top of page


The Best Diabetes-Friendly Cereals, According to a Dietitian
Breakfast cereals can be a quick and easy choice for busy mornings, but for people with diabetes, it can be confusing to choose the right fit since many cereals are known for their added sugar. When shopping for the best breakfast options, it’s important to prioritize cereals that are high in fiber, low in added sugars and made from whole grains. Fiber helps slow digestion, promoting more stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, while whole grains offer complex carbohydr
Wendy Lopez, MS, RDN, CDCES


14 Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a common condition where your body loses its ability to use up glucose in the blood, also known as blood sugar. There are a number of symptoms that can accompany type 2 diabetes, and many of them start to show up early. The most common early signs of type 2 diabetes are frequent urination, extreme thirst, and persistent hunger. However, there are other symptoms that may alert you to this disease. A diagnosis can feel life changing, but type 2 diabetes is ve
Anna Schaefer and Karen Lamoreux


Morning Exercise May Help Lower Your Risk of Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes
Exercise has various health benefits, from maintaining a moderate weight to improving heart health. While all exercise is beneficial, a recent study found that exercising in the morning may yield greater cardiometabolic benefits than later in the day. It’s unclear whether the relationship between exercise and cardiometabolic health is mediated by other factors or causal. However, the researchers noted that the findings could inform counseling approaches for physical activity
Mandy French


How Blood Sugar Levels Affect Your Body
High: Makes You Pee More Your kidneys have to work hard to process all that extra sugar in your blood. When they can’t keep up, your body gets rid of it, along with water that your body needs. High: Makes You Thirsty To get rid of that extra sugar, your body draws water from its own tissues. Because you need that fluid to make energy, transfer nutrients, and get rid of waste, a switch flips in your brain to tell you that you’re thirsty so you’ll drink more. High: Dry Mout
Paul Frysh


What Happens to Your Blood Sugar When You Eat Chocolate?
About 40 million Americans—12% of the U.S. population—have diabetes, 38 million of them having type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes are often advised to limit their consumption of sweets to help manage their blood sugar levels. But a crucial component of a healthy eating pattern is that it's enjoyable so you can stick with it for the long haul, which means that occasionally including a dessert or sweet snack can be a smart move—and this includes chocolate. But choosing which
Lauren Manaker M.S., RDN, LD, CLEC


How To Tell if Your Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Is Working
If you have Type 2 diabetes (T2D), you may need to take insulin or other medications, like metformin or GLP-1s, to help manage your blood sugar (glucose). Monitoring your blood sugar levels, getting regular A1C tests and paying attention to any symptoms can help your healthcare provider know if your treatment is working. Registered dietitian and diabetes educator Nicole Bruno, RD, LD, shares how you can know if your Type 2 diabetes treatment is working. Signs your Type 2 diab
health.clevelandclinic.org


Blood Glucose Tests for Diabetes
If you have symptoms such as severe increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, increased hunger, and tingling in your hands or feet, your doctor may run a test for diabetes. According to the CDC, some 38 million children and adults in the U.S., or over 11% of the population, have diabetes today. Yet, millions of Americans are unaware that they have diabetes because they may not have symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, your doctor will or
Angela McPhillips


Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible?
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term, chronic medical condition. It develops mostly in adults but is becoming more common in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Several factors contribute to type 2 diabetes, including overweight and obesity. Type 2 diabetes can lead to life threatening complications, but with treatment, you can manage the condition or cause it to go into remission. Read on for more information about managing diabetes for b
Mary Ellen Ellis


My Experience Managing Type 2 Diabetes and My Heart
Oct. 12, 2012, was the day I almost died — and also the first step on a path that led to how I manage my type 2 diabetes and how it affected my heart. I’m an emergency medical technician and a retired Army medic, but that day I didn’t recognize I was the one having the emergency. A few months earlier, my wife, Sheila, and I had decided to get healthier by losing weight and exercising more. I was pushing 330 pounds, and though I felt fine and had annual checkups, I knew I nee
Anthony Wilson, as told to Nancy LeBrun


7 Common Causes of Sugar Cravings and How to Keep Them in Check
Craving sugar may mean your body (and brain) is signaling that something deeper is off. From stress and sleep debt to diet imbalances, understanding why those cravings hit can help you take back control. 1. Conditioning By repeating everyday habits, you condition your brain and body to expect it and respond to it. If you regularly fuel yourself with foods high in added sugar, you might eat sugar on autopilot. Consider the types of foods that make up your diet. Have you become
Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD


Never Mix These 2 Drinks if You Take Medication for High Blood Pressure, a Pharmacist Warns
For those who have high blood pressure , taking a prescription medication can literally be life -saving. While medications are never a substitute for having healthy diet and lifestyle habits in place, scientific studies have shown just how powerful blood pressure-lowering medications can be. For example, according to a 2024 scientific study published in Cureus , taking a blood pressure-lowering medication significantly reduced high blood pressure in elderly adults with hyper
Emily Laurence


12 Unusual Symptoms of Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition where the body either doesn’t produce insulin ( type 1 ) or doesn’t use insulin properly ( type 2 ). Both types result in too much glucose, or sugar, in the blood. Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas. It regulates the amount of glucose in the blood, and allows your body to use sugar from carbohydrates for energy. Without insulin, sugar can’t get into your cells and it accumulates in the bloodstream. About 1.2 million Americans are diagnosed w
Valencia Higuera


The silent crisis: A podiatrist’s warning on diabetes and foot amputation risk
As a podiatrist, I often view the human body through the lens of the feet. They are our foundation, yet they are often the last place we look when a health crisis begins. For people living with diabetes, this oversight can be catastrophic. The correlation between diabetes and foot health isn't merely a minor complication; it is a profound and urgent medical concern. It’s fitting that November is American Diabetes Month. This is a vital time for national awareness, not just ab
Dr. Patrick Bartholomew, DPM, AACFAS, for Family Foot & Leg Center


Helping You Understand ‘Normal’ Blood Sugar Levels
Keeping track of your blood sugar is a key part of diabetes management. Achieving a “normal” blood sugar or glucose level is a bit of a misnomer. Often, the word “normal” is used to reference what someone’s blood sugars might be if they didn’t have diabetes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the fasting glucose range between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.9 and 5.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). However, it’s important to note that this termin
Mike Hoskins


This Popular ‘Healthy’ Drink Could Be Depleting Your Calcium Levels, Experts Warn
These days, we’re more aware of how sugary beverages can affect our health, and for good reason. Millions of Americans have Type 2 diabetes, and reducing sugar intake can help people manage or prevent the condition. However, some popular drinks have kept their “health halos” because they can (rightfully) slap “no sugar” on their labels. But experts emphasize that these “no sugar” labels don’t mean nothing problematic is going on there. “Many drinks marketed as healthy or low-
Beth Ann Mayer


Skipping breakfast may increase hypertension, high blood sugar risk
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , metabolic syndrome is having at least three of these five conditions: abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low “good cholesterol.” People who have metabolic syndrome can then be at an increased risk for several health problems, like heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and organ damage. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Nutrients found that not eating breakf
Jessica Freeborn


6 Healthy Drinks Proven to Naturally Lower Blood Sugar Levels
There’s no magic drink for lowering blood sugar, but some beverages, like teas and juices, may help keep your levels steady. These drinks can naturally support balanced levels and other long-term health benefits. 1. Water Dehydration can lead to higher blood sugar levels, thanks to increased levels of the hormones vasopressin and cortisol, which impact blood sugar regulation. Increasing water intake can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and potentially lower blood sugar leve
Cristina Mutchler


Is Insulin Resistance the Same as Diabetes?
Insulin resistance and diabetes are closely related. But not everyone who is insulin resistant has diabetes, and not all people with diabetes are insulin resistant. However, insulin resistance increases your chances of developing both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, in particular. This article explains the similarities and differences between insulin resistance and diabetes. What are the differences between insulin resistance and diabetes? Though interconnected, they are qui
Megan Severs


How Does Eating Affect Your Blood Sugar?
Blood sugar is used for energy. Excess sugar in your blood gets stored in cells for later use. Too much sugar in your blood can be harmful. Type 2 diabetes is a disease where you have higher levels of blood sugar than typical limits. Unmanaged diabetes can lead to problems with your heart, kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels. The more you know about how eating affects blood sugar, the better you can protect yourself against diabetes. If you already have diabetes, it’s important
James Roland


6 Food Swaps for More Blood Sugar-Friendly Meals, According to Dietitians
When you’re living with diabetes or prediabetes, the foods you eat can have a tremendous impact on your blood glucose, not to mention...
Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., RDN
bottom of page





