Useful Diabetic Products or Gadgets

There are several different digital scales around that give nutrional info, I have two

Salter travel, has on board food lists, but alas very much American based and can take time to scroll through... Even though it starts the list from your first letter taped in..

Rosemary Connely's (had these free with my insulin pump) very stylish indeed so no problems leaving them sat on the counter, but you tap in the codes for your food items, all codes come in a little booklet, so a bit stuffed if you miss place it and can't remember the codes..

Both sets you can zero/tare...

But any set of scales that you can zero/tare, if they aren't eletronic, then piece of paper and pen to tot up as you go (I stick my plate on the scales as I dish up, toting up as I go)

Best investment is a pocket sized carb counting book...

Also check out what software there is for your blood glucose meter, this is can be rather helpful when working out what is what...

Best book I've read is "Type 1 Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults" Ragnar Hanas. I highly recommend the book if you want to be in control rather than relying on your diabetes care team for advice every step of the way. The book doesn't replace your care team but is a very useful addition to it.

If you travel then the Frio insulin pouches are cool (literally!). They keep your insulin cool when you're travelling around in hot climates. Essential if you don't want your insulin to go off in hot weather.

We have bought a Diabete-ezy case to store my daughers insulin pens, test meter etc. It's a bright, colourful, trendy tough case that everything fits into quite well (we had to change the position of some of the contents). It's wonderful to keep everything together in one zipped case that goes into my hand bag. No longer have to rummage around trying to find all the bits in the bottom of my hand bag. There are other alternatives in the UK but I couldn't find a colourful one like those at Diabete-ezy which is what I wanted as my daugher is young and wants something that looks fun and not "old". The drawback is that they are expensive, especially when postage is added and then we got whammed import duty and VAT when it arrived in the UK. But I'm pleased we have it.

We use the Salter Stainless Steel 1035 scales for weighing food. I then use a note book and jot down the carb values and weights as I dish up, setting the scales back to 0 after each food type is added to the plate. Using a calculator it's fairly quick and easy to add everything up and work out how much insulin is required. I have printed off and laminated a page where I have written down our most commonly eaten foods and their carb value. This lives in the kitchen drawer with the scales and acts as a quick and easy reference.

I prefer to buy the Gluco Tabs glucose tablets which come in a re-sealable tube rather than the lucozade glucose tablets which are paper wrapped. If find the re-sealable tube is handy for keeping the sweets fresh. My daugher says they taste nicer too (the raspberry ones). Some pharmacies don't have them but our local Boots do have them. The tube also fits nicely into the Diabete-ezy case that we are using.

I can't post links to the above sites (I don't think forum rules allow it), but if you google the names you should find the sites.

South81 said:

Hi,

I'm a fairly young (only late 20's) type 1 diabetic only diagnosed 2 years ago. I have the glucose tester but are there any other products or gadgets other diabetics are finding useful ?

I've only just found out that measuring the actual carb portion size is quite important to my levels and control, are there are kitchen scales people can advise is good for that and the actual meal portion sizes.

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Hi,

I'm T1 diabetic and one of my best gadget that I recommend to everyone is the Frio insulin wallet and Frio pump wallet. Since I have these gadgets I travel everywhere without any stress. You just soak the wallet 15 minutes in the water and then you're insulin is kept cool during the next 45 hours. No need of fridge. It makes diabetic life easier

Lily

South81 said:

I've only just found out that measuring the actual carb portion size is quite important to my levels and control, are there are kitchen scales people can advise is good for that and the actual meal portion sizes.

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You don't have to have green. I have been known to put the plate on it, zeroise, then add each bit of the meal, for example chicken then the broccoli, then the leeks then the cauliflower etc etc, and if you note the weight after adding each ingredient you can calculate how much each bit weighs. Having weighed vegetables a few times and looking at carbs and calories I don't worry so
much, just the meat and carb if any. They're called triscales.

Have you heard about Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) like Dexcom, or the Freestyle Libre? They're costly but great if you're lucky enough to be able to afford them., Or really lucky and you manage to get them funded! If you don't know what I'm talking about do a quick search on the forums.

ps. who do you see for your diabetes care? I find it worrying that you've been diagnosed for 2 years but only just found out about the importance of carb counting!

Have to say that the freestyle libre is well worth looking into, you can probably get a free trial from your dsn. Echo the frio is very good and portable scales, I got mine from the local legal highs and bongs shop lol. Just don't carry it with several phones and empty little plastic bags!

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col101 said:

Have to say that the freestyle libre is well worth looking into, you can probably get a free trial from your dsn.

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I recently spoke to our local diabetic specialist (High Wycombe, Bucks). She had recently been on one of the training courses provided by Abbott. Her opinion was that there is no chance that it will be funded in this area because it's just not essential. I bought one and it has proved exceptionally useful, just can't buy 2 sensors every month. I'm type II and found the major benefit for me was that I am much more disciplined in my eating habits and food purchases.