Managing Diabetes
Video Series - Diabetes 101: Understanding Diabetes and What We Can Do to Manage It
Feb. 10, 2025 • 5 min read
The content in this article should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider regarding your individual health needs.
Diabetes is a complex disease that affects millions of people. Yet, it's often hard to understand what it truly is and how it impacts the body.
For Dr. Thomas Grace, Head of Clinical Advocacy and Outcomes at Dexcom, the first order of business is to address this knowledge gap with every new patient he sees at the Blanchard Valley Diabetes Center in Findlay, Ohio.
Typically, Dr. Grace begins each appointment with a simple question: "Do you know what diabetes is, and how it works in the body?" When the inevitable answer of "no" comes. he takes his patients through a roughly 45-minute "diabetes talk" that he has developed during his time practicing endocrinology.
Dr. Grace's "talk" simplifies what diabetes is and what is happening in your body, and then breaks down managing diabetes into three manageable components: Food, Activity, Medications, and one very important tool — Dexcom G7 CGM.
We've turned Dr. Grace's talk into 4 short, animated videos where Dr. Grace (a.k.a Dr. Sugar) breaks down these essential aspects of diabetes management and how Dexcom G7 shows you your glucose levels in real-time, providing a lens into the effectiveness of food choices, activity, and medication.
1. What is diabetes and how does it work in the body?
Understanding diabetes is the first step towards effectively managing diabetes. Dr. Sugar explains that diabetes is a condition where the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or can't use it effectively. This leads to elevated blood glucose levels, which can cause various health issues if not managed properly.
2. A game of balancing sugar
Food choices play a crucial role in managing diabetes. Dr. Sugar digs into the importance of understanding sugar, how it affects the body, and making informed food choices.
3. A is for activity
Physical activity is another important component of managing diabetes. Dr. Sugar explains how moving our bodies helps lower glucose levels and improves overall health.
4. Understanding diabetes medications
For many, medication may still be necessary to manage diabetes. Dr. Sugar explains the three major types of diabetes medications and how they work.
With the right combination of food, activity, medication, and Dexcom G7, over time you can learn to master the act of balancing your sugar levels and take control of your diabetes.
Get Started on Dexcom G7 and see how food, activity, and medications affect your glucose.
BRIEF SAFETY STATEMENT: Failure to use the Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring System and its components according to the instructions for use provided with your device and available at https://www.dexcom.com/safety-information and to properly consider all indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and cautions in those instructions for use may result in you missing a severe hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) or hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) occurrence and/or making a treatment decision that may result in injury. If your glucose alerts and readings from the Dexcom CGM do not match symptoms, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions. Seek medical advice and attention when appropriate, including for any medical emergency.
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