Top 6 Diabetes Life Hacks

Staying on track with your diabetes management plan is vital to protecting your health. Maintaining a healthy diet, managing supplies, and monitoring blood glucose levels are all critical to positive outcomes. But even when you know the importance of diabetes management, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. These diabetes life hacks can make it a bit easier, whether you’re at home or on the go.

Diabetes Life Hacks: 6 Ways to Simplify Your Life with Diabetes

Here are our top diabetes life hacks to help you better manage diabetes:

1. Have Snacks on Hand

Keeping snacks on hand makes it easier to stay in your target blood glucose range. If your blood sugar is dropping, a carb-rich snack can give you a boost and help you prevent hypoglycemia.

If you’re already near the bottom of or below your target range, having snacks readily available allows you to quickly implement the 15-15 rule: eat a snack that contains 15 grams of carbohydrates and check your blood sugar again after 15 minutes. Repeat until your blood sugar is back in your target range.

Having snacks on hand doesn’t just mean keeping them at home. Be sure to keep a supply at work, in your bag, and in your car, just in case.

2. Carry a Water Bottle

Water can play a big role in your blood sugar management. People with diabetes are prone to dehydration, and even mild dehydration can elevate your blood sugar. Carrying a water bottle with you and drinking water regularly—even before you feel thirsty—will help prevent dehydration and support healthy functioning. It can also help you refrain from drinking sugary beverages, and it may help you curb excessive eating if you’re watching your weight.

If you’re experiencing excessive thirst, talk to your healthcare practitioner.

3. Plan, Prep, and Track Your Meals

Maintaining a healthy diet and tracking your carb intake can help you keep your blood sugar on target. The following diabetes life hacks make it easier:

• Plan and prep meals. Planning meals according to your nutritional goals and preparing them ahead of time ensures you have healthy options available when you need them. Not only does it save time and money, it also prevents you from reaching for unhealthy foods.
• Pack smart. Pack snacks in individual bags and label each bag with the number of grams of carbs it contains. This is a quick way to track your carb intake when you’re away from home.
• Use an app. Apps make it easier than ever to plan meals, track carbs, and gain insight into your diet. A glucose monitoring app is the perfect place to store this data and can help you understand the relationship between your blood sugar and your eating habits. Some apps also let you track water intake.

Talk to your healthcare provider to create a diet plan that’s right for you.

4. Choose an Automatic Blood Glucose Monitor

An automatic blood glucose monitor gives you a fast, simple, and discreet way to check your blood sugar no matter where you are. The POGO Automatic^® Monitor uses a cartridge that integrates both test strips and lancets, which means you don’t need to use separate test strips and lancets. Each cartridge can be used for 10 blood glucose tests, so you don’t have to refill your device every time you test. Simply press a button to start the automatic lancing and blood collection process and get accurate results in seconds. With POGO Automatic, routine testing fits easily into your day.

5. Set Reminders

When life gets busy, it’s easy to get off course with your treatment plan. Automatic reminders can fix that. They can tell you when to take medications, check blood sugar levels, order supplies, drink water, and schedule appointments with your healthcare provider.

One of the best ways to set reminders is to use an app that coordinates with your blood glucose monitor. For example, the Patterns^® for POGO Automatic app syncs with the POGO Automatic Monitor via Bluetooth and provides customizable notifications and test reminders to help you stay on schedule.

6. Keep Emergency Contact Info on Hand

Even if you follow your diabetes management plan to a T, blood sugar events are always a possibility. To ensure that you get proper care, carry a diabetes alert card in your wallet that includes your emergency contact information, and be sure to add this information to your phone.

Your glucose monitoring app may also allow you to add and send notifications to emergency contacts. For example, if the POGO Automatic Monitor detects a potential high or low blood sugar event, the Patterns app sends you notifications with information on what to do next. If you don’t respond to the notifications, the Patterns app sends a text alert to your emergency contacts, notifying them of your blood sugar level and location.

Stay on Track for Better Health

When it comes to diabetes treatment, there aren’t a lot of shortcuts. But these diabetes life hacks can help you simplify your daily routine and prepare for the unexpected. If you make your diabetes management plan easier, you’re more likely to stick to it even when you’re feeling overwhelmed or when life gets hectic. Often, that’s when staying on track matters most.

Robert Miller Robert Miller is a customer experience specialist committed to helping people navigate the world of diabetes. He focuses on finding innovative tools and strategies that make diabetes management easier to support long-term wellness.

All content on this website is for educational purposes only and does not replace the guidance of your healthcare practitioner. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.