What’s In Your Diabetes Tool Box?

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Diabetes is a complex disease. Whether you're recently diagnosed with diabetes or have had diabetes for many years, having a system in place to help manage your disease is important. Below is a list of five tools that I believe are beneficial to patients with diabetes, regardless of how long they have been diagnosed:

1. Glucometer. This is a tool used to measure blood sugar levels. When and how often you should check your blood sugar level is something that you and your doctor can determine as this is based on several factors including the type of medications you take and the severity of your disease. Two common terms you may hear with respect to checking your blood sugar are fasting blood sugar and post-prandial blood sugar. Fasting blood sugar levels are usually your blood sugar levels first thing in the morning when you wake up, before eating. Post-prandial blood sugar levels are often the blood sugar levels two hours after eating. Checking your blood sugars is important because it can prevent your blood sugars from getting too low and allows you to see a pattern of your blood sugar levels based on your daily activities and food consumption. Checking and recording your blood sugar levels takes less than two minutes and can provide a lot of useful information to both yourself and your physician.
2. Tracking system. It is important to have a system where you can record useful information regarding your health. This information includes things like your nutrition, weight, physical activity and vitals. Your tracking system can be as simple as a physical journal or a cell phone app. Research shows that those who track their efforts are more successful.

3. Accountability team. It’s extremely beneficial to have at least one person who helps to keep you accountable to your health goals. This person or community of people will encourage you when you hit a roadblock, and also help you get back on track when you stray away from the plan.
4. Healthy meal plan. A large part of managing diabetes is eating a healthy diet, particularly a diet that is high in fiber and complex carbs. This also includes having four or more servings of vegetables and three or more servings of fruit daily and eating healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts and fatty fish. Portion control is also very important. Eating healthy doesn’t happen on accident, it takes planning and effort. So, having a system in place to plan your groceries and meals is an important tool in your diabetes toolbox.
5. A strong oral care routine. Chronic high blood glucose levels are associated with the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the mouth, which can form a sticky film called plaque. If not treated, plaque can harden into tartar and eventually lead to gum disease. Regular brushing and flossing once a day are important for maintaining good oral health. Because of this, I recommend that my patients rinse with Listerine® Cool Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash twice daily for 30 seconds to maintain a healthy mouth. Studies conducted by Listerine® set out to highlight the importance of prioritizing oral health for people with controlled diabetes and concluded that using Listerine® Cool Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash twice a day in combination with a good oral health care routine helps to prevent and reduce plaque and gingivitis in people with controlled diabetes. (Shown in a clinical study vs. brushing alone in people with controlled diabetes. Intended to treat early gum disease.)

Dr. Lauren Powell is a board certified family medicine physician. She is known as The Culinary Doctor because she likes to teach people how to use food as medicine. She takes a wholistic approach to disease management and believes that by helping people achieve optimal health, they can live a life and leave a legacy bigger than their wildest dreams. Read More

By Listerine®

For more than 100 years, Listerine® has been a leader in oral care, with scientists driving foundational research on the many powerful benefits of mouthwash. In 2020, Listerine® set out to highlight the importance of prioritizing oral health for people with controlled diabetes through a study that examined the efficacy of Listerine® Cool Mint on plaque/gingivitis prevention/reduction when used twice daily as an adjunct to tooth brushing in people with controlled Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.