tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91818140259200070282024-02-08T04:36:11.828+00:00Life, Sport and Diabetes - An everyday look at my life with type 1 diabetes.Join my diabetes blog (dblog) as it takes you through a daily look at sport, diabetes and everything in between. As an athlete that lives with type 1 diabetes I want to share my news, views and tips for everyone in the dblog community. Diabetes lifestyle blog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger590125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-86481803544702754202020-03-27T21:22:00.000+00:002020-04-05T21:28:21.264+01:00Day 3 - Home Workout (Week 1) Friday<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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It's Day 3 of the first week of home workouts today and we're going to be using more 'equipment' that would be found in many homes, it's the first step of the garden stairs! Of course, do be careful with this one, as it's going to require a bit of balance and concentration.<br />
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So, the session itself is 30 seconds 'on' the exercise, 1 minute 'off' recovery between each exercise and 6-10 minutes rest between each set, of which there are 2 in total. Don't forget to do a warm-up to get the body ready for exercise, I often do a 5-10 minute jog on the spot. Using the first step of my garden stairs, I did sit-ups with my feet on the stair, followed by single step ups onto the stair and stretching out my arms above my head.<br />
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Then, facing away from the step I did arm dips (almost like a reverse press-up) with my legs straight, lowering to the ground and back up for a full exercise. I then picked up the pace and did alternate jogging runs up and down that one first step, a plank with my arms and elbows on the stair and finally high knee step and drives.<br />
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The session is designed to be a whole body workout and the step is there to provide a little bit of an incline. I enjoyed the challenge of using commonly found home structures to inspire my workout and hope you will too.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-46600614964581331522020-03-25T22:18:00.000+00:002020-04-05T21:29:52.682+01:00Day 2 - Home Workout (Week 1) Wednesday<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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The home workout for day 2 can be found below! I had good fun writing this training session, as initially I planned for it to be a medicine ball circuit session, aimed at working the core, legs and arms. It was fortunate that I happened to have a med-ball in the house, but appreciate that this might be a bit unusual. In addition to the fact that it's really difficult to get hold of gym equipment and accessories at the moment, due to the apparent rush to buy them. So that got me thinking, what else could be used in place of the med ball? Well, the purpose of the med ball itself is to make the core work, to help strengthen it. So a pillow would work and could be a useful accessory for someone who has never done this type of session before. A bean bag door stop would have a little more weight to it, but would also be another alternative, as would a kettle bell too.<br />
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The other overall aim of the session itself, as with all of the sessions designed this week, was to start to build a level of fitness and conditioning, because if we're going to be in lock down for a while. It provides the opportunity to set goals such as increasing fitness and then at the end of the social distancing period, the home workouts could provide the opportunity to go for other challenges in the future. Kind of like the way that people start off doing the Coach to 5K programme, but once fitness and confidence has grown, this can often help people progress onto Parkrun, 10K races and even half and full marathons.<br />
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The session is a warm up such as a 5 minute jog on the spot. Then 30 seconds 'on' the exercises each pictured below and then 1 minute 'off' or rest between each exercise. Then once all 6 exercises have been completed, take 6-10 minutes recovery depending on your fitness level between the sets. Repeating each set twice in total. Followed by a warm down for 5 minutes jog on the spot again. If you'd like more details of how I did each exercise, the week's videos are on my highlights on Instagram (@Lifesportdiabetes).<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-21696643584913063122020-03-23T22:33:00.000+00:002020-04-05T21:41:44.988+01:00Day 1 - Home Workout (Monday)<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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Well, here it is- coming to you straight from my garden, it's my first home workout that I'm doing and sharing with you, as part of the #ActiveDistancing initiative to help promote physical activity, whilst staying at home. This is a circuits based session, which means that it can be adapted to go at someone's own pace and ability.<br />
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The circuit consists of 6 different exercises, with each exercise that I'll do consecutively for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. If someone was new to fitness or this type of activity, they might choose to take a longer rest between each exercise, for say a minute or 2, as opposed to just the 30 seconds.<br />
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Once all of the exercises, which are shown in video format on my instagram (@lifesportdiabetes) and Facebook page (Life, Sport and Diabetes), are completed I then took a 6 minute rest (which again is adaptable) and once recovered repeated the circuit all over again. The exercises I did were; standing squats, press-ups, plank, lunges, superman (when the opposite arm and leg are stretched out) and finally sit ups.<br />
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This type of fitness session is inspired by the type of session I've often done mid-week with my training group over the years, particularly at the start of the winter or summer training season, as it helps build strength and fitness as a foundation to move onto other things. It works arms, legs and core areas throughout the session, which can be helpful when training a lot, because no one area is necessarily over-worked or strained.<br />
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As I've mentioned before, I'm sharing what training sessions work for me. Please remember that you know your own fitness/ health/ diabetes best. Seek medical advice if/ when needed, first if concerned about undertaking physical activity.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-75042372380050085862020-03-22T22:21:00.000+00:002020-03-25T22:22:41.261+00:00Staying Active And Active Distancing At Home<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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The last few weeks and days have been strange and unusual times, and with the advice regarding the Covid-19 virus being for people to stay at home, especially if they're in vulnerable groups (such as people living with diabetes). Unless, for the specified reasons that the government has documented around getting medical supplies and essential food items, for example.<br />
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With social isolation being an important part of our immediate future, managing mental and physical wellbeing will likely need additional attention. With this in mind, I asked the question on instagram as to whether people would find it helpful for me to share the home workouts that I'll be doing. The resounding answer was a lovely yes (thank you to all of you who voted). I know that it's only a small gesture, but after nearly 20 years in athletics and the last year spent as a coach, I've seen first hand the benefits that physical activity has had on my own diabetes and that of others in terms of health and general wellbeing. Of course, as a disclaimer; you know your own fitness levels/ health and diabetes best, so workout within your own limits and seek appropriate advice before starting if at all concerned.<br />
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As a reminder in terms of diabetes management for physical activity, I think BIG (Blood glucose levels, Insulin and Glucose/ Carbohydrate); What are my blood glucose levels doing before, during and after the physical activity and do I need to make adjustments to manage them. I also consider what insulin on board I have and whether I need to make adjustments to my basal rates on my insulin pump. Finally, I think about glucose or carbohydrates throughout the day and shorten the type (from starch-based to fast-acting) up until I start exercising. But of course seek support or information from your diabetes specialist team if concerned.<br />
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The home workout sessions I do will be shared on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6pm throughout the week on my social media channels. I'll be posting what session I do and videos of the activities on both instagram (@Lifesportdiabetes) and Facebook (Life, Sport and Diabetes). On Instagram the home workouts will be saved to my highlights, so look out for the badge, if you'd like to access them after they've been released. If you have questions or comments, feel free to post them on here or the social media channels!<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-60404132426117519262019-06-15T23:41:00.002+01:002019-06-15T23:41:12.972+01:00Diabetes Week 2019 - #SeeDiabetesDifferently<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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The theme for this year's Diabetes Week was all about Seeing Diabetes Differently. What's great about the themes set by Diabetes UK is that they're open to interpretation. So the way that I interpreted the theme was as an opportunity to show people, perhaps who aren't aware of/ have a background knowledge of diabetes, about the thoughts, processes, actions we go through when living with the condition, each day.<br />
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<u>Day 1</u><br />
As sport and diabetes are what I get asked most about and of course the topic of my blog, this seemed like a great place to start, as I find that there are quite often two camps on the topic. The first is that when running and racing, others don't see a person with type 1 diabetes and so don't understand that there's a lot to consider, prepare for and do in order to get to the start line. On the other side, there may be people that think that sport isn't something achievable with a chronic condition.<br />
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Day 2<br />
