{"id":37552,"date":"2015-03-15T06:20:57","date_gmt":"2015-03-15T10:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?post_type=tips&p=37552"},"modified":"2015-12-29T01:26:04","modified_gmt":"2015-12-29T06:26:04","slug":"blood-glucose-tracking-hi-tech-lo-tech-and-in-between","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=37552","title":{"rendered":"Blood Glucose Tracking: Hi-Tech, Lo-Tech and In Between"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Blood<\/a><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re living with the everyday ups and downs of blood glucose and medication levels, it can be easy to focus on the immediate consequences of your management efforts \u2013 and eventually lose sight of the big blood sugar picture.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one of the reasons the American Diabetes Association (and pretty much every other diabetes authority out there) recommends keeping a record of your blood glucose test results, whether it\u2019s stored in your meter\u2019s memory or scribbled on a series of napkins. According to the ADA, \u201cWhen you bring this record to your health care provider, you have a good picture of your body’s response to your diabetes care plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

We know we should <\/em>keep detailed records of our blood sugars (and all the factors that affect them), so then the question becomes: How?<\/em><\/p>\n

Printable PDFs, tiny paper log books, and other means of physical recordkeeping are easy to find, each with varying amounts of columns and boxes for things like insulin doses, carbohydrates consumed, time of the day and astrological positions. Keeping pencil-and-paper records can be a grounding and accessible experience \u2013 it can be nice to take a break from the diabetes technology every now and then \u2013 but the tools can be hard to carry and complete, and the information can\u2019t be easily transferred to graphs or charts. OneTouch<\/a>, the ADA<\/a>, and Lilly Diabetes<\/a> all offer printable logs, but it can be freeing to record as much \u2013 or as little \u2013 information as you want in a standard blank journal or notebook.<\/p>\n

If you prefer your recordkeeping with a little more technology, there\u2019s always the option of using an Excel spreadsheet to track your blood sugars. Templates are bountiful online, or you can recruit your favorite number nerd to help you create one of your own.<\/p>\n

Most glucose meters, insulin pumps and Continuous Glucose Meters offer the capability of uploading to their specific software programs. It\u2019s a convenient and pencil-free option, but navigating the technological spiderweb that surrounds some programs can be frustrating. Different companies require different operating systems, plug-ins and accessories to successfully upload your information. Recently, the standalone system Diasend<\/a> broadened its compatibility to include more than 100 devices, solving connectivity problems for some users.<\/p>\n

Apps for iPhone and Android users are almost too plentiful to count. Pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline offer free apps like Diabetes HealthMate, which can track blood sugar levels and daily routines in excrutiating detail. Apps like Glooko<\/a> unite uploaded information with lifestyle and activity information, to give patients and caregivers a broad perspective on everyday management. Then there\u2019s MySugr<\/a>, which aims to make recordkeeping rewarding and fun \u2013 and comprehensive.<\/p>\n

No matter which route you choose, even the smallest amount of recordkeeping is better than none at all. You may be surprised by what you find, whether they\u2019re in a composition book or on your iPhone screen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re living with the everyday ups and downs of blood glucose and medication levels, it can be easy to focus on the immediate consequences of your management efforts \u2013 and eventually lose sight of the big blood sugar picture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":37689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1437],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nBlood Glucose Tracking: Hi-Tech, Lo-Tech and In Between<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you\u2019re living with the 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