Our Services
Over the last few years, I worked on the idea of creating a site to exchange experiences for individuals with diabetes. It has been a long journey. Along the way, I learned a lot more about the disease and also how to develop websites.
I started my journey when I joined wealthyaffiliate.com. This is a community of like minded people working together to help others learn more about developing and creating blogs. Some of their tools include a product called Jaxxy. Jaxxy helps one develop keywords to gain presence in the web.
In the course of my research, I also run into webmastery101.com. This company contributed to the success of this website.
Our Services
In addition to providing information on managing diabetes, this site offers a variety of services.
Be sure to get the proper blood sugar monitor. There are many available in the market. Some things to consider when selecting a tester.
- Minimum amount of blood needed to test
- Lightweight and portable
- Does not need calibration with a calibration test strip
- Give results quickly; no more than 5 seconds
- Allow pricking not only on the finger, but also in other parts of your body such as the upper arm, thigh, calf, etc. I do not consider this as critical because I always use my fingers, but for others this may not be the case.
- Contain memory – the more previous test it can store, the better
- Connectivity to a computer, to generate reports for you and the doctor. Requires using a software provided by the manufacturer.
- Large readouts to make it eaiser to read for folks with poor vision, or for reading results under low light conditions
- Initial cost to purchase the meter and ongoing costs for the test strips
For those requiring non-insul
in prescription drugs, there are many medicines available in the market. The most commonly used is Metformin (generic name). The trade name is Glucophage. This is the medication most often prescribed for Type II diabetes. Most people tolerate it quite well. The most common side effects include diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. It has been used in the United States since the mid-fifties, although the medicine was discovered around 1922. Metformin is generally inexpensive to use. In fact some pharmacies (Publix and its pharmacies in the United States) offer Meformin for free.
Other newer medications are now available as well. View them in my Blog Roll, Advances in Diabetic Medication
In addition to lifestyle changes, diet is one of the key tools to manage diabetes. The chart shown on the left is from www.diabeteszone.org and it shows a regimen one could follow to help manage diabetes.
There are literally a hundred and hundreds of textbooks written about diabetes. It would be impossible to list all of them. Many of them are specific to an individual's situation.
Our Mission is to spread and share information about diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
According to the Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) of the United States, diabetes is the condition which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, also known as sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, and organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood.
Types of Diabetes
There are two general types of diabetes (also known as diabetes mellitus).
- Type 1 (also known as juvenile-onset or insulin dependent) – there is a total lack of insulin or they have too little.
- Type 2 (also known as adult-onset, non-insulin dependent, or insulin resistant) can develop at any age. The body is not able to use the insulin right away. As the disease gets worse, the pancreas ends up making less and less insulin.
Who is at Risk?
The infographics from the Center for Disease Control shown above shows some of the risk factors associated with the disease.
As one ages, the chances of becoming a diabetic increases. Lack of physical activity, family history and even race are factors that puts one at risk.
Be sure that if you fall under any one of these categories, consult with a doctor. Do not wait until it is too late.
Controlling Diabetes