Mom was Right! Berries Can Help Diabetes
I used to hate blueberries, and my mother is to blame. Let me explain. When I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 7, she…
Author: gabyvelazquez
Eating Healthy During the Holidays
Rachel Hollis once said, “The best way to celebrate the holidays is with some delicious food.” I agree. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings Day, Las Posadas, and Boxing Day are a few of the upcoming winter festivities featuring delicious food. You want to celebrate them, of course, but you also want to keep your blood sugar levels stable. According to the American Diabetes Association, the most important thing about…
Can Diabetics Eat Candy?
With Halloween right around the corner, you might be asking yourself, “As a diabetic, can I eat candy?” The good news is that you…
Allulose, the Sweetener that May Lower After-Dinner Blood Sugar Levels
Allulose (d-allulose, psicose, and d-psicose) is a natural sugar found in figs, raisins, maple syrup, and molasses. The FDA states it is GRAS (generally…
The Difference Between Probiotics and Prebiotics and How They Help With Glycemic Control
You’ve probably heard about or seen kimchi and kombucha. They are probiotics, beneficial bacteria found in foods that protect you from harmful bacteria and…
Using Acidic Foods to Lower Blood Sugar Levels
While sugar can increase blood sugar levels, the opposite of sugar, sour foods can lower blood sugar levels. Foods and condiments such as lemons,…
Categories
Diabetic Food
Chewing Your Food Slowly Helps with Blood Sugar & Weight
As diabetics, we focus on what to eat and the timing of our meals. We focus on what diet we should eat, such as…
Mom was Right! Berries Can Help with Insulin Resistance
I used to hate blueberries, and my mother is to blame. Let me explain. When I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 7, she…
Walking After Meals can Lower Blood Sugar Levels
Walking is a great exercise for many reasons. First, it is low impact compared to running and cycling. Second, you don’t need fancy equipment…
If My Blood Sugar is High, why am I so Hungry?
Feeling shaky and hungry are the common signs of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. It makes sense to be hungry when our blood sugar…
Natural Alternatives to Ozempic®
You’ve probably heard of Ozempic and how it became famous on social media for quick weight loss. Surely, who can blame people for flocking…
Categories
Diabetic Complications
The Connection Between Diabetes and Sleep Disorders
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book” is an Irish proverb. But restful sleep may be…
Can Diabetics Wear Sandals?
Summer may evoke images of walking barefoot in sand or grass. However, walking barefoot, and even wearing sandals, can be dangerous for diabetics. The…
Categories
Natural Diabetic Remedies
Do Mosquitoes Bite Diabetics More?
Warm weather is finally here, which means I am in my backyard grilling and gardening. It also means I am being bitten by mosquitoes.…
Diabetes Apps and Resources to Make Your Life Easier
Technology can make our lives easier, and this includes apps to help us manage diabetes. Here are 22 apps in six categories, including automated…
Four Ways to Lower High Blood Sugar Quickly
Maybe you ate too many carbs, are fighting an infection, or have the Dawn Phenomenon upon waking up. Whatever the reason, your blood sugar…
If You Have Diabetes, Fiber is Your Friend
You’ve probably heard the expression an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It’s an old English proverb that means if you eat nutritious…
Resistant Starch May Help Diabetics Manage Blood Sugar Levels
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how uncooked cornstarch may prevent low blood sugar. Today, I will share how another starch may help…
Categories
Natural Diabetic Remedies
Cornstarch May Prevent Low Blood Sugar
Although I’ve had diabetes for many years and wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), I still worry about my blood sugar dropping while I…
Six Types of Diets for Managing Your Diabetes
Every new year, the top resolution is to lose weight. As a diabetic, you may want a diet to not only lose weight but…
Categories
Natural Diabetic Remedies
Can Diabetics Drink Alcohol?
As 2022 ends, many people will raise their champagne glasses to toast a new year. Today my question is, should diabetics also celebrate with…
Diabetes Affects the Musculoskeletal System
I’ve had neck spurs, plantar fasciitis (heel spurs), trigger finger, and now I have arthritis. If you haven’t already guessed, diabetes affects the musculoskeletal…
How Diabetes Affects the Lymphatic System
The lymphatic (lymph) system is an important part of the immune system. One of its jobs is to protect the body by fighting infections.…
How to Use the Glycemic Index to Manage Your Blood Sugar
Quick quiz, which will raise your blood sugar faster, a Snickers bar or instant oatmeal? The answer is instant oatmeal. Shocked? To clarify, it’s…
Categories
Natural Diabetic Remedies
Read the Tea Leaves: Tea May Prevent and Help Diabetes
For as long as I could remember, my father always had a cup of tea in his hand. Unlike my mother and me, who…
How to Prevent & Manage Colds and Flu with Diabetes
The only good thing that came out of the pandemic for me was that I haven’t had a cold for two years. Of course,…
Categories
Natural Diabetic Remedies
ALA Can Reduce Blood Sugars, but Caution if You Have This
Years ago, I used Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and loved it. I finally found a natural solution to help me reduce my blood sugar levels.…
Categories
Natural Diabetic Remedies
How Drinking Water Decreases Blood Sugar Levels
Drinking water is necessary for everyone, but especially for diabetics. It’s important not only for hydration but also because water can help lower high…
Categories
Diabetic Complications
Diabetes Affects Another Organ, the Mouth
You know diabetes affects organs such as the kidneys, heart, eyes, and skin. But did you know it also affects another organ, the mouth?…
Is Coffee Bad for Diabetics?
Like most people, I can’t start my day without coffee. I joke that I’d put Starbucks out of business if I gave it up.…
Categories
Diabetic Complications
Itchy Scalp and Skin? It’s Your Diabetes
It may surprise you to learn that itchy skin and scalp can be caused by diabetes. While eye, kidney, and heart disease are well-known…
Are Type 1 Diabetics Allergic to Gluten and Cow’s Milk?
I have food sensitivities to gluten and dairy. And I’m not the only diabetic that does. It turns out that many type 1 diabetics…
Categories
Exercise
Sitting Increases Diabetes Risk and Makes Diabetes Worse
We’ve all heard it, sitting is the new smoking. While prolonged sitting is harmful to everyone, it’s worse for diabetes for two reasons. First,…
How to Find Quality Diabetic Supplements
I end my blog posts with a disclaimer that includes a warning regarding supplements. It notes that the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements…
Can Diabetics Eat Fruit?
As a diabetic, you may be afraid to eat fruit. They contain fructose (a natural sugar present in fruits) which can raise blood sugar…
The Best Sugar Substitutes for Diabetics
When you think of diabetes and sugar, the first thing that probably comes to mind is blood sugar levels. But this post is on…
Two Reasons Your Blood Sugar is High at 3 AM
You’re up at 3 AM, and your blood sugar is rising again. While there may be many reasons it’s high at dawn, the two…
Cinnamon May Help Type II Diabetics and Prediabetics
You probably have this aromatic spice in your kitchen cabinet. It’s popular during fall and fills the air during winter holidays. While we associate…
Aspirin May Reduce Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetics
When I get accused of being “woo woo” about natural remedies, I remind people that a popular medication, aspirin, originally came from nature, in…
UTIs: A Lesser-Known Diabetes Complication
A few months ago, I had a sharp pain in my side and was urinating every hour. My first thought was that I had…