Tag: Glucose Levels

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Weight Loss Exercise

Diabetes Testing Machine

Diabetes treatment is made possible by constantly monitoring blood sugar levels. Diabetic patients can do this at home with a diabetes testing machine or blood glucose meter that measures glucose levels in the blood. How often you need to check your blood sugar depends on your particular diabetes treatment and how well the condition is controlled. People with type 1 diabetes who take insulin may need to check their blood glucose level several times during the day, in which case a diabetes testing machine would come in handy.

The diabetes testing machine is also called a glucometer. Modern glucometers are now small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Diabetes testing machines come with test strips, calibration solution and alcohol wipes. They can be stowed in their cases, making it easy to bring them with you when you travel.

Using a Diabetes Testing Machine

To test for your blood sugar level, a very small amount of blood is taken from your finger. Almost all glucometers use a test strip to absorb the blood droplet for the machine to analyze. The machine comes with a lancet device that makes a small incision in the finger to draw blood for testing.

Older models of diabetes testing machines took up to a full minute to analyze the blood sample, but newer models can get a reading in a matter of seconds. Newer models are also more sensitive and require only the tiniest amount of blood sample to get an accurate reading. Thus, it is possible to use a smaller lancet and reduce the discomfort of obtaining a blood sample.

Many modern glucometers these days are capable of recording up to 250 blood sugar readings, including the date and time when the reading was made. This feature allows you to keep track of your blood sugar levels for trending.

Types of Diabetic Testing Machines

There are many different makes and models of blood sugar meters but there are only two basic types. One is a small portable glucometer with test strips stored inside the machine. When the diabetes testing machine is switched on, a test strip is exposed through a small slot. The blood droplet is transferred to the strip for testing.

The second type of glucometer uses external test strips which are inserted into a slot in the machine for testing.

More recently, some manufacturers introduced diabetic testing machines that they claim are able to get a blood sugar reading without a blood sample. The device can be worn like a wristwatch to check your glucose level every twenty minutes. This type of bloodless diabetes testing machine is not approved by the FDA and cannot substitute for a standard glucometer.

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Weight Loss Exercise

How Do You Get Diabetes?



People who suffer from diabetes, and even those who don’t, often wonder and ask: How do you get diabetes?  What is the cause of diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder wherein the body is unable to regulate its blood sugar level.  The hormone insulin which is secreted by the pancreas plays an important role in controlling glucose levels in the blood.  If the production of insulin is hampered or if the body becomes resistant to insulin, diabetes symptoms may appear.

Types of Diabetes

To answer the question “How do you get diabetes?”, it helps if you know what the main types of diabetes are.  Type 1 diabetes occurs when cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin, called beta cells, are destroyed and can no longer produce insulin.  Medical professionals believe that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder.

How Do You Get Diabetes?

How Do You Get Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, affecting 90-95% of diabetes sufferers.  In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas continues to produce insulin but the body develops insulin resistance and the insulin becomes less effective.

Gestational diabetes occurs in some women during pregnancy.  This condition usually self-corrects after childbirth.

Causes of Type 1 Diabetes

How do you get type 1 diabetes?

Medical experts generally believe that Type 1 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetics and environmental factors.  The exact cause is not known but experts think that some people inherit genes that tell the body to destroy beta cells.  An unhealthy diet and negative environmental factors can trigger the onset of the disease.

Causes of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes and is characterized by insulin resistance.  It usually develops later in life, although these days diabetic sufferers are getting younger and younger.

Genetics also plays a role in Type 2 diabetes.  If you have a family member with the condition, you may also develop diabetes.  Age may also be a factor – people who are over 40 years old are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Other probable causes of type 2 diabetes include obesity, an unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise.

Causes of Gestational Diabetes

There is no clear answer to the question: How do you get gestational diabetes?  This conditional can happen to some women during pregnancy.  It is believed that hereditary genes as well as hormonal changes during pregnancy can cause gestational diabetes.

How Do You Prevent Diabetes?

Diabetes may be difficult to avoid and prevent if you are genetically predisposed to the condition, but studies show that a healthy diet, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight can greatly reduce the chances of developing the disease.

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Diet Pills

Whey Protein May Act as an appetite suppressant?

Appetite suppressants are all the rage on the market today. Anyone who has ever wanted to lose weight has dreamed of a product that helps control hunger. There are diet pills that many wonders for thousands of people, but there are also several natural methods to control the appetite. A product that can help in achieving appetite suppression are whey proteins.

Whey protein is excellent to suppress appetite for several reasons. First, whey protein helps to stabilize levels of blood glucose by slowing the absorption of glucose in the blood. This process helps to reduce hunger in turn lowering insulin levels and make it easier for the body to burn fat. This particular provision of weight loss may also be useful for people with diabetes. Because whey protein may help stabilize glucose levels in blood, people who have difficulty managing their blood glucose due to diabetes may benefit from this supplement in particular. However, as with any other supplement, it is always important to talk with your doctor before adopting any changes in nutrition, especially if you have a preexisting condition.

The second way that aids whey proteins by suppressing the appetite through the use of bioactive components that stimulate the release of two hormones, appetite (cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1). These two hormones when released to help control our hunger drives. There are some other studies that show that whey protein has a greater impact on satiety than casein (Casein is another protein found in milk). Clearly ahead of these studies point to one conclusion, whey proteins can certainly serve as an appetite suppressant. So, if there is something missing in your diet, perhaps an extra boost of energy or a better handle on your appetite, you should give whey protein to try.