News

It's all abit much...I feel exhausted! 😥

Our dietitian Sherie Sourial writes about diabetes burnout. Enjoy!

-I test my blood glucose levels at 4-6 times/day
- I inject insulin 4 times/day
- I am encouraged to eat healthily
- Low GI
- Having a hypo; high GI
- Going for a run; adjust my insulin, have more carbs...but I'm trying to manage my weight
- For some bizarre reason my glucose levels are elevated and I haven't done anything different 
- Keep between 6-8mmol/l. Avoid highs, avoid lows 
- Integrating diabetes into my life and allowing it not to occupy my thoughts and mind all the time... really? And how is that suppose to happen?.

Sound familiar? 

These are just some things a person with diabetes (type 1 or 2) can go through on any given day...and that's just in relation to their diabetes, let alone other non-diabetes decisions.

Rest assured! U are not alone. 
Firstly remind yourself, you are doing exceptionally well!

No doubt the thought of these points above and even other things can get overwhelming. To know that even when I do follow these things, I will continue to have diabetes, can feel  demotivating... don't let this get you down! You are stronger than this and have come a long way. The fact that you're processing and considering all these things means you have the motivation and will power compared to so many other people around you.

You may be feeling burnout. Yes Diabetes burnout does and can exist. 

As we spring into Spring, it's a chance to embrace the new season and also acknowledge that we can feel the pressures of the year in the air.

Tips to help you manage: 

-Make it real, be real and understand that it's ok to feel burnout and overwhelmed at times,
-Stay motivated. Doing your best can often be enough,
-Have support of family and friends around you, unload your frustrations and concerns by sharing them, 
-Take a quick little getaway; find that comfort and peace in things you enjoy, 
-Recharge those batteries and you will be back on your feet at better capacity again,
-Sometimes we need to take things back to basics and gain perspective again,
- Remember your healthcare professionals also care and happy to hear from you and help whether things are on track, overwhelming or off track. You are not alone.

Happy living everyone 

Keeping You Healthy 
Sherie Sourial (APD,CDE)

W: www.keepingyouhealthy.com.au
E: sherie@keepingyouhealthy.com.au

Diabetes Victoria - Clothing collection

Diabetes Victoria offer a terrific clothing collection service which we've used previously. It's efficient and they come when they say they will!

'Victorians are estimated to discard a total of 38,572,340 kg of clothing and shoes annually – that’s the combined weight of 5500 elephants. To date, Diabetes Victoria recycles an average 3.9 million kg of clothing annually and in doing so, helps reduce the annual clothing footprint by 10 percent. With your continued support, together, we can rescue even more clothing from ending up in landfills to help maintain a positive impact on our environment.'

They don't pick up large items but suggest you take them to your local Savers store. You can book their service here. It's a great way to help support them in the great work they do.

Diabetes Australia risk calculator

Diabetes Australia have a very handy Type 2 risk calculator. With T2 on the increase daily this is a handy little calculator to help you work out your risk of getting diabetes.

Try it here.

If you have any questions please contact us and our dietitian or diabetes educator will be able to answer general questions. But don't forget, everyone is different so please be sure to see your health professional for advice tailored to suit your requirements.

Elly talks about her new Dario

So, for the past 6 months or so, I've been using a fancy, new BGL meter: Dario. And it's honestly changed my life as a Type 1 Diabetic.

This little gadget holds everything you need for your daily blood glucose testing in a single, organised unit: a tube of test strips, the lancing device itself, and a plug-in connection for your smart phone, which takes and reads the testing strips. The app Dario uses turns your phone into a literal BGL meter - it's fantastic! 

It has also saved my recycling bin from overflowing with tiny bits of paper, covered in random numbers from throughout the day. The Dario app records all of your data to give you an average BGL over the day, week, and month, which results in an average Hba1c. It also prompts you to enter meals, insulin doses, exercise routines, and moods with each test, so you can review your results more accurately later on. 

It may be most important to note that the Dario app could save your life as a diabetic in desperate situations. When you sign up for the app, it prompts you to enter the details of an emergency contact of your choice. This is because when you are having a hypo/low (when you test your BGLs and they are lower than your 'minimum limit') Dario sends a text to your emergency contact immediately from you, letting them know that you are currently in a hypo. 

If you have a working smart phone, you're a diabetic, and ease of life means something to you, I'd definitely recommend Dario!

Working Well. Mebourne based support group

Working Well” is a bayside Melbourne based community established in late May 2015 connecting adults living with the reality of type 1 diabetes & those that live, work with, or support someone that does. 

Recognised by Diabetes Victoria, Working Well offers events, online support and a place to share stories. You can contact Jenny here 

Contact Diabetes Victoria here

New products!

Well, finally we've launched our new products and we know you are going to love the taste, smell and look of them.

Excuse us while we photograph them so we can put really nice product shots up for you - the ones we have now are nice, but we want to show you the packaging etc! Won't be long!

8 new meals AND soups about to be launched

Oh yum, we're about to launch 8 new delicious meals, and a range of seriously tasty soups - all ready to simply heat and enjoy!

We have a range of vegetarian, chicken, meat and gluten free meals designed to suit the whole family. And our serving size has increased whilst we've kept carbohydrate, sugar and calorie content down. So just perfect for those managing diabetes, those on a calorie controlled diet or others who just want to eat better food.

Don't forget to subscribe here to be one of the first to see and taste our new flavours.

What's your BMI?

Knowing your BMI (body mass index) is a good way to check if you are in the 'healthy' weight range. Remember though, that this gives you an estimate only. We are all different but calculating  your BMI does give you a good indication as to your healthy weight range.

You can check yours here at the Heart Foundation https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/know-your-risks/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator

Reassessing our goals doesn't necessarily mean we're back-tracking

Breakfast, lunch and dinner - we've got you covered

Did you know that our gourmet meals are ideal for lunch or dinner? They are healthy 300gm servings, all under 420 calories each. 

We also have breakfast ready for you. Choose from Muesli's or our delicious Power Packed Porridge full of quinoa and chia seeds.

We're busy in the kitchen designing new meals too so we'll keep you updated with our yummy new flavours.

You can find all nutritional details for each meal here.