo diet or what is known to be the loss and gain of weight. This new vaccine aids in regulating the energy balance within the body. It has been tested on mature male rats. They ate normally but they gain less weight. When these findings turn out to be successful, then there is a possible confirmation of its effect. A vaccine that helps obese people to regulate their weight can come into conception.

What the vaccine does is that it slows down the weight gain. Because of the gremlin that is found in the substance, the bloodstream in the brain is stimulated and retains the stored energy as fat.

Reason why doctors are looking for something to regulate the increasing number of obese people is that a person who is obese has more chances of getting other diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart problems. Not to mention depression that could be resulted from low self-esteem, low self-confidence and self-disgust.

As for diabetes, in 2001, scientists have already developed a drug that would stop the destruction of the pancreas in the immune system. In layman's terms, this drug lessens the fast pace of the type I diabetes. The drug is injected within six months. There are no sides effects even tot his date.

With the type II diabetes, there is less luck to coming up with a vaccine. Research is still ongoing to come up with a vaccine that could lessen the risk of diabetic people. Diabetes attacks slowly but surely.

However, young children who have received the vaccine, those aged seven to sixteen showed progress. Right now, scientists are working on mice. They inject an antigen that would combat the protein HSP60 which attributes to the degradation of a person's health when he or she has diabetes.

A Cause of Diabetes? Obesity
We all see the "daily" news reports that obesity related illnesses that are a growing killer in the world today. The death totals for obesity related diseases have increased by more than thirty percent in the last decade. Obesity contributes to heart disease, strokes, and diabetes and don't forget they contribute to a whole host of ailments including arthritis.

Those groups more at risk are the older populations, poorly educated, and minorities. Minorities are predisposed than white Caucasians to develop diabetes. This first study was done on a regional basis; the new study involved the entire nation. The reports were alarming, and the CDC are concerned there will be even bigger problems in the future.

The Surgeon General states that the number of obese or overweight adults in this country is fifty percent more than it was just a decade ago. Children and young adults are increasingly being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, which is mainly known as adult-onset diabetes, and even high blood pressure is a problem with 24 percent of the population in children.

Also studies show that one third of the children born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes and this also leads to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney problems, and undermines the brains to work correctly.

Researchers have found that obesity also disrupts the metabolism of insulin in the body. They found that excess weight at the waistlines lead to increased risk for developing diabetes and even cancer.

An interesting fact states that those adults who ate fast food at least twice a week and gained ten pounds were more likely to develop diabetes. Fast foods are not considered part of a healthy eating pattern, even though some fast-food franchises have been introducing fruits, salads, and bottled water for healthier choices.

We now know that adult only needs to lose from five to seven percent of their body fat to reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease. That means that a 200-pound person would only need to lose a little as ten pounds to see benefits.

A moderate change in lifestyle will not only help reduce the risk of developing diabetes but also will benefit your health in many other ways. Exercise also benefits circulation problems, heart problems, osteoporosis, and many other health concerns. Moderate walking and mild stretching routines are a good way to begin a healthy exercise program. Studies have shown that increasing your exercise level, working up to 30 minutes a day, or having some form of moderate activity will bring good results. Even slowly walking, instead of the brisk walk recommended will give you many benefits.

Mild exercises for strength or yoga routines are good ways to begin an exercise program. Try parking your car farther out in the parking lot when you go shopping. This adds a few extra steps and if you do it consistently the steps will mount up.

Education is the key to preventing overweight and obese children and adults. Simply understanding what happens to the food your body consumes will help us stay healthy. Seeing the results of obesity and obesity related diseases are a good way to help us decide to start living a healthier lifestyle. Regular exercise and healthy eating will go a long way towards lowering the risk of an obesity related disease such as diabetes.

Most of the time your diet and exercise routine will have to change to help keep your blood glucose levels under control. Diabetes is not something that can be taken lightly, because it can cause quite a few medical problems and in the worst case even death. The best way to keep your blood glucose levels under control is using a blood glucose meter. If your blood glucose levels get out of whack, then you might have to take extra insulin to get your level within the normal range. Your blood glucose meter will become one of the most important things that you have to try to combat diabetes. There are many different kinds of blood glucose meters available on the market today, so here is some of the things that you will need to consider when picking the meter that is right for you.