Following-on from sharing my own journey showing that sport or physical activity is possible with type 1 diabetes, I released a video that you can watch on my instagram and twitter about the other sports people in the diabetes community who are doing great things in sport- From Mohammad Ali the boxer to Henry Slade the rugby player, with many different sports in between.<br />
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Day 3<br />
Nutrition and its management plays a really central role to diabetes, particularly counting carbohydrates and matching it to insulin dose, such as in type 1 diabetes. So day 3 was about seeing meal times differently... When somebody without diabetes has something to eat, they might be thinking about the taste, or the texture. Whilst someone with type 1 diabetes might be thinking about how many carbohydrates are in the meal, counting them to match their pre-determined carb to insulin ratio for that time of the day. They might also be considering whether there is protein and fat in the meal and how that might impact the behaviour of the carbohydrates and their digestion.<br />
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<u>Day 4</u><br />
But Diabetes Week isn't just about raising awareness amongst people without the condition, it's also an opportunity to connect with the diabetes community and online is a great place to do that. So on Thursday I had the pleasure of doing an Instagram takeover for the charity JDRF UK, the country's biggest charity for people with type 1 diabetes. The theme of the take over was 'a day in the life of', as I shared a typical day's nutrition in preparation for and recovering from training, blood glucose levels, coaching and sprints training. It was great fun to do and lovely to engage with JDRF's audience online.<br />
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<u>Final Day</u><br />
The final day of Diabetes Week was a call to action, as it's great to have a designated time to do diabetes advocacy and raising awareness, but it musn't end here!<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-60507164124576694622019-06-02T00:30:00.000+01:002019-06-16T00:36:54.702+01:00Input FUSION 2019This weekend I had the pleasure of attending my very first Input FUSION event, I believe the first since Input diabetes charity combined with JDRF UK to help support people with diabetes, particularly around information provision and access to technology. The agenda for the day was an interesting one and the event itself was held in the legends lounge of Birmingham City football club, located just outside Birmingham city centre, a location I know well and have found memories of from competing so frequently there as an athlete.<br />
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Input fusion was introduction by Leslie Jordan, originally of Input diabetes and then kicked off by person with type 1 diabetes; Jonsel Gourkan former footballer and pop star turned actor, who talked about the challenges of getting to grips with managing the condition throughout his early years. Diabetes Consultant Partha Kar then spoke about the challenges of access to diabetes technology and his work to broaden it for people with the condition.<br />
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We then broke for lunch and I was really impressed by the meal options being carb counted. We then had the opportunity to network with each other and make our way around the rep stands, which was really interesting. My insulin pump is up for renewal shortly and 4 years has absolutely flown by, as has the technology that has advanced in the mean time, so it was good to see what was now available in the UK. In recent months it's seemed like options might have been reduced with the sad dissolution of Cell Novo and Animas. However, there were a few newer companies at the event releasing pumps onto the market and many also bring their own CGM, such as Medtrum and Roche with the Eversense. Medtronic were there with the new 670g pump and it was interesting to see the new Tandem T-slim pump.<br />
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The afternoon session was then started with a talk by Melissa, who is also from Input and who spoke about getting the most out of diabetes clinic appointments. There was then a talk from Andy Slowey on his experiences of closed looping to manage his type 1 diabetes. We then broke out into groups, dependent on the topics we wanted to share and discuss in a group. I chose the insulin pump group as fact finding was top of my agenda for the day. It was lovely to hear the view points of other people on a range of different insulin pumps and some on none at all. The day was then drawn to an end by Director of JDRF UK- Karen Addington, who gave an insightful update into the charity's latest research, which was a hopeful way to end the day.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-6130236349434892372019-05-15T22:00:00.000+01:002019-06-15T22:02:15.081+01:00TAD on Tour<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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The <a href="http://www.lifesportdiabetes.co.uk/2019/04/tad-talks-event-2019-ivegottype1.html">Talking About Diabetes (TAD)</a> Conference, that I had the pleasure of attending a few weeks ago is going on tour and hopefully coming to a city near you, due to popular demand! The dates and places are as follows;<br />
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<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tad-on-tour-birmingham-tickets-61587542999">Birmingham- 18th June 2019</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tad-on-tour-liverpool-tickets-61512452401">Liverpool- 17th June 2019</a><br />
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Bristol- 19th June 2019 (sold out)<br />
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<a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tad-on-tour-oxford-tickets-61514752280">Oxford- 20th June 2019</a><br />
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I have the honour of being one of the speakers at the Bristol event, which I'm afraid has already sold out. But there are other opportunities to be part of the other diabetes events, that not only offer talks from interesting and engaging speaker, but also give the chance to meet and connect with other people living with the condition.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-7912725642850370342019-04-28T19:56:00.000+01:002019-05-06T19:57:06.518+01:00Climbing Mountains With Type 1 Diabetes<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This Sunday I had the pleasure of joining a team of 30 people, made up of families and children with diabetes to climb Pen-y-Fan, a mountain in Wales. Whilst summiting the mountain was a feat in itself, we know as people with diabetes that sometimes there are more mountains for us to climb than just the hilly kind. But that this shouldn’t be a reason not to set off in pursuit of our goals, and this was really the importance of the day, firstly to show that physical activity is possible when done safely, with type 1 diabetes. But also to highlight how resilient people with the condition can be.</span><br />
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<span class="s1">We set out mid-morning to climb the mountain and met as a group at the foot of Pen-y-Fan so we could chat and people could get to know each other. The event was organised by my friend and fellow type 1 Paul, with support from Diabetes UK Cymru and the Children and Young Adults Paediatric Network. We were also fortunate enough to have mountain leaders with us, to ensure we reached the summit safely. People had travelled from all around South Wales to get to the event and some also as far afield as East England to be there. Whilst the day was all about children with diabetes, there were also a few of us adults with type 1, including four of us who had been involved in the Swansea Half Marathon running World Record Attempt, as pictured above and with over 150 years of living with diabetes experience between us.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">As we made our way up the mountain, we stopped every half an hour to have a blood glucose check and were all carrying additional supplies of food and hypo treatments just in case. The stops of course were primarily for safety, but were also a great opportunity to get discussions going about living with type 1 and for the children to talk about their diabetes. Many of us prepared for summiting the mountain in different ways, highlighting how variable and personal diabetes treatment is. But for me, this was the best part of the walk, getting to hear different type 1 tales about diagnosis and the journey that people were on with their diabetes. Also the smiles when we got to the top of the mountain and the break-out conversations that the young people had with each other, beginning to form their own T1 communities, which could prove pivotal in the future. I remember going on days out like this when I was in paediatric diabetes clinic and am still friends with some of the people I met there, nearly 20 years later, which I think is a testament to the value of peer support in the diabetes community.</span></div>
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-29504388751215893912019-04-13T20:21:00.000+01:002019-05-06T20:22:44.330+01:00Diabetes Tech Spring Update<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">When I went onto my insulin pump 10 years ago, it wasn’t necessarily a choice for me as it was a necessity, because despite being grateful to have the option, it was offered because my diabetes wasn’t behaving in the way it 'should' and I was desperately in need of a new treatment option. Then, when I changed insulin pumps a few months later, to one that suited my diabetes life and training needs better and I got to choose the colour, I started to recognise the importance of making the choices that were mine to make about my diabetes. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In some ways it seems obvious, with the nature of the way that a type 1 diabetes diagnosis ‘just happens’, as we don’t yet know what causes it, therefore back in the day, it didn’t always feel that there were many choices initially involved in my diabetes care. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">But diabetes technology often feels like an extension of you. It’s hard to explain or make comparisons, as it’s quite a unique condition and experience; to have a technological device that you wear 24 hours a day, that you rely on to survive and that provides you with essential information to keep you well. But I know that I would feel a sense of loss now if I didn’t have my pump and other technological devices. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I’m not altogether sure why I’ve only gotten into this type of customisation so much recently, but I’ve really started enjoying customising my insulin pump and diabetes kit. Recently I was matching across all of my devices with a Spring blossom theme, but during Easter I also enjoyed a rabbit style for the special occasion. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">There are a number of companies doing insulin pump and diabetes device covers at the moment and generally I find that the main differences between them are the price and also how much of the pump/ device is covered by the sticker. Also it's worth noting that some are easier to remove than others. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Generally the quality of the pump covers that I've tried has been very good, in terms of durability. Some covers fade with time, but others I've been able to rejuvenate with a 'Spring clean' (wiping it over). Some companies do covers for my pump that also include a matching sticker for the belt clip and the screen. Whilst others just do more of an outline cover for the pump and have a whole for the screen and the buttons. I'm quite comfortable in talking about my insulin pump to people, which is lucky really as I have noticed that it becomes more noticeable to others with all of the weird and wonderful patterns.</span></div>
