Healthy Eating Out with Diabetes!
By: Jessica Hrdlicka MS, RD, LD/N, CDCES
Dining out with friends and family is a fun occasion, but if you live with diabetes you may be worried how that will impact your blood sugars.
Here are some tips to dining out while having great blood sugars!
- Focus on hydration first. Studies have shown consuming 8-16oz. prior to eating can aid in weight loss, satiety and staying hydrated improves blood glucose levels. Especially when consuming alcohol make sure to always have water as well.
- Choose grilled, baked or blackened options. Fried foods such as breaded chicken, chicken wings or fried fish can raise blood sugar levels for several hours due to their high saturated fat content. Ask if the restaurant can modify fried versions of your favorite foods for you.
- Add some veggies AKA fiber! Starting the meal with a salad is a great way to slow down blood sugar excursions due to their high fiber content. You can also ask the restaurant if they offer any cooked veggies such as broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms or green beans. These vegetables will ensure great blood sugars after meals & help with weight loss.
- Ditch the fries or the bread basket. Ask the restaurant for a healthier alternative appetizer such as edamame, ceviche, shrimp cocktail or vegetable soup. If your entrée comes with French fries consider asking for a vegetable substitute to help keep blood sugars in range all night!
- Move your body! Going for a walk after dinner is a great way to aid in digestion, lower blood sugars and lose weight. Especially if you splurged on dessert or garlic rolls!
For more information on diabetes management, chronic kidney disease weight loss and nutrition, call 561-659-6336 ext 8012 to schedule an appointment with a certified diabetes care education specialist, registered dietitian or class today. Please enjoy our August 2024 Living Well with Diabetes Newsletter!
What is an Insulin Pump & Who Should Consider Using and Insulin Pump
By: Carol Kreider A.R.N.P.
With the ever-moving advancement of technology, more and more people are seeking adjuncts to diabetes management to safeguard, decrease risk of major vascular complications, and streamline blood glucose control. The use of an insulin pump with or without continuous glucose monitor (CGM) are some of the tools available to help manage diabetes. However, what is an insulin pump and what does it do for managing diabetes?
An insulin pump constantly gives a small amount of rapid acting insulin, called a "basal rate," throughout the day and night to help control blood sugar. With the use of an insulin pump, the person living with diabetes will need to give themselves extra insulin to cover meals and/or extra small doses of insulin to help decrease a high blood sugar based on pre-set calculations that are determined by individual needs.
Traditional insulin pumps can differ in size, can be attached to clothing being worn. A plastic tubing connects the pump to a small catheter that the person living with diabetes inserts under the skin. Typically, the catheter is changed every 2 or 3 days and sometimes up to a week based on the type of catheter and the type of pump used. The pump can be disconnected from the catheter site for brief periods of time for activities such as swimming or taking a shower.
Other types of pumps are called “patch pumps” and attach directly to the body and do not need tubing. With this type, a remote device controls the pump, or it is controlled on a smart phone. Some pumps are even disposable.
Some pumps also work with a continuous glucose monitor or CGM, to tell the pump if blood glucose or sugars or trending too high or too low. With this information, the pump can either increase the amount of insulin needed, decrease the amount of insulin needed or tell the pump to stop giving insulin for a short time.
Those who cannot feel a low blood sugar until it is critically low, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, physiological difficulties that make self-administering insulin difficult, those of technological savvy, those who desire tighter glucose control, and those who use insulin therapy may be excellent candidates for insulin pump therapy. With consistent use, insulin pumps offer the advantage of decreasing the need for multiple daily injections of insulin, increase control of glucose, and can be adapted to an individual’s lifestyle.
If anyone is interested in insulin pump therapy, this should be discussed in depth with an endocrinologist office.
Meet Stelo- The New Over the Counter Sensor by Dexcom
By: Monika Lambertson, MS, RD, LD/N, CDCES
Dexcom just announced Stelo, its new continuous glucose monitor now available for purchase without a prescription! Stelo is FDA-approved for adults age 18 years and older in the U.S. Stelo is primarily designed to help the estimated 25 million people with Type 2 diabetes not using insulin achieve their A1c goals, as well as the 97 million people with prediabetes to potentially reverse prediabetes completely or possibly slow the progression from prediabetes to diabetes. Oftentimes prescription sensors for these groups are not covered by insurance and may have high out-of-pocket costs.
Stelo is a 15-day wear disposable sensor (with a 12-hour grace period) that is inserted virtually painlessly on the back of the upper arm. After downloading the easy-to-use Stelo app onto your smartphone and creating an account, the app will walk you through set-up and how to insert the sensor. Once inserted the sensor pairs to the Stelo app and after a 30-minute warm-up period the sensor will will start sending glucose values to your smart phone, updating every 15 minutes, revealing how food, beverages, exercise, and even stress affect your blood sugar. No fingersticks are required and it is safe for showering and swimming (up to 8 feet deep). Stelo does not give low or high sensor alerts, rather it will display personalized glucose insights based on pattern recognition, and then suggest helpful tips as well as provide additional educational resources.
Stelo is available for purchase for $99 for one month supply (2 sensors), or if you sign up for an ongoing subscription it's $89. Standard 3-day shipping is FREE. You can cancel or delay the order at any time without a penalty. Stelo is also FSA and HSA eligible.
It is important to note that prescription sensors like Dexcom G6, Dexcom G7, Freestyle Libre 2 or Freestyle Libre 3 are still the sensors of choice for people with Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes on insulin, or if your insurance covers these sensors.
For more information or how to order Stelo, go to www.stelo.com. If you have further questions or want to know if Stelo might be right for you, consult your health care provider or your diabetes educator.
Most insurance plans cover meeting with a certified diabetes educator or registered dietitian up to 4 times per year, so if you are desiring to lower your A1c, learn how to lose weight and feel more confident in your blood sugar management call 561-659-6336 ext 8012 to schedule your appointment today!
Healthy Meal Planning
& Weight Loss Class Session!
Join our classes to stay motivated
& Lose Weight!
West Palm Beach Location (Virtual or In Person!)
Temple Israel 1901 N. Flagler Drive
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Tuesday September 10th 10am-12pm
Or Tuesday October 8th 10am-12pm
If interested attending this program please contact our scheduling department at (561) 659-6336 Extension 8001 today!
At Healthy Living with Diabetes we want to ensure that you are satisfied with all services received. We also would like your input on educational workshops that you would like us to offer, information you would like to read about in Healthy Living with Diabetes Monthly or feedback on any workshop that you may have attended. You can contact the director of education personally by email jcook@PBDES.COM or leave a message at (561) 659-6336 ext. 8012. We would love to hear from you!