We often look forward to changes of season, as the flowers bloom and sun shines. However, if you have diabetes, you need to be extra careful when temperatures begin to climb dramatically. Extreme heat can have a potentially detrimental effect on your blood sugar control. Moreover, the extreme heat of the summer also has the potential to damage your medications and testing equipment. Whether your summer is around the corner or with you year-round, there are a few factors you should consider to keep your diabetes symptoms in control and to keep the blistering heat from having any undesirable effect on your health.

For most Americans, heart disease is at the top of our list of possible health concerns. A healthy diet, including proper nutrition, has remained, and continues to be, one of the easiest and most effective ways to ward off the risk of possible heart complications.

Such risks are even higher for those living with diabetes. Because of these elevated risks, diabetics are encouraged to maintain diets that are low in carbohydrates (to avoid high blood sugar and possible hypoglycemia), high in protein and high in “healthy” or “good” fats.

When we think about our health and ways to sustain it, things like our heart, liver, kidneys, etc. immediately come to mind. What we often forget to account for, and thus neglect, are our feet – the very foundation that keeps us moving. We’ve grown accustomed, as a society, to getting up, slipping our feet into a pair of shoes, and going about our day for 8-12 hours, before ultimately letting our feet breathe again. If you take a moment to think about it – it’s our feet, and the shoes that cover them, that keep us up, mobile and active for the majority of our waking lives. Thus, it’s no surprise that the wellbeing and function of our feet is as important to our health (and movement) as just about anything else. That’s where podiatrists come in.

Typically, the type of patient that requires a toe filler is high risk. You must take extreme care in providing and monitoring the device to ensure that it’s properly accommodating their amputation, and not causing any further foot complications. Once dispensed, it is essential that you phone the patient two to three times the first week to check on the condition of their foot/feet. It is also recommended to have a face-to-face follow-up appointment 10 to 14 days from the date the diabetic shoes and toe filler are dispensed.

Held March 28, 2017, American Diabetes Association Alert Day is a day to sound the alarm about the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in American adults by asking America to take the American Diabetes Association Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test. The free, anonymous risk test is available online or via a one-sided handout, and only takes a minute to complete. With questions such as "Do you have a family history of diabetes" and "Are you physically active," participants can learn if they’re at risk for type 2 diabetes in 60 seconds.

You can throw this roast in a low-temperature oven roasting pan early in the afternoon, then go run errands and have dinner waiting when you get home! These few ingredients create a sensational gravy that’s great over brown rice or barley.

Amount:

14 servings/serving size: 4 ounces beef plus 1/2 cup vegetables

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) beef sirloin tip roast, trimmed of fat

6 cloves garlic, sliced or 1 tablespoon garlic powder

There are many components to proper management of type 1 diabetes. It’s a lifelong commitment that requires extreme diligence and almost constant awareness. Here are 7 life hacks for dealing with the daily struggles of living with type 1 diabetes.

1. Keep a travel-size bottle of hand cream in your purse, brief case, or backpack. Dry skin is an irritating side effect of diabetes, but moisturizing often can help eliminate the itch.

Most people without diabetes don’t realize that the nerve and blood vessel damage caused by the disease can become a major problem for their feet. This happens when peripheral neuropathy (which occurs in about 70 percent of people with diabetes) develops and feeling is lost in the extremities.

To ensure the best possible foot health, follow these 9 easy tips to avoid injury, and your feet will be healthy longer.

The holidays can be a tough time for those trying to manage their diabetes. With there being no shortage of rich, sugary and salty foods readily available, it’s important to be aware of the food and drink decisions that you’re making.

It’s no mystery, that in addition to diabetes, being overweight can lead to a host of health problems. Being overweight is known to contribute to everything from high blood pressure and heart disease to arthritis, gallstones, and sleep apnea. So, it should come as no surprise to hear that being overweight has a serious impact on the overall health of your feet.