Most insurance companies will usually cover most of the cost of a blood glucose meter, so the differences between the meters should be the only things you need to know about to make your selection. All blood glucose meters need 1 micro liter or less of blood to perform a blood glucose test, but some meters use less than others. Also some meters come with more options than others. You can get information about how certain food has affected you between readings, you can connect some meters to your computer, and some meters just give you a simple score. You need to decide what you want from your meter and pick the one that is right for you. All of these options can help you choose the meter that will help you manage your blood glucose levels effectively, because that is the only reason to buy blood glucose meter in the first place.

5 Benefits of Using the Accucheck Compact plus Glucose Meter
We know that monitoring your diabetes is very important, especially to avoid the short and long term complications that can occur if you don't have good blood glucose level control.
Let's have a look at a new glucose meter model that has come out that makes it even more convenient for diabetics to keep an eye on their blood sugar levels.

After all, why not make this task of blood glucose monitoring and control in diabetes as least painful and more convenient as possible?

This new glucose meter by Accu-Check is "Accucheck Compact Plus".
Let's look at its features that have made it an improvement:
1. There is a preloaded drum of 17 test strips.
This is greater than the 6 that's found in Accu-check Aviva.
This means you don’t have to handle the strips every single time you use the meter.

2. A less painful lancet device called "Softclix Plus" is used.
It has been shown in a study that this lancet is less painful.
Plus you can attach or detach it from the glucose meter itself.

3. Fast appearing results.
It takes five seconds to see your glucose reading.

4. You can save and download your glucose reading results to your PC or home computer.
Then you've got a good record of your results. Also the meter gives averages over 7, 14 or 30 days.

5. The Accucheck Compact Plus blood glucose meter is quite small, actually 4 by 2 by 1.2 inches to be precise.
Also, for some people, they may choose to test from 'alternative sites' using this meter.

But check with your doctor to see if this is suitable for you as it may be not suitable in some circumstances.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects as many as 16 million Americans, with diabetes being on such a dramatic increase in the United States, it's helpful to understand what diabetes is, and what to look for. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, renal failure, and amputation in the United States, and is associated with a range of complications, including heart attacks, strokes, amputations and loss of vision. Diabetes is a chronic (life-long) condition that can have serious consequences. Diabetes is often described as type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes, and it is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors.

Type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or IDDM, accounts for 5 percent to 10 percent of diagnosed cases of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes develops when the immune system attacks the body, destroying pancreatic b cells and preventing the pancreas from producing the insulin. Type 1 Diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease and is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.

Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes and affects approximately 8 percent of adults in the United States. In type 2 diabetes, the body doesn't produce enough insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar) or doesn't respond properly to insulin (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin). Diet, exercise, oral medication, and insulin are the cornerstones of type 2 diabetes treatment.

As incredible as it sounds, coffee drinkers have a substantially lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who abstain from the beverage. People who are overweight (meaning they have a body mass index of 25 or more) do have an increased risk for diabetes, and the risk increases with size, research has shown that strength training can help overweight adults lower their risk of diabetes. In fact, modest, consistent physical activity and a healthy diet can cut your risk for developing type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent.

We often think of overweight adults as being at risk for having diabetes, but it is now know that many overweight teens are at risk for diabetes too. Among the risk factors, diabetes was one of the strongest independent predictors for acute organ failure, with a threefold increased risk. If you want to calculate your personal risk of diabetes, you can visit the American Diabetes Association website.

Risk Factors and Symptoms for Gestational Diabetes
There are several risk factors for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a glucose intolerance that develops in pregnancy. While gestational diabetes only affects about 4% of pregnant women, if you feel you are at risk, you may want to get tested. Most doctors do a glucose test between 20 and 24 weeks gestation. If your numbers are high after this test, they will have you do a 3-hour test. This longer test is what will give you a definite diagnosis.

Most women with Gestational Diabetes rarely show signs or symptoms of GD.
Some common signs of gestational diabetes are......

• Increased Thirst
• Weight Loss - Weight loss with increased appetite.
• Fatigue - Again, most pregnant women feel more tired than usual.
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Frequent Infections
• Blurred Vision

Risk Factors

• Age - While there is some dispute as to what the age is for being at risk, medical authorities will quote anytime between 25 to 35 years of age as being a determining factor.
• Obesity - One of the major risk factors for gestational diabetes, obesity is defined as scoring more than 30 body mass index (BMI) for your height and weight.
• Race - Women of Hispanic, Native American, African American, Pacific Island or South or East Asian descent seem to be more at risk for gestational diabetes.
• Family history - If your parents or siblings suffer from diabetes of any type, it can increase your chances of developing gestational diabetes when pregnant.
• Gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy - If you developed diabetes in a previous pregnancy, chances are it will come back in subsequent pregnancies. Your chances of developing it again range from 30 to 80%, depending on your other risk factors.