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I guess the point I'm making is that customisation across so many of the different diabetes devices we wear now, has brought back, in my opinion, an element of choice and also enabled us to have a sense of identity related to the way we like to dress. It's given a sense of fun to our technology and it's lovely to see others wearing their diabetes devices with pride and passion.</div>
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-81615137417723784872019-04-05T21:00:00.000+01:002019-05-06T21:01:33.651+01:00TAD Talks Event 2019 - #I'veGotType1&StillHaveFun<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">This year I had the absolute pleasure of attending TAD Talks 2019 Event (Talking About Diabetes Conference) which was held in London at the Royal College of Surgeons. I was a speaker when the event was in its 2nd year, so it was excellent to be in the audience to enjoy the 4th year. For those who haven’t had the opportunity of attending yet (I would recommend it), the event involves people with diabetes coming together to listen to a range of different speakers, sharing their own perspectives on life and adventures with the condition. The fact that the event sold out in a matter of minutes is testament to how excellent the previous years have been and in my opinion the value in creating a space for people with type 1 diabetes to share their experiences. And it wasn't just the adults that had the opportunity to get together at the event, there was also a parallel event for children (TAD poles) who learned to beat box! Hence why my favourite line from their rap that they performed at the end of the event is in the title of my blog.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TAD was also an excellent chance to catch up with diabuddies</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">The day began with the first speaker Amy, who spoke about her recovery journey from having an eating disorder with type 1 diabetes. This was an incredibly brave and insightful talk, which highlighted how far we need to improve with care provision of diabetes and eating disorders, because, as Amy highlighted they don’t exist in isolation from each other, which therefore requires a more holistic approach to helping people on their recovery journey. Following Amy was T1 journalist Laura Turner, who talked about probably being the first person with a Libre on the red carpet of the Oscars and also wearing it with pride in her Oscars outfit.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TAD Talks 2019 Speakers</td></tr>
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<span class="s1">Next up we had professional boxer Muhammad Ali, who gave a sensational talk on his experience of living with type 1 diabetes and pursuing his dream career as a boxer. This talk really resonated with me, not just because I’m an athlete, but because I remember the exact moment in clinic nearly 18 years ago when I was told about the careers that people with type 1 diabetes weren’t allowed to pursue and boxing was one of them. So to actually meet and hear speak, the first person with T1D to be granted a professional boxing license in the UK, over a decade later, it honestly brought a tear to my eye. Muhammad also shared how the journey towards getting his license wasn’t an easy or straight forward one, he had to battle for it and spent a number of years just training, in the hope that one day his license would be granted and his hard work, grit and determination paid off when it was eventually granted and he started boxing professionally. Following on from Mohammad was professional cyclist Sam Brand, who gave a great account of life on the bike with Team Novo Nordisk, the pro team made up of all people with type 1 diabetes. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">BAFTA-nominated actor James Norton then opened up the talks after lunch, which was a brilliant chance to catch up with diabuddies and make some new ones over food. Despite having the condition nearly 18 years, it never fails to surprise me how easy it is to strike up a conversation in this community and for time to fly by whilst talking about life with type 1. James’ talk took a slightly different format in the style of a conversation with Dr Partha Kar, one of the excellent organisers of the day’s event. James was incredibly honest and generous in his account of being an actor and balancing his BG levels like the rest of us. With many interesting and hilarious accounts of juggling the intensity of serious roles (I'm a big fan of War and Peace that he did) with his diabetes. It was also kind of him to share the fact that both his Mum and his sister have type 1 diabetes too and have supported each other along their diabetes journeys.</span></div>
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Last but by no means least of the line up for the day was the incredibly talented Jade Byrne- Writer, director and performer of her brilliant one woman show Pricks. Now, I don't want to give too much away because Jade is <a href="https://www.prickstheplay.co.uk/about-pricks">currently touring the UK with her show</a> and it so worth seeing that I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. But the premise of the performance is that Jade tells the story of her own diabetes diagnosis and journey (and in some ways the stories of others), cleverly through the number of finger pricks she has done since getting T1D. I found pricks to be moving, smart, funny, emotional- I laughed and I cried in equal measure and quite honestly have never seen anything like it. Although the official TAD event had finished, many people that had travelled from all over the country and who were also local to London met afterwards to have some more type 1 time together and few people could stop talking about what a sensational day it had been, myself included.</div>
<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-90816431999540006252019-03-17T20:22:00.001+00:002019-03-17T20:22:06.415+00:00The NEW Carbs and Cals: World Food Book<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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As you might have seen on my social media, I'm really excited about the launch of the NEW Carbs and Cals World Foods book. I'm excited for its arrival for a number of reasons, the first being that Carbs and Cals, the original diabetes version (the book is part of a series, but also stands alone) played a central role in my learning to carbohydrate count almost a decade ago. The app version is also still something I keep with me on my home screen on my phone, that I frequently use at home and abroad to help me count my carbohydrates and help me manage my diabetes. Having that quick, visual representation of what's on your plate and discretely using it in the process of helping calculate the carbs is so helpful and it's empowering to feel like I have control of what foods I choose to enjoy in my diet.<br />
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But what's different about this book in the series is that it has a particular focus on world foods, including some of the well loved dishes, snacks and drinks from African, Arabic, Caribbean, South Asian cultures in addition to generic foods too. Many people will already be aware that diabetes is a particularly prevalent condition amongst BAME (black, asian and minority ethnic) communities, particularly type 2 diabetes. People from South-Asian and, Caribbean and those of Black-African heritage are 4-6 times more likely to be diagnosed with this form of the condition (Mehar, et al. 2019). Being of British-Caribbean heritage myself and with a lot of diabetes in my family, this a fact that I am very aware of, I also know that enjoying food together is an important part of the social side of the culture too.<br />
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It was a pleasure to have a small role in providing feedback on the book as it was being made, where I was able to share my experience and thoughts. One of the new concepts that I really liked about the World Foods book is the way that it not only displays the portion sizes of the foods, snacks and drinks to enable comparison. But it also shows what the impact of those on blood glucose levels is, which is an essential element to know, when someone is aiming to increase awareness of the relationship between food and blood glucose levels/ diabetes. I think the book will also be particularly helpful for people who might be in the stage of 'pre-diabetes', where full diagnosis has not occurred and perhaps for some, diet is an influential factor.<br />
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Some of the other useful elements that the book contains are healthy swaps for world foods, illustrated in the signature stunning photos I've come to expect from the series. There's a chapter that takes you back to the fundamentals of the important elements of the diet such as carbohydrates and how to use them in conjunction with other food groups to make a 'healthy meal' or 'healthy snacks'. If weight loss is a consideration for an individual, the book shows readers how to calculate body mass index (BMI), displaying the lower targets aimed at reducing type 2 diabetes risk factors. Each food picture is featured alongside the weight (g) of the item- with carbs, cals, fat, fibre and effect on blood glucose, allowing people to make comparisons and informed decisions on nutrition choices.<br />
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The new book launched to positive feedback on March 4th at the Diabetes Professionals Conference in Liverpool and <a href="https://www.carbsandcals.com/diabetes/type-2-diabetes">World Foods retails at £12.99</a>. The other books in the series include Gestational Diabetes, Soups, Smoothies, Salads, The 5:2 diet and a Very Low Calorie Recipes depending on what information someone is looking for.<br />
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This is not a sponsored post, however I'm grateful to Carbs and Cals for gifting me a copy of the book to enjoy!<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-73927283945604659022019-02-17T18:31:00.001+00:002019-02-17T18:33:46.422+00:00Fiasp And Humalog - Learning To Diabetes And Train Again On A New Insulin<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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This blog is not so much a comparison of these two insulins but a reflection of their different behaviours for me and how this has led to very different approaches with managing my type 1 diabetes whilst training.<br />
