Your body gets the energy it needs from food through a process called metabolism. Get all the facts on metabolism in this article.
It's perfectly normal for people with diabetes to feel sad, angry, confused, upset, alone, embarrassed, and even jealous. After all, these are natural emotions that everyone feels from time to time. But how can you cope?
Sure, you've heard of diabetes. But how much do you really know about what it's like to have it? Read our tips on helping a friend with diabetes.
A diabetes educator and dietitian chose these recipes, but they're not just for people with diabetes. Almost anyone looking for nutritious meals and snacks can enjoy them.
If you have diabetes, your doctor may have recommended keeping track of how many carbohydrates (carbs) you eat. But what exactly are carbs and how do they affect your blood sugar?
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but it can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
People with diabetes don't need to be on strict diets, but do need to pay attention to what they eat and when. Crack open the cookbooks and surf to your favorite recipe website because it's time to plan meals that you love!
Dining out is probably a part of your social scene. If you have diabetes, you can pretty much eat the same foods as your friends and family. You just have to keep track of what you eat and enjoy certain foods in moderation.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
This recipe is especially for teens with diabetes, but can be a nutritious part of almost anyone's diet.
Dialysis is a medical treatment that can take over the job of filtering the blood until a person's failing kidneys heal or are replaced with a kidney transplant. Find out more in this article for teens.
The endocrine system influences almost every cell, organ, and function of our bodies. It is instrumental in regulating mood, growth and development, metabolism, and sexual function, among other things.
People who have diabetes may hear or read a lot about controlling, or managing, the condition. But what is diabetes control and why is it so important?
Weight can influence diabetes, and diabetes can influence weight. Managing weight can really make a difference in a person's diabetes management plan.
Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, a sugar that is the body's main source of fuel. In type 1 diabetes, glucose can't get into the body's cells where it's needed.
Teens with type 2 diabetes have to pay close attention to what they eat and do.
Thinking about your diabetes a little bit now — and taking some steps to prevent problems — can make things easier down the road.
For people with diabetes, controlling blood sugar levels is important. Having a blood sugar level that's too high can make you feel lousy, and having high blood sugar levels a lot can be unhealthy.
If you have diabetes, you can use this printable sheet to record your blood glucose levels.
The things you do now could help prevent diabetes later, depending on the type of diabetes. Here's the scoop on diabetes prevention.
Taking care of your diabetes includes knowing when to call a doctor and get medical help.
Dialysis is a medical treatment that can take over the job of filtering the blood until a person's failing kidneys heal or are replaced with a kidney transplant. Find out more in this article for teens.
Being sick is no fun for anyone. For people with diabetes, being sick can also affect blood sugar levels.
Taking responsibility for your own health care means understanding things like prescriptions. Read our tips for teens on filling a prescription.
To keep your diabetes under control, stay healthy, and prevent future problems, you need to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range. To do that, check and track those levels regularly.
People who have diabetes may hear or read a lot about controlling, or managing, the condition. But what is diabetes control and why is it so important?
You probably spend more than a third of your waking hours at school. Chances are you'll need to check your blood sugar levels or give yourself an insulin injection during that time. So what do you do?
Taking medicines is a major part of staying healthy if you have diabetes because they help you keep your blood sugar levels under control.
Tips and advice for teens on refilling a prescription.
Teens with diabetes can exercise and play sports at the same level as everyone else, so whether you want to go for the gold or just go hiking in your hometown, diabetes shouldn't hold you back.
People with type 1 diabetes need to follow a treatment plan to manage their diabetes and stay healthy and active.
People with type 2 diabetes need to follow a plan to manage their diabetes and stay healthy and active.
Find out what the experts have to say.
For people with diabetes, controlling blood sugar levels is important. Having a blood sugar level that's too high can make you feel lousy, and having high blood sugar levels a lot can be unhealthy.
When blood glucose levels drop too low, it's called hypoglycemia. Very low blood sugar levels can cause severe symptoms that need to be treated right away.
It takes all of your team members — you, your parents, doctors, dietitians, and mental health pros — to help you take care of your diabetes.
These videos show what's involved in getting a blood test and what it's like to be the person taking the blood sample.
Sometimes the immune system makes a mistake and attacks the body's own tissues or organs. This is called autoimmunity.
Beta cells are cells that make insulin, a hormone that controls the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
Blood glucose level is the amount of glucose in the blood.
A blood glucose meter is a small, portable machine that's used to check how much glucose (a type of sugar) is in the blood (also known as the blood glucose level).
For a teen with diabetes, a bolus is a dose of insulin taken to handle a rise in blood glucose.
Most of the nutrients in food fall into three major groups: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Many people with diabetes use carbohydrate ("carb") counting to estimate the amount of carbohydrate in the foods they eat.
Certified diabetes educators are health care professionals who specialize in treating people with diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition that happens when the body can't use glucose (a type of sugar) normally.
Many people with diabetes use a food-balancing program called the exchange meal plan to guide what they eat each day.
The body uses fat as a fuel source, and fat is the major storage form of energy in the body.
Fatty acids are the building blocks of the fat in our bodies and in the food we eat.
Glucagon is a hormone that raises the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
Glucose is the main type of sugar in the blood and is the major source of energy for the body's cells.
The glycemic index measures how fast and how much a food raises blood glucose levels.
When the body doesn't need to use the glucose for energy, it stores it in the liver and muscles. This stored form of glucose is made up of many connected glucose molecules and is called glycogen.
The glycosylated hemoglobin test shows what a person's average blood glucose level was for the 2 to 3 months before the test.
Hormones are chemical substances that act like messenger molecules in the body.
Hyperglycemia occurs when the level of glucose in the blood is higher than it should be.
Hypoglycemia occurs when the level of glucose in the blood is lower than it should be.
Insulin is a hormone that lowers the level of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood.
Although researchers are testing other ways to give insulin, it's only available now in a form that must be injected just under the skin.
An insulin pump is an insulin-delivering device that's used by some people with diabetes.
Insulin resistance occurs when the body doesn't respond as well to the insulin that the pancreas is making and glucose is less able to enter the cells.
The pancreas contains clusters of cells that produce hormones. These clusters are known as islets.
Ketoacidosis is a severe life-threatening condition requiring immediate treatment.
When fats are broken down for energy, chemicals called ketones appear in the blood and urine.
The kidneys are a pair of organs that are found on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage in the back.
Nephropathy is a medical term for kidney disease.
Neuropathy is a medical term for disease of the nervous system.
The pancreas is a long, flat gland that lies in the abdomen behind the stomach.
A pediatric endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of children with diseases of the endocrine system, such as diabetes and growth disorders.
A person with polydipsia drinks excessive amounts of fluid.
A person with polyphagia eats excessive amounts of food.
A person with polyuria makes large amounts of urine.
Retinopathy is the medical term for disease of the retina.
A urinalysis is a laboratory examination of a person's urine.