Some authorities consider a previous baby over 8 lbs 5 oz as a risk factor, while others don't count the weight of previous babies unless they are 9 lbs or more. While gestational diabetes can be a cause for high birth weights, it can also cause low birth weight babies. High birth weight babies will often have their blood sugar tested at the hospital to make sure they don't suddenly drop to a low level.

• Miscarriages/still births - If you have had unexplained miscarriages or had a stillbirth, you may be more at risk for developing gestational diabetes. Miscarriage is a symptom of PCOS, which in turn could lead to diabetes due to insulin resistance.
• Smoking - Smokers have double the chance of developing gestational diabetes than those who do not smoke. Smoking also can cause other gestational complications like a low birth-weight baby and placental problems.
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) already causes difficulty in conception due to hormonal imbalances.

Women suffering from PCOS often experience weight problems, irregular ovulation and menstrual cycles, and excessive effects of masculine hormones. PCOS causes a resistance to insulin, which in pregnancy is more pronounced due to the extra needs of the fetus and the mother's body.

As you can see, it is important to check your risk factors for gestational diabetes.

You might have heard that the many advances occurring with some of the blood glucose meters allow you to perform blood test monitoring on different parts of your body, like the palm, forearm, upper arm, thigh, or even calf.

Because the skin of these other parts of your body contains fewer nerves, testing can feel much more comfortable. This is what is called Alternative Site Testing, or AST. It's vital to know that while blood from your fingertip can be tested at anytime, there are times when testing from alternative sites aren’t ideal. That's why you should get the information about alternative site testing and talk with your doctor prior to your decision of alternative testing.

Let's go info further detail:

• In comparison with your fingertip, you might see differences in blood sugar results from the palm, forearm, upper arm, thigh, or even calf.
• Blood taken from the fingertip shows changes in blood sugar levels faster than blood taken from the other sites of the body.
• These differences in blood sugar occur because the fingertips have more blood vessels than the alternative sites.

So, alternative site testing is recommended when blood sugar is stable, such as:

• When fasting
• Near bedtime

Times when alternative site testing isn't recommended:

• 2 hours following a meal, when blood sugar values are rising quickly
• After exercise
• When you think your blood sugar is incredibly low or falling quickly (hypoglycemia)
• If you have a history of not noticing when you have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• During the peak action time of the basal insulin
• Up to 2 hours after when injecting rapid-acting insulin
• If you check your blood sugar and the blood sugar test doesn't match the way you feel, then you should perform a fingertip to confirm your result.
• Don't change your course of action based on just 1 blood sugar result.
• Your success in getting an adequate drop of blood from alternate sites will deviate.

When you select a site, stick with it. If you try out on the forearm, always check out on the forearm.

The only exception should be fingertip tests.
Please note: Please talk to your doctor prior to trying alternative sites other than your fingertip for testing blood sugar.

I find the best place to use alternative testing is the palm next to the thumb. You can try other approved alternative sites and see which one works the best for you.

Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar), Diabetes Testing and Driving
Because hypoglycemia can effect your driving performance (even modestly low blood sugar can do this), if you are at all prone to hypoglycemia, I personally would strongly recommend you check out your blood sugar level each time you are about to drive.

Prior to you putting the key in the ignition, test your blood sugar. There are some great glucometers out there, like the Accu-Check Compact with the Accu-Check Multi-clix lancet pen.
The Accu-Check Compact has a 17 strip drum inside so you don't have to take any extra strips with you. The Accu-Check Multi-clix lancet pen has a drum that automatically holds 6 lancets within the pen to use quickly and easily. If your blood sugar is low, treat yourself to some juice or hard candy and don't drive until your blood sugar is back to normal. Then try and eat a small meal, like a low fat cheese and/or turkey sandwich.

Usually in 15 minutes taking 15-20 grams of Carbohydrate (CHO) will usually bring up your blood sugar to normal range. You can have a 4-6 ounce glass of juice, glucose tablets or 2-3 pieces of hard candy. Don't overdo it because your blood sugar will then go sky high. If it doesn't return within normal limits in 15 minutes, repeat the 15-20 grams of CHO and then check your blood sugar in 15 minutes.

Usually if your blood sugar is above 80 mg/dl, you should feel fine but sometimes going above 100 mg/dl, you'll feel better. You should always follow with a small meal that contains CHO, protein that contains a small amount of fat.

