Managing Diabetes

submitted by Justin Bennett

Fitness Trainer, California

6 Money Saving Tech Tools Offer a Better Life With Diabetes

 Managing diabetes isn’t an activity— it’s a lifestyle. You have to think more thoughtfully and carefully about what goes into your body and what goes into your mind. You also have to manage behaviors, as well, which can be very challenging after a lifetime of certain habits.

 While this can be hard, and even stressful, it’s not impossible— especially with the kinds of technology we have available. And it doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Here are a few ways technology can help you balance your budget and lifestyle while living with diabetes.

 Low-Cost and Free Fitness Trackers

Tracking your health and well-being is about more than steps, miles and calories. For people managing diabetes, tracking water, sleep, menstrual cycles and other aspects of health and fitness can be very helpful. As an example, Tom’s Guide points out the health-tracking suite of the Fitbit Versa 2 is a boon to diabetics. It works with blood sugar tracking apps to allow you to review stats right on your wrist.

 Checking with the manufacturer’s website is a great way to hone in on sales opportunities, so you can snag a deal and stretch your pennies. And there are plenty of useful free fitness tracker apps, such as Fitness Point and Strava, to keep records of your data.

 Smart Scales and a Best Buy Promo Code

If you need to stay mindful of more aspects of your weight besides the number, then a smart scale can be a transformative technology. You can monitor your body weight, chart fitness goals, bone mass, basal metabolic rate and more. Shop around, when it’s time to buy stores like Best Buy offer a price match guarantee. On top of that, there are coupons online from sites like this one that can save you even more.

 Gently Used Heart Rate Monitors

Keeping a close watch on your heart rate can help you better understand type 2 diabetes. A high resting heart rate, hypertension, and poor circulation are all health situations that can cause or even exacerbate diabetes. Heart rate monitors vary in price and accessories, so first you need to decide what kinds of bells and whistles you need. Then SellerApp suggests searching on Amazon Warehouse Deals where you can purchase returned or refurbished items that are in good condition.

 Meditation Timers for Next to Nothing

Stress can make any chronic health condition worse, and that is often the case with diabetes. When we’re stressed we might eat foods that provide comfort but are filled with empty calories. Or we might see a spike in our blood sugar because our adrenaline is high. A meditation timer can help you be more mindful and conscious about the choices we make when we cope with stress. These apps are typically free or very low-cost.

 Stress has both a psychological and physiological impact on diabetes, so the more you focus on lowering your stress, the better you’ll be able to manage your health.

 Coupon Apps for Here and There

Clipping coupons might sound old school, but with technology, it’s actually a very effective way to save money on expensive organic brands. You can bring healthier, more wholesome foods to the table by using coupon apps like Rakuten, Ibotta, SnipSnap and Coupon Sherpa. Not only can these apps make foods less costly, but you can also use them to experiment with different meals and dishes that are heart-healthy.

 Insulin Pumps and Reimbursement

A state-of-the-art digital insulin pump can help you go about your day more worry-free. New pumps can even predict when you might experience low blood sugar, so you can adjust your meals accordingly. You can make more accurate, real-time decisions about your blood sugar— often without needing to a fingerstick. And keep in mind anything you buy that relates to your insulin is eligible for reimbursement via FSA, HSA, or similar funds.

Managing your diabetes is an everyday activity, but the more you make healthier lifestyle changes, the easier those changes will become. Using technology can help you turn those decisions into habits with more ease, which also makes them more effective! Topping it all off, technology can be a powerful ally in managing diabetes in a way that lets you live your best life, while still watching your budget.