Blog | Quick Sticks

Carbohydrate Exchange vs. Carbohydrate Counting

Dec 19, 2012 - As a CDE I get a lot of questions concerning carbohydrate exchanges vs. carbohydrate counting. So to simplify, let us explore exactly what a carbohydrate exchange is. Many of us know approximately how many grams of carbohydrate we should or we want to consume per meal or per day. For some, lunch could be 30 grams of carbs, and for others 45 or 50 grams of carbohydrate. Everyone is different based on individual dietary needs. A carbohydrate EXCHANGE is another way to prepare your meal plan. One exchange is simply equal to 15 grams of...

Why do Glucose Quick Sticks have 10 grams of carbs in each stick?

Nov 5, 2012 - Diabetes is not a “one size fits all” disease. We have tried for years to standardize diabetes care, only to become frustrated with what works for one patient does not work well for another. That is not to say there should not be guidelines; we all need some starting points. Different patients have different levels of responses to drugs and food, and patients can be insulin resistant to different degrees. That is why we have Glucose Quick Sticks available in a 10gm size. My sons respond differently to glucose to treat a...

Are Glucose Quick Sticks safe for people who do not have diabetes?

Oct 30, 2012 - Quick sticks are just basically flavored sugar. They are not meant to be eaten like candy, but are certainly as safe as candy when consumed by people without diabetes. I would often give one son a sugar treat while treating my older son for hypoglycemia. My younger son would often tell me he felt “weak” just to get a treat when he was a toddler. He was diagnosed with diabetes himself at age nine. This is a genetic disease and his overall diet was very healthy. I say this because some parents blame food as a cause...

Spread Your Wisdom

Jul 24, 2012 - As a type 1 diabetic for my entire life, I have experienced a wide variety of occurences with diabetes. From being sick and managing blood sugars, to travelling out of the country with diabetes, to playing college sports with diabetes, I have done it all. Over the past 8-10 months, for the first time in my life, I have interacted with people in the Diabetes community on a consistant basis for the first time in my life. It has taken me until now to really soak it in and here is what I realized: It feels wonderful to talk to newly...

IBG Star

Jun 13, 2012 - I just purchaed a brand new IBG star. It is a small devive the length and width of an I phone that it pluggs directly into. Then you just download the free app and all of your numbers go directly to the app where it is stored. Pretty friggin cool. I like new diabetes tools because it gets me excited to use them, so I test more frequently and do what I’m supposed to. Another example was the Omnipod. I never forget to cover for food now because I think its a new toy. The IBG star makes life easier because I actually leave it...

Product Analysis: Omnipod

May 31, 2012 - This week I wanted to talk about the kind of insulin pump that I use and how I benefit from it. I used a medtronic pump for 9 years and switched to an omnipod around 2 months ago. The big thing for me was no tubing. I can not tell you how many times I had a bubble in the tubing or a kink in the canula and found out when my blood sugar was 350. The Omnipod is tubeless and waterproof, and has a cell phone looking item that controls the insulin and is also a tester kit. It is basically your one stop shop for Diabetes management and has...

Super Friends

May 25, 2012 - Those Super Mom’s and Dad’s are not always going to be around you forever to look after you. It is important to learn how to manage your Diabetes and slowly take more and more responsibility. For me, its taken 21 years to get a full grasp on how to take care of myself fully (My parents still aren’t convinced HA!). It took for me to go to college and be forced to take care of myself. As you grow up and become more independent, it is very important to establish a safety net of friends or just one friend that truly cares...

Super Moms

May 18, 2012 - The following is not to take away from any super dads out there. This is specifically to honor the moms of the world. The Dad’s will be recognized at a later date. In my opinion, mothers of diabetics are the true “Super Heroes” of the Diabetes community. They are the ones not sleeping for years to make sure their child’s blood sugars are stable. They are the ones hanging out in the school to make sure everything is ok. There level of commitment, devotion, and overall love is unparalleled and goes...

Work Out Your Diabetes

May 2, 2012 - Quick Stick Tips with Chris- Tip #1Like any other situation in the diabetes world, being prepared and having a routine are key factors in being able to successfully participate in any exercise. The first step is to identify how long you plan on doing a particular work out or sporting event. The longer the activity goes, the more you are going to have to eat before. The next step would be to identify your insulin regiment for this exercise and figure out how you want to regulate it. Normally, you burn hundreds of calories in a workout, and if...

Roll With the Punches

Apr 27, 2012 - Diabetes is as much a mental game as it is physical. The ability to handle any situation that arises with a calm state of mind is key to managing any disease let alone diabetes. The key theme in this message is “Roll with the punches.” There are numerous challenges that a type one diabetic faces on a daily basis, whether it be: managing your blood sugars when sick, exercising without going low, making sure your blood sugar is stable to eat with your friends, a pump occlusion, and then those just inexplicable blood sugar...