I tell my father to put 2-3 peppermint candy right in his pocket and have a supply of hard candy or peppermint candy always stashed in his car. It is best if you eat 6-8 small meals a day. This would include a CHO, protein food that contains a little fat included. Example would be a cheese sandwich that contains 1 or 2 slices of bread, a cheese that is low fat or turkey low in fat but not fat free. The protein and fat does help to stabilize your blood sugar over a period of time instead of a quick spike in your blood sugar and a quick drop in blood sugar like juice would do.

During your trip if you need to take an insulin injection or an oral blood sugar medication, and then make sure you eat as prescribed with your medication, otherwise your blood sugar can go low. I will be writing about how insulin and certain oral blood sugar medications can make your sugar go low. Not all insulin, esp. Lantus, or oral diabetic medications make your blood sugar low.

Signs of Hypoglycemia:

• Cold sweat, faintness, dizziness
• Headache
• Pounding of heart, trembling, nervousness
• blurred vision
• hunger
• Irritability
• Personality Change
• Not able to awaken

Now you can also have problems driving if your blood sugar is over 200 mg/dl. The police officer told me that a diabetic's license can be revoked if an accident is caused by diabetes. I don't know if that is true but why risk losing your license altogether if this is the case. When it comes to driving: if in doubt, check out your blood sugar & eat!

To complicate matters even worse, there is no specific diet for diabetics. Help is available to make sure you have the information you need to learn and understand about diabetes diet guidelines.

Not following diabetes diet guidelines, is a common mistake made by most diabetics. Much diabetes doesn’t understand the needs of diabetes diet guidelines…or how closely tied to good diabetic control the food you eat can be.

The American Diabetes Association has what's called the Diabetes Food Pyramid. Designed much like the revised (2005) version of the USDA's Food Pyramid, this pyramid provides excellent information and diabetes diet guidelines to help you gain control of your blood sugars, your weight, and your diabetes.

Gain Better Control of Your Diabetes Today Using Diabetes Diet Guidelines
The diabetes food pyramid is divided into six groups. The size of the groups varies. The larger the group, the more servings per day of foods within that group should be consumed. Grains and starches (carbohydrates) is the largest group. This includes foods such as rice, pasta, breads, and cereals, potatoes, corn, peas, and some beans. The recommended number of servings per day is 6-11. Most people should use the lower number of servings.

The next group is vegetables. Vegetables are naturally low fat. This makes them a good food choice for everyone. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers are examples of vegetables in this group. Please note the more starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and others are in the grains and starches group. The recommended number of servings per day for this group is 3-5.

The middle layer of the Diabetes Food Pyramid is fruit. This group also contains some carbohydrates. Berries, melons, apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, and other fruits are found in this group. The recommended number of servings is 2-4 per day.

Following the fruits is the milk group. This includes milk and milk products. For those trying to reduce their weight and cholesterol choose low-fat dairy products. Recommended servings are 2-3 per day.

The meat group includes chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, dried beans, cheese, and peanut butter. You only need 4-6 ounces servings per day. At the top of the pyramid are the fats, sweets, and alcohol group. This group should be avoided. Most recommend keeping your portion sizes small and only having these foods on special occasions.

While diabetes diet guidelines do have some basic principles the best meal plan for you can only come by consulting with a nutritionist, with diabetes experience. Nutritional needs of diabetes vary from person to person. For example, a thin type 1 diabetic with kidney disease won't have the same needs as an overweight type 2 diabetic

By evaluating your needs individually, diabetes diet guidelines can be established especially to meet your specific health and weight needs. Don't think of the diabetes diet guidelines as a diet.

Special Diabetic Diet-How to Live Healthily Again By Eating the Right Food
What exactly is a “diabetic diet”? Diabetic diets are not related to fad weight-loss diets. The word “diet” actually just refers to the food that a person eats each day. Everyone in the world who is eating is on a diet! There is actually no such thing as a single "diabetic diet", because the diet that a person with diabetes follows to help manage his or her blood sugar levels is based on the same nutrition principles that any healthy person, with or without diabetes, should follow for good health.

If you are diabetic, there are some things that you may want to change about your eating habits in order to help you maintain your blood sugar levels at a healthy level. Your dietitian can help you to plan your personalized diabetic diet plan, meaning that you will have a simple plan to follow to help you make food choices for each meal and snack throughout the day.

Someone with diabetes needs special care because it can no longer handle drastic changes in eating, especially when it comes to carbohydrates. Someone without diabetes may be able to skip breakfast and lunch, and then eat a huge dinner late at night, and this person’s body will be able to compensate. If you are diabetic, this type of irregular eating can be hazardous because your body cannot handle the lack of and then inundation with food (shown in your blood sugar level).

