Diabetic Educational Tools

Diabetes is a disease that is different for each person who suffers from it. People respond differently to medications and treatments because the body's response is influenced by other factors that affect performance, including smoking, drinking, thyroid disease, diet, lack of exercise and kidney problems. Using diabetic educational tools helps diabetics track and monitor what works for them and what doesn't.

Glucose Monitor

• A glucose monitor is the most powerful tool in diabetic education. By testing before and after meals, a diabetic learns what foods, medicines and lifestyle habits provoke blood glucose-level responses. Careful tracking can help fine-tune diet, medications and exercise in an up-to-the-minute way a doctor could never achieve without inpatient care.

Food Tracker

• Free online nutrition trackers provide the knowledge and education for diabetics to take control of their diets and make sure they comply with recommendations made by their health providers. The American Diabetes Organization offers a diabetic educational tool called MyFoodAdvisor that helps diabetics track foods, create meal plans and find healthier alternatives.

Action Plan

• Diabetes can be an overwhelming diagnosis. Sometimes it seems like the more you learn the less you know. One way diabetics combat the frustration is to create an actionable plan that allows them to tackle issues in manageable ways using simple goals, like adding an evening walk to their daily routine or eating more vegetables. New action plans can be implemented every few months as goals are met.