Insulin pens … A matter of environment impact

In Australia, the majority of people give their insulin using disposable pens, which, once empty, contributes a significant amount of rubbish to landfill. Is it time the diabetes community improves its environmental report card by getting more people with diabetes to switch to a more environmentally friendly insulin delivery device? The three insulin companies, Lily,

Book Review: Yoga for Diabetes by Rachel Zinman

In the diabetes world there are people who inspire with their unique diabetes journey and Rachel Zinman can add her name to this special list. ‘Yoga for Diabetes’ was written by Rachel to share her 30 plus year journey with yoga, a central tenet of her life. Rachel has used yoga and Ayurveda to help

Let’s talk about the word … ‘patient’

The #languagematters movement continues to gather momentum as we challenge the status quo of continuing to use language that disempowers and makes many people with diabetes downright angry. Social media, diabetes related publications and conference/seminar organisers are highlighting the negative impact of the words many health professionals, journalists and the community generally use. They want us to not use negative language but instead

DA Week Top #5 Hacks … Hitting glucose targets!

This Diabetes Awareness Week,”It’s about time … more people with diabetes were assisted to reach their glucose targets.”  With over 50% of people with diabetes not reaching their glycaemic target, it’s time for health professionals to act! 1 Stop the blame game of saying people are ‘non-compliant’ with their diabetes care. Ask yourself, ‘Am I giving

Pumping: The Ypsomed Option

Diabetes educator’s love nothing more than an opportunity to get their hands on the latest diabetes technology… so it was off to Sydney last Thursday to play with the new YpsoPump that Ypsomed were launching in Australia. Ypsomed is a Swiss Company, best known in Australia for their My Life Click Fine needles and needle

Lipohypertrophy – Top 5 tips to decrease diabetes distress

Jayne Lehmann RN CDE I popped along to a breakfast session this morning on the identification, management and prevention of lipohypertrophy (lipos) at this year’s Australasian Diabetes Congress (previously ADS/ADEA Annual Scientific Meeting). Over the last few years we diabetes educators have been learning more about the role lipos play in destabilising blood glucose levels

Diabetes and the Year of the Dog – Woof!

In this Year of the Dog, it’s time to have a look at the role of dogs in diabetes research and care. Have you ever heard the story of Marjorie, also known as “dog #33”?  Well, she played a big role in the discovery of insulin. Read on for a woofingly good yarn! In 1921,

Dance. The new black in exercise!

I love to dance. I did a lot of dancing in my youth: modern, classical and pointe. Then there was a brief foray at the dance school my daughters went to, in the adult tap/jazz class some years ago; even appeared in the end of year concert for a couple of years! My promising tap