The diabetic diets were created to help diabetics feed their bodies in a very controlled, regular way. Diabetic individual cannot skip meals or overeat at meals. They need to eat certain amounts of food at regular intervals, just to maintain a consistent blood sugar level.

This might sound confusing, but don’t worry- your diabetic diet will make it easy for you to keep track of your food intake. Let’s take for example, the popular exchange list from the American Diabetes Association breaks foods up into similar groups. There are, for example, the “lean meats,” “the dairy,” “the fruits,” and more. A dietitian would create your daily diet plan specifying the number of servings of each of group to be eaten at each meal or snack.

For example, if you have to have one fruit and one carbohydrate for your morning snack, you know that you can choose one item from the list of fruits and the list of carbohydrates. This quickly becomes habit for people using this diet tool, and will help diabetics to maintain good blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses digested food to maintain health, growth and energy. Normally, the food you eat is broken down into glucose, which is a type of sugar. It becomes the major source of energy for your body. This glucose is carried in your bloodstream to be used by your cells for growth and energy.

But if your body doesn't have enough of a hormone called insulin, the glucose in your blood can't reach your cells. If you have type 2 diabetes your pancreas may not produce enough insulin. That means your fat, muscle, and liver cells can't use the glucose effectively and it builds up in your blood. The glucose must go somewhere, so it overflows into your urine and passes out of your body.

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, more than 20 million people in the United States have diabetes. Ninety to 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a very serious illness. In fact, diabetes is the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputation, and blindness in American adults.

People with diabetes are also two to four times more likely than people without diabetes to develop heart disease. Pre-diabetes is also a serious condition. It's also called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Having pre-diabetes means your the level of glucose in your blood glucose are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

But pre-diabetes means you're at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Your doctor can test you to see if you have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.

Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Diabetes under Control

What are diabetes problems?
Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. This high blood glucose (also called blood sugar) can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes. You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetes problems.

What should my blood glucose numbers be?
Keeping your blood glucose on target will prevent or delay diabetes problems. For most people, target blood glucose levels are:

Before meals > 90 to 130
1 to 2 hours after the start of a meal > Less than 180

Talk with your health care provider about what your blood glucose numbers should be. You and your health care provider will agree on when you need to check your blood glucose using a blood glucose meter. Your health care provider can teach you how to use your meter.

Keep track of your blood glucose checks using the record page. Make copies yourself or ask your health care provider for a blood glucose record book. Your blood glucose check results will help you and your health care provider make a plan for keeping your blood glucose under control. Always bring your record book to your health care appointments so you can talk about reaching your glucose goals.

Ask your health care provider to do an A1C test. This blood test shows the average amount of glucose in your blood during the past 2 to 3 months. If your A1C result is not as good as it should be, your health care provider will do this test more often to see if it is improving as your treatment changes. Your A1C result plus your blood glucose meter results can show whether your blood glucose is under control.

Aim for a result below 7 percent. If your A1C test result is below 7 percent, then your blood glucose is in a desirable range and your diabetes treatment plan is working. The lower your A1C is, the lower your chance of getting eye, nerve, and kidney damage.

If your test result is more than 8 percent, you need a change in your diabetes plan. Your health care team can help you decide what part of your plan to change. You may need to change your meal plan, your diabetes medicines, or your exercise plan.

What should my blood pressure be?
Normal blood pressure will help prevent damage to your eyes, kidneys, heart, and blood vessels. Blood pressure is written with two numbers separated by a slash. If you already have kidney disease, you may want even lower blood pressure to protect your kidneys.

Meal planning, medicines, and exercise can help you reach your blood pressure target. Normal cholesterol levels will help prevent heart disease and stroke, the biggest health problems for people with diabetes. Keeping cholesterol levels under control can also help with blood flow. Have your cholesterol level checked at least once a year. Meal planning, exercise, and medicines can help you reach your cholesterol targets:

Total cholesterol: under 200
LDL cholesterol: under 100
HDL cholesterol: above 40 (men) above 50 (women)
Triglycerides: under 150

Smoking and diabetes are a dangerous combination. Smoking raises your risk for diabetes problems. If you quit smoking, you'll lower your risk for heart attack, stroke, nerve disease, and kidney disease. Your cholesterol and your blood pressure levels may improve. Your blood circulation will also improve. If you smoke, ask your health care provider for help in quitting.