New year, New habits

This post is sponsored by Abbott Canada. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words.

No finger prick technology can help those living with diabetes make healthy decisions.

Over the holidays, I managed to catch up with some fellow moms and we all agreed that we needed to set some new and realistic goals for 2020, especially when it comes to exercise and being healthy. Many of us have parents who live with diabetes or know someone who has just been newly diagnosed. Now that we are into 2020, we have our radar on about the importance of truly setting goals we can meet. The new year is the perfect time for a health refresh – from getting back into healthy habits to learning new ways to care for ourselves and our loved ones. By resetting and revaluating, we’re able to get on the right track.

For those living with diabetes, this reset may include thinking about new ways to monitor their glucose levels. Being proactive in changing behaviours and habits when we are living with diabetes can make all the difference.

If you are living with diabetes or care for a loved one who is, monitoring glucose can often be a hassle and sometimes even embarrassing and painful so some people may choose to forgo the necessary routine of monitoring regularly. However, monitoring is essential for those living with diabetes as highs and lows can drastically impact their health at any point in time.

Here’s why:

• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can be serious and needs to be treated immediately. Symptoms vary, so be sure to know your loved one’s specific signs, which could include:
  • Shakiness
  • Nervousness or anxiety
  • Sweating, chills, or clamminess
  • Irritability or impatience
  • Dizziness and difficulty concentrating
  • Hunger or nausea
  • Blurred vision
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Anger, stubbornness, or sadness[1]

When we had our first diagnosis in our family, I remember finger pricking was the only way to get a check on one’s glucose levels at any given time of the day. It’s messy, and definitely not discreet.

For those living with diabetes looking for a new way to monitor their glucose levels the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system from Abbott, is a good choice. A flash glucose monitoring system means users no longer need to finger prick[2] to check their glucose levels – all they need to do is scan the sensor and they’ll have all the information they need to make informed decisions through the LibreLink mobile app[3] or on their reader. What’s just as important is that the technology can help those living with diabetes to better understand their body as the system tracks glucose history and their time spent within a healthy range of glucose levels. It is also a more efficient way to monitor their levels so users are always aware of how they’re tracking. Getting this information at your fingertips and with ease, may help those living with diabetes make better decisions when it comes to healthy choices throughout the day.

For the New Year, it’s important to evaluate your health to better understand what lifestyle changes you can make to positively impact your life.

Here are some tips to help you kick off the New Year:

• Start a daily schedule so you can manage diabetes—check blood sugar, make healthy food, take a walk.
• Stand in solidarity with a loved one living with diabetes. Follow the same healthy food and fitness plan as your loved one; it’s good for your health, too. Lifestyle changes become habits more easily when you make them together.¹
• Educating yourself and other family members on diabetes is essential to helping a loved one manage it.

To learn more about flash glucose monitoring and how the FreeStyle Libre can help you or a loved one living with diabetes adopt healthy habits this year, check out freestylelibre.ca.

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