Day 2 Diabetes Blog Week. The Cost of Diabetes.

This week is Diabetes Blog Week. #DBlogWeek.

Each day a topic is provided and diabetes bloggers write about the topic.

Today's brief is: Insulin and other diabetes medications and supplies can be costly. So today, let’s discuss how cost impacts our diabetes care. Do you have advice to share?

You can read all the blogs for today's topic here.

I'm going to leave the cost of medications, consumables, testing strips, insulin pumps, etc to the writers who know this better than I do.

Instead, my focus is on the cost of Time and Food.

The Cost of Time

It's often quoted that time is the most important commodity.

This includes the time spent looking after diabetes management.

The time for testing, monitoring, and adjusting. Finger pricks. Interpreting test results. Meter downloads. Basal rates. Correction Factors. Hypo management.

Fortunately we are in a time of evolving technology. Meter uploads, CGMS smart meters, Apps, real time monitoring, insulin adjustment programs, flash glucose monitoring systems, insulin pumps. This can reduce the time involved in day to day monitoring, recording, adjusting etc.

My advice is link in with a good team of specialists, get up to date with advancements which will enable better control, take the guess work out of management, and reduce the time it takes to do this.

And the time for appointments. Doctors. Endocrinologists. Diabetes Educators. Dietitians. No, we can't always run to time, particularly in the public system. My office is next to a waiting room, and I often hear people complaining about how long they have been waiting.

My advice is to have something to do to fill in and make use of the waiting time.

The Cost of Eating Well

It never surprises me that it costs more to purchase healthier, more nutritious foods than it does to purchase higher fat, sugar, and salt convenience foods.

At the cafe, a fruit salad or yoghurt costs more than a chocolate donut. This doesn't make sense.

I'm on the fence when it comes to a fat or sugar tax. It's both worked and failed in some countries, but at the end of the day, there needs to be some autonomy and personal choice. An alternative which I favour, is subsidising lower calorie, more nutritious foods, and making them more affordable and accessable.

My advice is eat what's in season. Bulk cook. Buy on special. Prepare snacks - I'm a big fan of zip lock bags and tupperware/ plastic containers. Plan meals. Make a weekly meal plan. Make shopping lists.

A dietitian can assist with menu planning and organisation strategies for food preparation to reduce the financial cost of eating nutritious foods.

Reducing Cost.

Mitigating time and food costs can also mitigate financial burden and health costs.

This week is Diabetes Blog Week.

I'm excited to be part of the 8th Annual Event.

You can follow my blog, and all those who are part of this event at #DBlogWeek.

You can find a list of blogs for this event here: link