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To fill you in on the background I've had diabetes for nearly 18 years, 7 of these were on injections and 10 years after that have been on an insulin pump using Humalog in it and the remaining time has been on Fiasp insulin. Things were going along okay on Humalog, but in the past year and a half I started noticing a change in the way my blood glucose levels responded to food. This initially started as an increase in my carb to insulin ratio (the amount of insulin I give per unit, by the number of carbs I eat in grams), so I needed more insulin to keep things in check than I had before. Despite my ratio being the exact same for 9 of the 10 years, so perhaps it was just my body saying it was time for a change.<br />
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But then I started noticing that my glucose levels would rise and get spiky as I was actually eating, so it came up again during my consultation at clinic and my diabetes Consultant suggested trying fiasp to see if things would improve. After finding out about fiasp through a talk on upcoming research at Swansea University whilst at the T1 and Tech conference, I had a feeling that fiasp might suit my particular diabetes because of what I had been told about it's quicker onset and offset, which I thought would also potentially suit my training better. And so the trial began... but what started as a trial became a permanent move. But that's not to say it hasn't taken some getting used to, particularly with training because of Fiasp's alternative behaviour.<br />
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Whilst I was on the previous Humalog insulin, I would need to reduce my basal background insulin on the pump about an hour to 90 minutes before training and take on fast-acting glucose, then reducing it by a greater percentage when actually starting to train. This would mean that glucose levels would rise slightly when starting training and drop during, but not outside of safe levels. I then wouldn't see any after effects of the reduced basals after training and would eat my tea with an insulin reduction to replenish what I had burned off energy wise during training, within an hour afterwards.<br />
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However, fiasp behaves completely differently. I've noticed that the pre-training reduction occurs more effectively for me within an hour or so of training, depending on what my starting levels are. I choose to have fast-acting glucose for energy before training, as an athlete without diabetes might do, but am aware of the amount, as the same amount of carbs is now much more impactful on glucose levels than it previously was. My basal reduction during training is not as much as the Humalog, because I do see a response after training otherwise. Particularly if training is in the morning, a time when I'm dealing with the dawn effect and less insulin on board. But, during actual track training, I've never observed such stability in my blood glucose levels within the session.<br />
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I'm aware that what insulin suits which person's diabetes is an incredibly personal thing, particularly as when I have the pleasure of spending extended periods of time with fellow type 1s whilst travelling and having adventures. There really are differences in each of our diabetes and responses to the things that impact our T1D. But as the season unfolds, I'm looking forward to seeing the impact of other types of training sessions now on my diabetes.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-10403414479681770522019-02-08T21:24:00.000+00:002019-02-16T21:33:24.094+00:00Hba1c And Or Time In Range?<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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Hba1c, time in range, both or neither? These have been hot topics for discussion amongst the diabetes community in recent months. I've had diabetes for 18 years coming up and hba1c has always been the gold standard measure of how my diabetes has been behaving over a 3 month period. Simplifying how it works, I'm aware that it measures the sugar that has attached itself to our red blood cells, with the theory being that the more time sugar that has been swimming around the blood and not in the muscles or being stored, then the more time it has to attach itself to the cells.<br />
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But the thing about hba1c is, whilst a good measure, some people with diabetes worry that it can be influenced by averages. By which I mean that someone could have a high reading and a low reading and the average result shows in the middle, without necessarily reflecting the extremes. So this is where the argument of time in range comes in, because if glucose levels stay between the parameters or range that contribute to a lower hba1c, without the highs and lows, then surely this is a greater reflection. But then there's a third argument that whilst we need a tool to measure diabetes management in terms of reducing complications, it's not the be all and end all of living with the condition. As it's also important to acknowledge that diabetes sometimes has a mind of its own sometimes and so the emphasis on a number, when there are variables outside of our control can be challenging to come to terms with.<br />
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Unfortunately, time in range is information that you can currently only really get from CGM data. So I can see it when I'm wearing my pump CGM sensor and this was something I personally strived towards in order to reduce my hba1c level. Of course, everyone's diabetes is different, but amongst a number of changes this was how I got my hba1c to the lowest level it's ever been since diagnosis. I changed insulins and the new insulin enabled me to stay in range without dropping as frequently, which the previous insulin could do sometimes and I'm going to talk about what this means for sport in a future blog. With this concept of time in range in mind, I also tightened my higher alert range at which the pump would alarm, dropping it from 16mmol/l to 11mmol/l. I believe that the difference this made was that I didn't see half as many stubborn highs. As the pump would alarm at 16mmol/l before and I'd already started to develop resistance so that when it came to the correction insulin dose, it took longer for glucose levels to come down, hence greater time outside of range. But now the pump alarms at 11mmol/l, the stubbornness isn't there, enabling greater time in range.<br />
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So in conclusion, I think a combination of both hba1c achieved in combination with an aim towards time in range is the way forward. With the reminder that we are more than just a number at the heart of diabetes management.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-23351042714390751202019-01-30T19:59:00.000+00:002019-02-16T20:01:29.411+00:00More Than A Label of Type 1 Diabetes<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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Recently I had the pleasure of travelling to London to attend a patient reference group with some fellow diabuddies, new and old, with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. I had a little time spare from the meeting when I arrived and the meeting was located near to Oxford Street, so I ended up wandering into one of the fashion stores on the famous street. As I was leaving the store, a jewellery stand caught my eye, because it advertised that you could personalise items with a name of your choice. Well, as you can relate, diabetes is never far from the mind and strangely enough I'd been thinking that I'd like a modern and updated version of a medical identification piece of jewellery. I am fiercely independent with my diabetes as my husband likes to remind me. But I do think it's worth having one just in case you find yourself in a strange place, or in a situation where you're with new people and they don't know you have diabetes. With all of this in mind, I stopped the nearest assistant to me and said that I'd like to have one made.<br />
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The person I stopped asked me to write down what I'd like to put on the necklace, I decided on 'T1 Diabetes' and handed over the slip. The lady responded that this was an unusual name and asked what it meant. I explained that it was a medical condition and that I planned to use the necklace as a medical alert piece. To my surprise she responded that growing up her uncle had type 1 and she was always fearful for him when he was doing his injections. She also said that her Dad had very recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and she was petrified for him because she didn't want anything bad to happen and because she didn't think that his diagnosis had sunk in. I talked a little about how it was possible to live a good life with diabetes and that there was lots of help, support and information out there.<br />
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The lady then made my necklace, it turned out great but she was really nervous about the finished result. But the thing was, it had already become more than a piece of jewellery, as it meant so much to me that someone who had been touched by diabetes in her family had made it for me, because what were the chances, of all of the people in this super-store that it should be her that created it. After I'd paid and was leaving, she asked me one last question, which was that she'd heard that people can be cured from diabetes. To which I thought she was talking about her Dad, so said that it was possible for some people (with T2DM) in the right circumstances to put their diabetes into remission. But her response brought a tear to my eye because she said that she was asking because she wished that for me, that I would be cured from my diabetes and that I wouldn't have to be dealing with it for too much longer.<br />
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Now, I can hear what you're asking- did I correct her that I couldn't be cured currently? But no I didn't and I think it was because she was so sincere in her wish and hope that I would be better. That I didn't have the heart to say that a cure wasn't likely any day soon, despite having come to terms with this fact myself. So here ends the story of how a chance meeting became a wish set in stone (well gold plated metal anyway).<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-37210893985511907462018-12-31T21:19:00.002+00:002018-12-31T21:24:42.812+00:00Top 10 Diabetes Tech: Round-Up of 2018<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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I know it's traditional to do a round up all of the things that someone has done over the space of year, and don't get me wrong, it's been an incredibly exciting year, with talks, trials and trips all around the world. But what has linked many of the trips together for me, has been technology. Whether I've been travelling to try it out and learn about it, or whether I've been taking my own tech with me, to enable me to travel/ adventure safely. These trips have also opened my eyes and ears to new technology, some of which is not available in the UK yet and others that I hope are coming soon. So here's the round-up of it all!<br />
