As is always the case with innovation, as time marches on there are newer and better ways to do the things we need to have done in our lives. One area of life that has shown tremendous progress over the years is the world of medicine. Better medications, more effective procedures and surgeries, and better information relating to our diet have helped people to better maintain healthy lifestyles well into their old age. One such group is diabetics.

Diabetics have benefited from advances in medicine and overall knowledge with the increased efficiency of insulin shots and different types of medication to help them regulate their blood sugar. There are also devices on the market to test blood sugar now that were not available just a few short years ago. Below are three of the most popular methods diabetics can use to test their blood sugar.

Alternative site meters-prior to just a few years ago, pricking your finger was the only site on the body in which you can test your blood sugar level by yourself. Now, there are monitors that will allow you to test your blood from many other sites on the body. It must be noted that these results often differ from regular finger prick results and should be taken into consideration when used as part of your regular blood sugar monitoring.

Wrist worn devices-just like something out of a James Bond movie, diabetics can now wear a device on the wrist that through a series of gentle electrical impulses will monitor their blood sugar on an ongoing basis throughout the day. These can give a good baseline reading but because of their newness, the jury is still out on how effective they would be in long-term monitoring of diabetic blood sugar levels.

Traditional blood sugar test kits-although this is mentioned third on the list, the traditional method is still the most popular and most feel gives the best results as well. A quick finger prick, a drop of blood on a teststrip, and inserting the strip in a small electronic monitor is fast and efficient and will let the diabetic know just exactly where their blood sugar is it any time.

While there are more ways to test your blood sugar on the market than just the three listed here, these are perhaps the most commonly used today. Many more may come and go as folks try to improve a process that is basically already perfected. Having and using a test to on a regular basis is one of the most effective things that diabetics can do to prevent serious side effects from the disease.



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All too often people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes somehow get the impression that the medication prescribed is the controlling factor of how well they do with diabetes. NOT TRUE! WRONG ATTITUDE!

The diabetes medication your physician may have prescribed for you will help you get closer to normal ranges in blood sugar, but it is not the only thing you should do to get back to better health. Let me tell you why controlling your diabetes is critical to your life.

Diabetes and good control affects every area of your body and your life. Left uncontrolled diabetes can be destructive and deadly. That is right. DEADLY! Higher blood sugar can result in heart attacks, heart disease, strokes, blindness, amputations, and kidney failure.

Diabetes both type 1 and type 2 results in the sugar (glucose) in your blood being higher than normal. Since the blood is the lifeline of every part of your body, high blood sugar causes problems throughout your body. If your high blood sugar remains, problems will occur.

Effects of high blood sugar develop gradually. They are serious and can forever alter your life. Just imagine having your foot amputated, having a heart attack with permanent damage, or having to go to dialysis three times a week because your kidneys do not do their job. I don't know about you but the thought of being disabled by these problems is enough to cause me to take a little time each day to get my blood sugar within a normal range.

If you believe living with diabetes is a small thing and it doesn't really matter what you do about it each day as long as you take your medication... YOU NEED AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. Change your attitude immediately.

I'm not trying to scare you, but it's important for any diabetic to understand that the higher than normal blood sugar each day affects the quality of their future. Obviously, the first thing to do is to try to lower blood sugar as close as possible to normal range blood sugar. That's the overall goal of diabetes control.

The food you eat, your weight, your daily activity, your level of stress, your overall health, and your medications all contribute to helping you attain control over your blood sugars. Blood sugars are continually changing throughout the day. As long you are able to keep good control over your blood sugar, your problems with diabetes will diminish.
There are many facts and concepts to master to maintaining good blood sugars. That's why your attitude about your diabetes is so important. Without the attitude of "I want to control my diabetes" "I can learn how to get my blood sugar under control." and "I can do it." you can become overwhelmed at the task and only give a poor effort and sometimes, even give up.

One key to adjusting your attitude is to understand what diabetes is and why changes you make have a good effect on managing diabetes. Listen and learn all you can from your healthcare providers. Research. Take classes. Do whatever it takes to motivate yourself to have a healthy attitude about your diabetes and about keeping your blood sugar within a good target range.


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Maintaining healthy sugar levels in the blood is an important factor in everyone's lives especially for those diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes (sometimes known as impaired glucose tolerance). A proper diagnosis of pre-diabetes means that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered a diabetic. If you have been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, you must begin to take control of your body and change your lifestyle.

A diagnosis of pre-diabetes means that your body is at the point where it cannot properly transform sugar into energy, instead the sugar sits in your blood stream causing high blood sugar levels. This means that either you are becoming insulin resistant or your body does not produce enough insulin. Either way, you must learn how to maintain normal range blood sugar levels before the disease overcomes you.

There are a handful of things that you can do to help maintain glucose levels in your blood. Some of these tips or tricks are general lifestyle rules to help anyone live a healthier life. Focus on a healthy lifestyle because you want to, not because you have to, and you will find that these steps come a bit easier to you.

First things first, talk to you doctor about a good eating plan - NOT a diet. Diabetics should stick with diets filled with protein, fruits, vegetables and whole-grains. They should also implement a diet that is low in carbohydrates; carbohydrates turn into sugar once they are in your body, raising your sugar intake.

Begin a good exercise program if you have not yet done so. Exercise has been proven to increase the longevity of your life along with lessen the side effects of diabetes. It also burns fat and raises your metabolism - you really cannot lose here. Even if you can only walk for 30-minutes a day and you have to break it up into 2 or 3 different walking sessions, it is better than nothing at all.

Another trick is to lose weight. The closer you are to an ideal weight, the easier it is to maintain healthier blood glucose levels. By eating a proper meal plan and exercising on a regular basis, you will automatically begin to shed any excess baggage you may be holding onto.

It is imperative that you keep blood sugar levels normal. Monitoring your blood on a daily basis will help you to determine what causes your blood sugars to rise and what you can do to lower them back down. Eating properly and keeping a good physical fitness program going will not only help to maintain proper sugar levels in the blood but will help you to avoid any other severe side effects as well.



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