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Diabetes Basics

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Why “You’ve Lost Weight!” is the Worst Compliment, Ever
My weight is not my worth. We are a nation obsessed with weight. From The Biggest Loser to My 600 Pound Life, we can’t get enough of watching other people shrink their bodies. This voyeurism says more about us than it does about the people on the screen. First, let me...
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The Top 5 Early Warning Signs of Diabetes
I've been a diabetes educator for more than two decades. If I had a dollar for every patient who's ever said to me, "I didn't know I had diabetes. I thought I was just tired..." I'd be a very rich woman. Sometimes the warning signs of diabetes are obvious, but...
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Worried about Prediabetes? Three Simple Steps to Reverse It
Have you ever had the feeling you're headed in the wrong direction, but you can't find an exit ramp, and you don't see a good way to turn around?  If you feel that way about prediabetes, I hear you.  Sometimes people with prediabetes feel like they've missed...
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What Food Can Diabetics Eat Freely?
What can I eat?  That's the number one question I'm asked in my work as a diabetes nutritionist.  After I explain carbohydrate counting, and how a person with diabetes can use their carbohydrate budget to get anything they want within reason, the question that...
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Is the Fear of Needles Keeping You from Better Blood Sugars?
One of the worst-behaved moments of my life was when I went to get my kindergarten shots.  I had a terrible fear of needles.  When my parents took me to get the shots, I pitched a big fit, and the nurse offered me a coupon for McDonald's fries afterward to...
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How to Treat Low Blood Sugar
Years ago, I worked in cardiac rehab.  One of our patients had diabetes, and he had an episode of low blood sugar during his workout.  He started slurring his words, sweating and stumbling around like a drunk person.  I checked his blood sugar and saw that it was down...
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How Insulin Works, With and Without Diabetes
he main function of insulin is to help glucose (sugar) move from the bloodstream into the cells. In a person without diabetes, the pancreas releases insulin when it senses that the level of sugar in the bloodstream is rising. Insulin then "pairs up" with the sugar and...
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5 Diabetes-Friendly Recipes to Make you Thankful for Thanksgiving
Ever wish you could just take the day off from diabetes? Especially a holiday like Thanksgiving? The smorgasbord of carb-heavy food is enough to make any person with diabetes run screaming from the table in pure frustration, and I wouldn't blame you at all if you did....
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How to Use the Plate Method to Manage Diabetes
Have you ever heard of the plate method?  It's one of the simplest ways to portion out your food without needing to break out a food scale or even your measuring cups.  If you like to keep things simple, the plate method can help you balance your blood sugar...
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Using a Continuous Glucose Monitor for Type 2 Diabetes
Wondering if you can use a continuous glucose monitor for type 2 diabetes?  I don't blame you, I love these little devices! A few years ago, I worked in the wellness division of a hospital.  It was my team's job to screen over 12,000 employees for their cholesterol...
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How Insulin Works, With and Without Diabetes
he main function of insulin is to help glucose (sugar) move from the bloodstream into the cells. In a person without diabetes, the pancreas releases insulin when it senses that the level of sugar in the bloodstream is rising. Insulin then "pairs up" with the sugar and...
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Medications for Type 2 Diabetes
Almost every day, a client tells me, "I'll do anything to keep from taking medications for type 2 diabetes".  Sometimes clients say, "I know I'm a failure at losing weight and watching what I eat, and that's why I have to take this medicine." I get it.  I  don't like...
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Ready to Feel Full and Satisfied?
5 day diabetes friendly meal plan