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Also for your enjoyment- I've posted a picture of each type of tech mentioned on my Instagram Story highlights, under 'D-Tech'.<br />
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<b>New/ Future Tech</b><br />
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1. <b>Stem Cell Research</b><br />
This year I had the pleasure of attending a talk and touring the labs tasked with the incredible feat of developing stem cell-based advanced treatments, not just for type 1 diabetes, but other conditions including Parkinson's disease too. The treatment is not yet at clinical trial phase, but it is reported that these are on the horizon and in the not too distant future. My understanding of the treatment is that the stem cells would be injected into an individual with type 1 diabetes and could help produce insulin again in the body (very simplified explanation). Both JDRF and Novo Nordisk have teamed up to work together to produce this advanced treatment, which is incredibly exciting and has the potential to change the landscape of diabetes therapies.<br />
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2. <b>Flash Monitoring</b><br />
Abbott recently announced the launch of the <a href="http://abbott.mediaroom.com/2018-10-01-Abbott-s-FreeStyle-R-Libre-2-with-Optional-Real-Time-Alarms-Secures-CE-Mark-for-Use-in-Europe">Freestyle Libre 2 System</a>- a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) update, which is very exciting. Many at the DX Dublin event in Ireland expressed this same wish, that the original Libre could have alarms, to alert people to high and low glucose levels, which is what I understand the new system could offer. Abbott listened and now here it is, being rolled out across Europe- the opportunity to customise high and low alarm alerts with no additional cost, using bluetooth technology. The reader has been updated too, but I believe there may be a system update to the phone app to enable the new system too.<br />
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3. <b>New Insulin Pumps</b><br />
In August I had the privilege of travelling to Switzerland and Medtronic HQ to learn more about the <a href="http://www.lifesportdiabetes.co.uk/2018/10/discovering-medtronic-minimed-670g.html">MiniMed 670g insulin pump</a>, which has an automated insulin giving system to help achieve a specific hba1c of 6.7% and is just becoming available in the UK market, but will not replace the 640g, rather it will join it. In the future I also understand the pumps will have Bluetooth capabilities to talk to mobiles and smart devices.<br />
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4. <b>Inaugural Type 1 and Technology Conference</b><br />
2018 also saw the very first Type 1 and Technology Conference that was held in Swansea University, located in South Wales and which I had the pleasure of speaking at, on the subject of social media bringing people with diabetes together for peer support and also on type 1 technology and sport. The topics on the agenda were absolutely fascinating, from a Consultant with the highest number of children on pumps in the UK, to Rachel Besser the lovely author of 'Diabetes through the looking glass' and also a really interesting talk on Closed Looping.<br />
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4. <b>Inhaled Insulin</b><br />
<a href="https://www.afrezza.com/">Afrezza, or inhaled insulin</a> as it is also known was something I discovered when speaking to fellow type 1s from America. Inhaled insulin is a technology that I have heard mentioned in the UK many years ago, but that never quite seemed to make it to become part of the regular diabetes treatment landscape here. It appears that some people with diabetes use it to combat stubborn high glucose levels as the powder in the inhaler comes in 4, 8 or 12 units doses and apparently works within a short period. Alternatively, others wear an insulin pump and use Afrezza for meal times, as that's how it works for them.<br />
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<b>Current Tech</b><br />
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1. <b>New Insulin</b><br />
Where it all begins with type 1 diabetes treatment... this year saw a change for me change from the insulin I had been on for a decade- Humalog to a new one- Fiasp. The former had previously been working well, but for reasons I'm still unsure of, started working less effectively for me around food and meal times. So it was time for a new treatment and whilst it took a little getting used to as it does behave differently, in my opinion, it works well for me during meal times and when participating in physical activity.<br />
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2. <b>Insulin Temperature Monitoring</b><br />
Following my trip to Denmark where I had the pleasure of meeting Amin Zayani the creator of MedAngel, who kindly gifted me a device to try. I've been using it for over a month now to monitor the temperature of my insulin and I've been very impressed. The device is very small and discrete, fits inside my diabetes kit bag and connects to an app that alerts you when the temperature for my insulin is outside of its recommended limits. You also have the opportunity during the set-up to tell it what insulin(s) you use and it knows what temperature these should be in order to monitor what they're being stored at.<br />
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3. <b>Insulin Pumps</b><br />
Well, this year has marked my fourth using the Medtronic MiniMed 640g, that has a smart CGM system that can switch off insulin delivery when it senses that glucose levels are dropping. Used in the right way and with hard work and focus, I have managed to get my hba1c down to 6.9% this December, the lowest it's ever been since my diagnosis.<br />
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4. <b>Insulin Pump Stickers</b><br />
If someone doesn't have a pump themselves, it can be difficult to convey why personalisation is so helpful. I've been on an insulin pump for a decade now and when I first got my pump, I was able to choose the colour. Which meant a lot because an insulin pump can often feel like an extension of oneself, if not an external body part. Therefore, being able to personalise it with patterns, colours and prints has a deeper meaning than just the aesthetic appeal of matching your pump to your outfit.<br />
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5.<b> Frio Insulin Wallets</b><br />
Spring 2018 saw the release of the fashion range of Frio insulin cooling wallets. The designs are sleek and chic and beautifully on trend with regular fashion styles that were hot this year including blossom and palm prints. Also of note to the new designs is the addition of zips, to replace velcro, which in my opinion is a great idea because it make the whole wallet lighter and more slim fitting to place inside bags and cases. Perfect timing with the hot weather we've had this year as this was the first time I could remember such high temperatures and hence the importance of keeping insulin cool and from spoiling, so I was grateful to be gifted some to try.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-8320146531076958622018-12-06T23:00:00.001+00:002018-12-06T23:07:49.493+00:00#DEEPtalk Mealtime Event, Copenhagen 2018<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style ">
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This week I had the incredible privilege of presenting at the Novo Nordisk DEEP (disease experience expert panel) talk Mealtime event in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event was held at Novo Nordisk HQ, located just outside the city centre and brought together people with diabetes from all around the globe, Novo Nordisk employees and was live streamed across the world (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/novonordisk/videos/356263781826059/">which can be viewed here if you missed it). </a>The event was incredibly innovative in the way it brought people with a breadth of diabetes experiences together, to show that whilst a challenge sometimes, an empowered life with diabetes is possible. That to quote a fellow d-blogger and friend, Phyllisa- diagnosis does not have to mean defeat with diabetes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvX1RO0AYcLkhl994Of2xtj63ffqNu1OosHqBBDgq5zvhEGGopEGNC8o9MyljIUps51Hb2sT6rFhqhV8lteE9GLYFw9LYDYhwCobkRKZTJAcJGFZRt4MiB8K-Qmt4TAtTm67ebI8yhWTU/s1600/IMG_9673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvX1RO0AYcLkhl994Of2xtj63ffqNu1OosHqBBDgq5zvhEGGopEGNC8o9MyljIUps51Hb2sT6rFhqhV8lteE9GLYFw9LYDYhwCobkRKZTJAcJGFZRt4MiB8K-Qmt4TAtTm67ebI8yhWTU/s640/IMG_9673.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The DEEP 'talkers' L-R, Antje, Leighann, Quinn, Bastian, Renza, Sara, Paul Louis, Myself, Bruno and Phyllisa</td></tr>
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The DEEP talk event consisted of 9 speakers, who represented a truly international diabetes community. But whilst we all spoke different languages, we all spoke the same language of diabetes and it was fascinating to hear about the variation of experiences of living with the condition from around the world. The event was facilitated by diabetes advocate from Australia Renza Scibilia, who kicked us off by introducing our first speaker -Phyllisa Deroze. Originally from the USA, Phyllisa spoke about strategies for navigating festive food during the holiday season when living with type 2 diabetes. Next up, second speaker Antje Thiel from Germany, shared her thoughts on the many things that can impact our diabetes, from emotions to exercise, feelings to food. Paul-Louis from France then told his fascinating story of travelling with type 1 and what he did when he found himself hypo on a desert island. The first half of the event was then concluded by Leighann and daughter Quinn from America, who shared their experience and tips of managing type 1 diabetes at parties, sleepovers and school, with great humour and honesty.<br />
