Cheap Diabetes Tests Can Now Be Printed With An Ink-Jet Printer

Cheap Diabetes Tests Can Now Be Printed With an Ink-Jet Printer

Glucose strips that diabetics use to measure their blood sugar levels can be pretty pricey - but students have now come up with a way for people in poorer regions to simply print them out at home.
Bioengineering students in the US have developed technology that lets people in the developing world use a hacked printer to print out glucose strips for just five cents each. They're also providing them with cheap parts to make their own device to measure their blood sugar levels.
Glucose strips are part of blood glucose level tests diabetics need to perform around five or more times a day to work out how much insulin or food they need to inject to manage their diabetes and avoid complications such as blindness and cardiovascular disease. These strips are then inserted into machines called glucometers, which give them a reading of their levels.
But right now, glucometer machines are hard to access and expensive. And if someone in a developing region can get their hands on one, it will only work with a specific brand of store-bought glucose strips, which can cost around $1 each. For a quarter of the people in Tanzania, where the students started their project, that adds up to around 10 times their average monthly salary.
Now students from Clemson University in South Carolina have developed technology that lets people in developing countries build their own simple glucose testing systems at home for a fraction of the cost, and using easy-to-access parts.
Called GlucoSense, the glucometer is made entirely from off-the-shelf parts that can be bought in electronics stores or easily sh Continue reading

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How to Make a Recipe Diabetes-Friendly

Adapting a recipe to be diabetes-friendly isn't all that difficult if you know what adjustments need to be made.
Keep in mind that portion size must be taken into account, meaning that just because you alter a recipe doesn't mean it's necessarily healthy to eat more of it.
The following tips are guidelines for making any recipe more diabetes-friendly. For meal and snack ideas that are already diabetes-safe, visit our recipe collection.
Lower the Carbs
One of the most important things to keep in mind when changing recipes is the total carbohydrate count. Depending on the recipe, you can lower the carbohydrates by doing the following:
Swap vegetables high in carbohydrates, such as potatoes, for lower-carb vegetables like leafy greens.
Swap white or wheat flour for coconut or almond flour.
Cut fruit or sugar measurements in half.
Use fresh ingredients instead of canned or frozen food.
Stay mindful of "hidden" carbohydrates, typically from sauces, dairy or condiments.
Steer Clear of Sugars
Recipes that call for sugar are probably not inherently diabetic-friendly, but you can generally make them safe by using sugar substitutes such as stevia or erythritol.
If that's not possible, try to cut down on the amount of sugar used in the recipe.
Focus on Protein, Fat and Fiber
Diabetics benefit from the blood-sugar stabilizing properties of protein, especially from sources that are lean and lower in calories. Make protein the main event in savory dishes like soups, casseroles or stir-frys.
Healthy sources of fat will also curb hunger and can be used in dishes (but keep in mind that fat Continue reading

A Few Minutes of Activity Can Lower Blood Pressure in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Getting in just a few minutes of activity if you're sedentary most of the day can lower your blood pressure if you have type 2 diabetes, according to new research from the American Heart Assoction.
While it's long been known that exercise is an anecdote to type 2 diabetes, most research has focused on the effects of sustained activity, not shorter bursts.
"It appears you don't have to do very much," said co-author Bronwyn Kingwell, Ph.D., head of Metabolic and Vascular Physiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes in Melbourne, Australia. "We saw some marked blood pressure reductions over trial days when people did the equivalent of walking to the water cooler or some simple body-weight movements on the spot."
While light activity breaks shouldn't replace regular exercise, Kingwell said, they can be a practical solution to reducing sitting time.
3-minute walking breaks
The study included 24 overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes who were tracked while they sat for eight hours. The participants were either instructed to take 3-minute walking breaks or do 3 minutes of basic resistance exercises every half-hour.
Results showed that walking was linked to a 10-point drop in systolic blood pressure, while simple resistance activities were associated with a 12-point drop.
According to Kingwell, the muscles that are activated when you move increase the uptake of blood sugar, while also lowering norepinephrine levels, a hormone that can raise blood sugar.
Source: American Heart Association
Type 2 diabetes is different from type 1 diabetes in many ways. As its alternate na Continue reading

Lucozade is changing its formula and people with diabetes have been warned that they need to take care

THE Lucozade formula is changing soon and people diabetes have been warned.
Many people have been recommended to drink Lucozade Energy Original when their blood glucose is low.
But they need to be aware that the formulation of the drink is changing from April 2017 and it won't be advertised on the bottle.
Lucozade Energy Original will now contain around 50% less glucose-based carbohydrates so the amount needed to treat low blood sugar, or hypoglycaemia, will change.
Hypoglycaemia, often referred to as a "hypo", can be a side-effect of insulin and taking some diabetes medications.
A Diabetes charity spokesperson said: "A blood glucose level below 4mmol/L is considered hypoglycaemia and if you have frequent low blood glucose levels, you should talk to your doctor as your medication may need to be reduced.
Normal guidelines for treating a ‘hypo’
Step 1:
Check your blood glucose if you are feeling shaky or unwell and if it is less than 4mmols/l, take some fast acting carbohydrate immediately, e.g. A glass (150 mls) of non-diet mineral/sugary drink or 150mls fruit juice or three to four glucose sweets, dextrose or Lucozade tablets
If you use Lucozade for treatment, you will now need 170mls to treat a hypo.
Step 2:
Follow up with some starchy carbohydrate, e.g. two plain biscuits or a sandwich, a glass of milk or your next meal if due
Check your blood glucose level 10 -15 minutes later
If blood glucose levels remain less than 4mmol/l, repeat step 1 again
"If you are concerned about whether this affects you, check with your pharmacist or doctor/diabetes team to see if any of y Continue reading

9 Processed Foods People with Diabetes Should Avoid

If you have diabetes there are certain foods you might have been told to avoid. Maybe you love grapes, but worry they’ll send your blood sugar through the roof. Or perhaps brownies are your absolute favorite dessert, but you’ve given them up because all. That. Sugar.
However, if you’ve been living with the condition for a substantial length of time, you’ve likely been able to find a middle ground that’s achievable without driving you crazy and forcing you to miss out on all the things you love most. You’ve probably realized that you can, and should, still eat fruit because it’s an important part of a healthy diet, as it’s loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. You’ve likely even found an awesome diabetic-friendly brownie recipe that you pull out for special occasions. Because, seriously. Who can go their whole life without a brownie?
But the fact remains: there are certain foods everyone should avoid, but are of particular concern for people with diabetes. And, unfortunately, they’re often the most readily available and convenient option. What are they?
Processed foods. No, not all processed foods. We’re not talking about the wholesome foods we eat that have undergone some form of processing, like spinach that has been plucked and bagged, roasted nuts, or even canned tuna. We’re talking about heavily processed foods that have all sorts of hidden ingredients intended to either preserve the food or add flavor. Foods that no longer resemble, in nutrition, taste, or even appearance, what they once were.
While some of these foods are tasty, many are Continue reading