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The second half of the DEEP talk event was opened by Bruno Helman from Brazil, who told his story of choosing to follow a vegan diet with type 1 diabetes. Then, Sara Mobeck from Sweden showed incredible bravery in telling her story about her recovery journey from having an eating disorder, with type 1 diabetes. Next up it was my turn, as I represented Great Britain to speak about my experience of balancing type 1 diabetes with carb-loading for optimal performance in sport, and overcoming hurdles to succeed with it. I talked about the idea of thinking 'BIG' about diabetes and sport. I,e- Blood glucose levels and what they're doing, Insulin and whether insulin on board might cause a hypo or a high and Glucose- carrying it with you. Then last, but by no means least, Bastian Hauck from Germany talked about the burden of diabetes management in a practical and relatable way, highlighting just how much we do and think about, in relation to managing our condition on a daily basis.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credits: Novo Nordisk</td></tr>
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Then all too soon the event was over, but what an incredible event it was. With the kindest of feedback from the audience who had been watching and interacting online. Which I think reflected the very nature of the diabetes online community- that we're all in different locations, managing our diabetes in different ways, but we're there for each other through the power of social media, connecting us and enabling us to share experiences, offer support, encouragement and empowerment for the highs and lows of managing the condition.<br />
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With thanks to Novo Nordisk for kindly sponsored me to attend this excellent event. All thoughts and views are my own.<br />
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<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10274580911721677798noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-13432518119697800342018-10-14T19:56:00.001+01:002018-10-14T19:58:34.094+01:00Discovering The Medtronic MiniMed 670g<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In addition to being an excellent opportunity for people with diabetes from all around Europe and America to meet and share experiences, the other aim of the event was for us to be able to learn more about the newest insulin pump produced by Medtronic- the MiniMed670g. In this blog I'm going to do my best to explain what I learned about the pump from my perspective, but if there's anything that I don't cover, or that you'd like to know more about, feel free to comment on the post or on social media and I'll try and find out the answer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXul-nIMBZ4NRiKs_pK1062VsFksbhQGv6p0nZR2HENsPFX0lPwldVHE_IC8-fYwiBs6Xvk_mbfadtxbhzQVICqpXN8pwEolezVl73m2WnTDEgCiixMEoMog-gX4XtvxVtQjDosO_asRf/s1600/IMG_8981.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXul-nIMBZ4NRiKs_pK1062VsFksbhQGv6p0nZR2HENsPFX0lPwldVHE_IC8-fYwiBs6Xvk_mbfadtxbhzQVICqpXN8pwEolezVl73m2WnTDEgCiixMEoMog-gX4XtvxVtQjDosO_asRf/s640/IMG_8981.PNG" width="358" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The NEW MiniMed 670g</td></tr>
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The MiniMed 670g is the latest insulin pump to be released by Medtronic, having been out in the USA for a few months and released in certain parts of Europe this week. The exciting thing about the new pump is that it has automated insulin capabilities. The insulin pump does require some input, but whereas previous/ other pumps on the market need users to input basal (or background) insulin rates that are set, unless changed. The MiniMed 670g uses sensor data from CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) to adjust the basal rate every 5 minutes, responding to the insulin needs of the body which may differ greatly from hour to hour and day to day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66ZSweILuoAXkt6YZjZoRMSJa_UgoSd2xHaHRznPzc18M2IbZWCdkEUwSMg378WFa6R-6ExqSVoCzKLBIVOedBPmBH7Sdj5wfJNiBEMjj8ToC1qGvkPjggd-9c_F7VTSdMj21HM-AJMYD/s1600/IMG_8913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66ZSweILuoAXkt6YZjZoRMSJa_UgoSd2xHaHRznPzc18M2IbZWCdkEUwSMg378WFa6R-6ExqSVoCzKLBIVOedBPmBH7Sdj5wfJNiBEMjj8ToC1qGvkPjggd-9c_F7VTSdMj21HM-AJMYD/s640/IMG_8913.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medtronic European HQ, Switzerland</td></tr>
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The pump system works with a new sensor- the Guardian Sensor 3, which lasts up to 7 days (a potential day longer than the current sensors), which reads the glucose levels and transmits them through the new Guardian Link 3 transmitter to the pump. Both of which I understand have increased accuracy compared to their previous models. The new sensor needs to calibrated a minimum of twice per day, but the pump also needs calibrating (but both can be done at the same time), to check that information is being translated accurately. The sensor is also indicated for use in the arm now too and I believe the pump is suitable for those over 7 years old and on 8 units of insulin or above. There's a shorter warm-up time with this pump too- approximately 45 minutes (compared to 2 hours on the 640g). The MiniMed 670g pump works with the Contour Next Link 2.4 blood glucose monitor and there are two additional options on Carelink (the computer system that shows the CGM data), on of which enables side-by-side comparison and that should be both Mac and Android compatible. The infusion sets (needle worn under the skin to deliver insulin and connected via tube to the pump) are the same.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEPcRJRNdGaO6aWZneUUmzB-99nXnB72zcVgHvIQ5Bm0wxvYjKzN3dzOpl_piOKHzYwvi_jp1Bcfrkek0OMPS-gaM4QRz6vhIwTewgw_cjCqEqFqziTYIqAh0DZhdzr2nG4HsHmJ0OgnJ/s1600/IMG_8930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEPcRJRNdGaO6aWZneUUmzB-99nXnB72zcVgHvIQ5Bm0wxvYjKzN3dzOpl_piOKHzYwvi_jp1Bcfrkek0OMPS-gaM4QRz6vhIwTewgw_cjCqEqFqziTYIqAh0DZhdzr2nG4HsHmJ0OgnJ/s640/IMG_8930.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real World Research on MiniMed 670g Insulin Pump Use</td></tr>
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Two engineers from Medtronic worked on the algorithm for the pump, which works on 17 different parameters per day, to learn and adapt to the body's insulin needs. Some of the parameters include insulin sensitivity, fasting basal glucose and the body's response to them. But there are also parameters that are set by the diabetes specialist such as carbohydrate rate (how many units of insulin are given per gram of carbohydrate) and active insulin time (how long insulin acts/ lasts). It's important for me to note that the pump does need to be told when eating carbs and pre-bolusing (giving insulin before the food) is required. The insulin pump is fixed to adjusting insulin (through small micro-boluses every 5 minutes) to a blood glucose measure of 6.7mmol/l at the moment, which equates to a hba1c of 6.8% in old money. This level is currently not adjustable, but there is an opportunity to raise the rate for a set number of hours, to a second option of 8.3mmol/l, to be used for example when exercising. As I understand it, the aim of the MiniMed 670g is to help people with type 1 spend more time in range, which <a href="http://www.lifesportdiabetes.co.uk/2018/10/the-background-to-new-minimed-670g.html">as discussed in my previous blog</a>, produces potentially less fluctuation in glucose levels. With research from the USA suggesting that those who have tried the 670g spend on average 71.6% of time in range, as picture above.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi9k8KUWPS92yW3SIfkgsahyyjNtP41MScFFpI-fwHZe8mPfWfZ4nOoQrtYuPoySEcnt1cjchsDkFRtEUe-RZk2LHHAyOZiSs1mizCB8cbi4jPpvwg9rsDv-VKF5OOaAcKsO3hHuOGKuz/s1600/IMG_8943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1598" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvi9k8KUWPS92yW3SIfkgsahyyjNtP41MScFFpI-fwHZe8mPfWfZ4nOoQrtYuPoySEcnt1cjchsDkFRtEUe-RZk2LHHAyOZiSs1mizCB8cbi4jPpvwg9rsDv-VKF5OOaAcKsO3hHuOGKuz/s640/IMG_8943.jpg" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Demo MiniMed 670g In Action</td></tr>
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The insulin pump is capable of two modes; Manual Mode which appears most like how the MiniMed 640g works now, whereby there is a suspend before low option and smart guard where the insulin delivery is temporarily suspended whilst glucose levels hopefully come back in range. The second option on the 670g is Auto Mode which adjusts and gives basal insulin every 5 minutes. The MiniMed 670g has been trialled in the USA with Novorapid, Apidra and Humalog insulins, but Fiasp is not currently approved in this location for use in pumps, but it is in the UK, so is an area for future studies. When people make the choice with their diabetes specialist to go onto the MiniMed 670g, there's also a support programme available from Medtronic for the first 3 months through a contact on the phone, online chat and digital information online.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VFaW9MVKgpfesG0G132AJg15lMT-h4CzCNg7ETwPr4oXaNFoTYxEgayU0c719nZfjeJ-Iq1aeKCoZ_ePa1QIsDWtjOSL1QQKHta3MYx5rVmTkbU3siqpcG2SSLpAOALslWZpMn8CPiok/s1600/36752672_Unknown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VFaW9MVKgpfesG0G132AJg15lMT-h4CzCNg7ETwPr4oXaNFoTYxEgayU0c719nZfjeJ-Iq1aeKCoZ_ePa1QIsDWtjOSL1QQKHta3MYx5rVmTkbU3siqpcG2SSLpAOALslWZpMn8CPiok/s640/36752672_Unknown.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medtronic Diabetes European Blogger Exchange Community</td></tr>
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The pump has been released in the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK this week and Finland, Denmark, Norway and Canada will see release shortly. Pumps have already left the factory and been delivered to countries where it has been launched. Medtronic was asked about capacity if demand was high and they appeared to report that they were ready. I was incredibly excited to see the insulin pump in action and it was great to have the chance to speak with former pro-basketball player Rob Howe form the USA, on how he had found the experience of using the pump. But more about that in my next blog to follow!<br />
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With thanks to Medtronic for sponsoring me to attend the event.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-45733278232870229162018-10-14T11:36:00.001+01:002018-10-14T11:36:04.387+01:00The Background to The NEW MiniMed 670g Insulin Pump Explained<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>The Background</b><br />
In the UK the guideline hba1c level for people with type 1 diabetes is 6.5% (48mmol/mol) <a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/stricter-blood-glucose-targets-for-people-with-diabetes">(NICE, 2015)</a>, based on what levels might contribute towards people developing increased risk of diabetes complications etc. However, what hba1c on the surface doesn't explain and what took me time to realise as a person with type 1 is also the importance in connection with this of time in range, because hba1c is an average measurement, albeit an important one. This means, as shown in the photo below from research from Dr Choudhary is that for example 3 people with type 1 could all have the same hba1c, but could achieve it in 3 completely different ways. Where as time in range means real-time consistently spent at a blood glucose level within the recommended range- the difference between two cars travelling on the same route A to B, but one car taking the mountainous up and down route and the other car taking the flat motorway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG1Yj6SYFX-o9llAKPttCIglcBHjq7ks-WH6bEC_GlrOLpz0XvHmoTjHD2Y4QtFTLSIEdsjd6Pg5ZwKfPvLkQRfRobQIgavkYB5KlEyZbEihxAkbF4_p1EAuwTTmzdylvvenLC6FvitaS/s1600/IMG_8919+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJG1Yj6SYFX-o9llAKPttCIglcBHjq7ks-WH6bEC_GlrOLpz0XvHmoTjHD2Y4QtFTLSIEdsjd6Pg5ZwKfPvLkQRfRobQIgavkYB5KlEyZbEihxAkbF4_p1EAuwTTmzdylvvenLC6FvitaS/s640/IMG_8919+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Research By Dr Pratik Choudhary</td></tr>
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<b>The 'Current' Situation</b><br />
At the moment current treatments for diabetes include MDI (multiple daily injections), MDI and CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) or insulin pump and CGM. In the UK the previous model- the MiniMed 640g, which I've been using for about 3 years, uses CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) sensor data to predict blood glucose levels and suspend insulin delivery, with the aim of reducing episodes of hypoglycaemia. This was a true innovation in diabetes technology because hypos (low blood glucose levels) can be a barrier to diabetes control when aiming to lower hba1c levels (the average measure of how glucose levels have been over a 3 month period). This is because if glucose levels on average are generally lower, then there's less room for them to fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To Move Forward With Diabetes Management We Need Innovation</td></tr>
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<b>The Need for Adaptability </b><br />
At the moment, diabetes management is based on what has happened in the past, to plan what's gone in the future. For example, if somebody had highs every morning at 10am, adjustments might be made to the diabetes regime because that's what the data tells us has happened previously. So despite everyday often being different, a change will be made to combat that. But as I mentioned, everyday is not the same with diabetes and history has shown for me that we accept this until we have the tools to change it. An example of this would be starting off on set insulin doses regardless of what food was being eaten at a meal time, compared to now where we match the insulin to the carbs which gives much greater flexibility and adaptability.<br />
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<b>The MiniMed670g</b><br />
And this is where the MiniMed670g comes in, because it has the element or predictability from sensor data of what direction blood glucose levels are moving in, and it also has the algorithms to adapt to how a person's individual diabetes behaves and it learns from them and gives insulin accordingly.<br />
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Read on to my MiniMed 670g blog for data specifically on the pump and release dates.<br />
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With thanks to Medtronic for kindly sponsoring me to attend the event.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-41021330309897249192018-10-13T22:08:00.000+01:002018-10-13T22:10:54.862+01:00Diabetes and Dining - Medtronic Diabetes Community Exchange 2018 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The past few days I've had the huge privilege of attending the Medtronic Diabetes Community European Blogger Exchange in Switzerland. I flew out on Thursday into Geneva, where I joined fellow representatives from the Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. I'd never had the pleasure of visiting Switzerland before and as the plane was heading in to land, it was evident that it was a very beautiful and picturesque place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner With Diabuddies at Chalet Suisse</td></tr>
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The hotel we stayed in overlooked the Alps and the first few hours in Lausanne, were spent exploring the local area on a walking tour with the lovely Eddie Bruce, Finland's representative. It was lovely to get out in the refreshing Swiss air and take in the views lake side as we talked about diabetes management in our respective countries. Eddie has been living with diabetes for over 30 years and his approach to his type 1 management was very inspiring, and empowering to see that good control can be possible long term.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting Startered</td></tr>
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Then, it wasn't long until the other bloggers arrived from the airport and we made our way together to Chalet Suisse for a traditional Swiss dining experience in this fabulous log cabin-esque restaurant. The experience of eating with other people with diabetes, regardless of their type of diabetes regimen is always a pleasurable one for me, as this becomes the norm and for a few hours I'm just like everybody else at the table. It was lovely getting to know and catch up with new and old diabuddies and to hear about the adventures of those, fresh back from EASD in Berlin.<br />
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We also enjoyed sampling the Swiss food; of meat and or cheese fondu, a totally new experience for me. For those also haven't tried it, the cheese fondu arrives in a big pan and is placed over a flame whilst everybody dips bread and in and shares it. Whilst the meat option that I shared with my friend who is also gluten-intolerant from Sweden, involved the meat being served raw and you're given a pan of piping hot broth and then you use a tea strainer to hold the meat in the hot liquid and it cooks really quickly and very tastily.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat Fondu</td></tr>
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But what was best about the fondu was the sharing experience, not just the way that all of our meals centred around one or two pans. But also the people from countries where this was a popular dish shared memories and experiences of how they enjoy this tradition with family and friends back home. Which was truly reflective of what the next few days would be about, learning new things and sharing experiences and I felt very fortunate to be involved.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-79060534412463993912018-10-05T21:07:00.000+01:002018-10-08T21:08:23.666+01:00Reflections On Completing the Diabetes UK 1 Million Steps Challenge<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As is evident from my <a href="http://www.lifesportdiabetes.co.uk/2018/10/london-bridges-challenge-2018.html">London Bridges Challenge blog</a>, I did manage to complete the 1 Million Steps Challenge during the final day of the challenge and that felt like a brilliant achievement after 3 months of working towards the goal of doing it. But what I'd actually like to speak about in this blog are all of the surprising, interesting and challenging things I learned from doing it.<br />
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<b>1. Improved mood and mindfulness</b><br />
The 1 Millions Steps Challenge required quite a lot of commitment to complete, so this meant often meant walking of a lunch break and definitely after, when not training on track. But what surprised me was that it was actually a really effective mindfulness exercise too, because I was either so focussed on planning my route, how many steps I'd done or taking in my environment and surroundings that I found it all quite a relaxing experience.<br />
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<b>2. Discovering new places to enjoy on my door step and new communities of exercise</b><br />
To mix things up a bit with the challenge and to stop myself from getting bored with walking the same route, it helped me to discover new destinations in my local area and beyond and this seemed to be the case for many of us who participated in my team. So the challenged helped us become more familiar with our neighbourhoods and meant weekends were often spent enjoying the outdoors. I've lived in Wales all my life, but I still found new places to visit further afield too, from the sunflower fields of Rhosilli Bay to the Brecon Waterfalls.<br />
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<b>3. 10,800 steps is tough and there will be ups and downs in daily activity</b><br />
In the early days of the Challenge 10,800 steps was tricky to make on non-running days for me and required a really conscious effort to get up and moving whenever I could. I was a frequent lift-dodger and stair taker and found myself saying 'for the steps' a lot. So I suppose it gave pause for reflection on how active my working day was. It also gave me a perspective on how 'move more' is an important message, but the word 'how' is also an important part of the sentence. I also noticed that not all steps were created equal and that stepping wasn't the same as energy expenditure. For example, more steps were gained through a walk through the park for example than a circuits session or go on the cross trainer.<br />
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<b>4. Walking needs planning like running or sprint</b><br />
Diabetes wise I found that like when I'm training, extended walking sessions required planning in terms of putting a temporary basal pattern on my insulin pump and taking on some fast-acting glucose. There was less of an impact afterwards for me, perhaps with the exertion and intensity being so different.<br />
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<b>5. Challenges are made for sharing</b><br />
Finally and perhaps most importantly is that challenges like this are made for sharing. I was so fortunate that my work colleagues had decided to participate in this challenge before I arrived to work with them and it was brilliant to have each other's support, encouragement and humour when stepping days had gone well or not so good. My husband also took on the challenge at home, so it was great to have someone to go out stepping with on the weekends who was sharing (competitively) the same goal. Then there were the people who did some stepping with me and who weren't doing the challenge, so by me increasing my steps and becoming more active, it influenced those around me to think about it and join in.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-71261320049150857832018-10-01T20:54:00.000+01:002018-10-08T20:56:31.844+01:00London Bridges Challenge 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This year marked the 10th of the Diabetes UK London Bridges Challenge events. Every year I've seen the feedback from participants on what good fun it was, so this year I decided to sign-up so as not to miss out. The challenge was also brilliantly timed as it was held on September 30th- the very last day of the 1 millions steps challenge.<br />
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So early on the Sunday morning the family headed up to Battersea Park in London. I have to admit that having never done the event before, I hadn't realised what a big event it was, but turning the corner from the park into the event site I soon realised as people were lined up to receive their challenge t-shirt, troll hair hat, clappers and map. I signed up for £5 ahead of the event, which was a very reasonable price for how much was going on with the event, then what you fundraised was a bonus. When you signed up you were able to choose a wave to set-off with so we chose the 11:30am wave and set off with hundreds of other walkers to conquer the London Bridges Challenge.<br />
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It just so happened that when I started the walk I had about 4,000 steps to go for the 1 Million Steps Challenge too, so we set off at a good pace to the first bridge which was located just outside Battersea Park- Albert Bridge. It was then around the corner to Chelsea Bridge and onto a bit of a stretch towards Vauxhall Bridge where I hit the 1 million steps challenge (woop woop), but there was only a little bit of time to celebrate because there were still 9 bridges to conquer! Lambeth bridge number 4 gave us great views down the Thames towards Westminster, whilst Westminster Bridge took us through the gardens near the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben under construction and past the iconic London Eye and onto Hungerford Bridge number 6 and the half way point.<br />
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What was also really nice about the London Bridges Challenge was that there were volunteers stationed at every bridge, who offered kind words of encouragement, sometimes a high five and also stamped your map or number plate to keep track of your progress. It was literally a tale of two halves diabetes management wise as I found that I needed a moderate temp basal and fast-acting glucose until bridge 6 and lunch. Then after lunch I didn't need a reduction at all and bolused for lunch as I would normally. Bridge number 7 was Waterloo bridge which holds happy memories of when I filmed my Nike campaign there and great views of the Shard building. From Blackfriars bridge 8 St. Paul's Cathedral came into view and then we reached the famous Millennium (A.K.A Voldemort) Bridge 9 featured in the Harry Potter films, so pretty magical to cross. If you look closely in my Instagram stories (@LifeSportDiabetes) you'll see my practising my 'wingardium leviosa' with the DUK pom pom.<br />
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As the afternoon started drawing in we made our way around the Globe Theatre and onto Southwark bridge 10, then to London Bridge made famous by the nursery rhyme at which point the pace picked up as we set the final Tower Bridge in our sights and the finish line where we collected our medals thanked the sensational volunteers and made our way to the nearest Italian restaurant for a pasta refuel. In total we walked just shy of 30,000 steps that day which was brilliant, but not as great the experience meeting all of the volunteers and fellow walkers along the way.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-86376646967854253032018-08-15T21:38:00.000+01:002018-09-02T21:39:45.803+01:00First Time Using The Hidden Disability Lanyard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few weeks ago I attended the DxDublin event with Abbott in Ireland, where I saw for the first time, the hidden disability lanyard on a fellow blogger with T1D. I'd heard a little bit about it beforehand from a post on social media from JDRF. But hearing about it first-hand and that it made for a positive experience of travelling, I thought it would be worth giving a go when I next travelled. On the way home from Ireland flying from Dublin airport, I asked the staff there about the lanyard. However, they said that they couldn't help because you had to order them online 4 days in advance of travel. So of course, flying home made this too late.<br />
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However, a few weeks later as a 30th birthday and wedding anniversary present I was travelling to Lyon in France. Flying from a big international airport like Gatwick I hoped there was a good chance that I could find the lanyard. Therefore, after checking in my luggage, I made my way to the disability help desk to enquire about the lanyard. The person helping me on the desk didn't ask me what my disability was, just told me how it should work- that I was to wear it in the airport. Particularly, when going through security and whilst sitting in the airport. As the staff have been trained to spot the hidden disability lanyard and so the process of going through security should be smoother.<br />
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I think wearing the lanyard certainly made people more patient and understanding whilst going through security. As when I travelled through Gatwick airport for my honeymoon 2 years ago, I had a terrible experience of a member of staff shouting at me because they didn't understand about my insulin pump. Once given one lanyard, you're able to keep it then for remaining travels. I have a few trips planned in October, so it will be interesting, especially if flying from other airports, to see what the response is then.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-20854559115796009852018-08-11T21:00:00.000+01:002018-09-02T21:01:56.958+01:00Working Out What To Wear In Wedding Season With A Pump<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Wedding season is well and truly upon us, a lovely time to get together with friends and family to celebrate the joining together of two people in love. Of course it's also a time when people like to dress up in their finery for photos etc. I've been wearing an insulin pump for a decade now and clothing is still something that needs a little consideration, especially for a special occasion.<br />
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As you might have seen on my instagram, I've been fortunate enough to attend a couple of weddings this season and this has helped me find a silhouette that hides my pump, in a place that doesn't change the shape of the dress. I then use the remote bolus function on my blood glucose monitor, this allows me to press a button and a signal is sent to wake up the pump. Followed by the ability to tell it how much insulin I need, which is handy because there are often a lot of meals and snacks at weddings.<br />
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You might wonder why this is such an important thing to be able to do- to give insulin discreetly. Well, I'm proud to wear an insulin pump. But when I attend weddings I want the day to be about celebrating the couple, I want my diabetes to behave and for me to be able to manage it quietly and easily in the background.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-77003873397255990802018-08-03T20:15:00.000+01:002018-09-02T20:28:18.091+01:00It's Perfectly Clear That Hydration Is Key<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently, the team behind Perfectly Clear water very kindly sent me a selection of their new range of drinks to give a go. The timing couldn't have been better as I embarked on my training for the Swansea Half marathon and 10K races, as the weather peaked, giving us some of the hottest days of the year.<br />
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I'd say that what all of the Perfectly Clear still flavours I tried have in common, is that they taste fresh and juicy. I'm a firm believer in the concept that flavour should be perceivable and with this range it is. The lemon and lime flavour is the right side of crisp, whilst summer fruits is refreshing and strawberry slightly sweeter. My favourite flavour however, was the sparkling elderflower - first of all because it was grown-up fun. Elderflower is a flavour that just tastes like summer to me, but this is the first I've tried that's been sugar free.<br />
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Everybody's diabetes is different of course, but in recent years I've found that hydration has a huge impact on my blood glucose levels. That when I'm adequately hydrated things feel a lot more manageable. I'm not somebody that can manage drinking sugary drinks, unless required to treat a hypo, despite the freedom we enjoy with using an insulin pump. So it's helpful that the Perfectly Clear water collection is zero sugar and I could enjoy it without having worry about it having a detrimental impact on my glucose levels.<br />
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The Perfectly Clear range was kindly gifted for me to try by the company, however all views and thoughts expressed are my own<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9181814025920007028.post-30029347931657149502018-07-31T21:48:00.003+01:002018-07-31T21:48:24.681+01:001 Million Steps Starts With The First One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Summer is a great time to get physically active, certainly it requires keeping an even closer eye on the blood glucose levels, but the good weather makes it enjoyable to be out and about in the great outdoors. With the Diabetes UK 1 million Step Challenge getting underway too, the timing couldn't be better.<br />
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The idea of the Challenge is to walk/ run/ jog 1 million steps from July 1st until the end of September. This works out at about 10,800 steps a day, so depending on how active your day is, it might involve walking to work instead of driving, or getting those 30 minutes a day of exercise in afterwards.<br />
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Showing how the aim of the Challenge as well as raising funds and awareness of the condition is to show how easily physical activity can fit into everyday life. Don't worry if you want to start the challenge and are worried that we're already a month in. Many smart phones gather data on steps without us even noticing, often found in 'health' apps stored on the phone.<br />
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31 days in and I'm 355, 000 steps down and enjoying the challenge, but I've had to be creative with how to get the steps in. I did really well in Lyon with my husband who is also doing the challenge, as company can act as great motivation, and not catching public transport was a great way to explore the city by foot. But equally, with the Barry 10K coming up on the weekend, I've been adding running workouts to my week.<br />
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With all of the different activities and in such warm weather, it's been really easy to have socks that are as versatile as the activities I've enjoyed doing. The short style <a href="https://www.footorthotics.org/">Toe Tec socks </a>have been great at blister prevention with their moisture wicking properties. Their lack of seams means a lot less abrasion helping keep the skin supple and without tears. So from step 1 to a million I feel confident that <a href="https://www.footorthotics.org/">Toe Tec socks </a>will match me stride for stride.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130431973821401934noreply@blogger.com0