Discovering a considerate reward for a pal or member of the family who lives with diabetes might be exhausting. That’s why I created this information!
Diabetes presents was once much less thrilling than getting socks for Christmas, however now there are such a lot of lovely, helpful, or simply plain cool diabetes merchandise obtainable that I actually wish to share them with you!
How I picked the diabetes reward concepts to incorporate
All of the gadgets on this information are issues that I both already personal or that I’d be excited to unwrap myself.
We cope with diabetes 24/7, so why not add a bit colour, know-how, info, and enjoyable to make our on a regular basis diabetes administration rather less scientific and a bit extra tolerable?
I replace this information each time I discover a new product that deserves to be on it, so it’s at all times the Final Information to Presents for Diabetics, regardless of if you’re studying it.
When you use a product that you just assume I ought to embody, please go away a hyperlink within the feedback under in order that I can test it out.
Suppose before you purchase: Life with diabetes might be overwhelming generally, and never everybody will recognize getting a diabetes-related reward on a day that ought to be all about enjoyable, household, and pals. If doubtful, I recommend you purchase a present that’s helpful for folks with diabetes with out being made particularly for folks with diabetes (just like the foot massager or Apple watch).
Diabetes equipment from Myabetic
We take a look at our testing provides, insulin pens, and CGMs every single day, faithfully carrying them round wherever we go.
The ladies at Myabetic determined to make that have rather less medical and ugly wanting by creating lovely high-quality (vegan leather-based) diabetes provides carrying purses and circumstances in a wide range of colours.
Here’s a 10-second video of me with my Myabetic bag:
They even have choices for males (who might favor circumstances which can be rather less female) and youngsters, in order that they have us all lined. I really like my Myabetic purse and Dexcom case and use them every single day!
You need to use the code DIABETESSTRONG to get 15% off all of your Myabetic merchandise!
Diabetes purses and circumstances from Sugar Medical
Sugar Medical is one other firm that has got down to make diabetes circumstances and purses fashionable equipment.
Most of their merchandise are made of material, which implies that they’re pretty inexpensive however the high quality remains to be excessive (take a look at my favorites, the Diabetes Triple Zip Purse and the Insulated Journey Bag).
You may see how I exploit my Sugar Medical bag when touring on this quick video:
A number of the circumstances and purses have an insulated pocket for insulin and include a novel function which is the Sugar Medical Check Strip Garbage can.
It’s a small slit within the case or purse the place you set your used check strips in order that they find yourself in a small separate compartment. Which means no extra check strip graveyard within the backside of your circumstances or purses.
You need to use the code DIABETESSTRONG to get 10% off all Sugar Medical merchandise!
Diabetes accent belt from Spibelt
Spibelt (Small Private Merchandise Belt) is a fanny pack particularly made for folks dwelling with diabetes. It’s nice for storing your diabetes necessities when operating, figuring out, or simply leaping round. Their medical line belts even have holes for pump tubing!
I don’t put on an insulin pump however that is my go-to belt after I go for a run or hit the health club and don’t have any pockets.
The belt doesn’t transfer or bounce round if you run as another belts do. Once I run (which isn’t usually) I exploit this and convey alongside my cellphone, blood glucose meter, ID, glucose tabs, and keys.
You should purchase the Spibelt on Amazon.
Medical ID jewellery from Lauren’s Hope
I actually like jewellery (who doesn’t?), so why not mix a fairly necklace or bracelet with a probably lifesaving medical ID tag? That’s what the creator of Lauren’s Hope got down to do and the outcomes are wonderful!
Sporting some kind of medical alert identification is clearly a wise alternative for folks dwelling with diabetes (or anyone who may find yourself in a state of affairs the place they want medical assist), and if you’d like a ravishing and discreet technique to do it, jewellery from Lauren’s Hope is the proper possibility.
It is a nice reward concept for a particular individual in your life!
You may see my Lauren’s Hope medical ID bracelet (and my Myabetic bag) within the picture under:
Medical ID equipment from MyID
MyID takes medical IDs to an entire new stage as most of their merchandise function a wearable QR code (Fast Response code, similar to a bar code) making it simple to entry your medical info in a digital format.
You determine what info to incorporate in your profile and when your code is scanned, that info shall be shared with EMT or hospital personnel.
MyID has quite a lot of totally different choices together with watch sleeves, bracelets, ID tags, pockets playing cards, and stickers.
Essentially the most fundamental wearable MyID is a medical ID sleeve you can put on in your watch. That’s my favourite as I can put on it with my favourite watch.
You may go to the MyID retailer to see all their merchandise.
Here’s a video of how I put on my MyID watch sleeve:
A smartwatch that works with steady glucose screens (CGMs)
When you put on a Dexcom CGM like me, having the ability to see your blood sugar readings instantly in your wrist is totally sensible, and each Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin supply that resolution.
Solely Apple and Garmin have official Dexcom apps however you may obtain an unofficial clockface to FitBit (see how on this YouTube video) and that works simply as effectively.
The individual sporting the Dexcom nonetheless has to carry their iPhone with them and so they should be not more than 6 ft from the cellphone for this to work.
You may learn my evaluation of the most effective smartwatches for folks with diabetes to be taught extra or purchase certainly one of my beneficial smartwatches right here:
I exploit a Fitbit with the Dexcom app displayed on the house display, as you may see right here:
A foot massager
Most individuals get pleasure from a foot therapeutic massage, and for folks with kind 1 or kind 2 diabetes, getting a foot therapeutic massage may even profit blood sugar ranges, enhance blood circulation, and alleviate a number of the signs of diabetic neuropathy.
So why not add a foot massager machine to your wishlist? Many of the foot massagers obtainable are sufficiently small to simply be saved away in a closet if you don’t use them and all of the set up required is that you just plug it into {an electrical} outlet.
After which all it’s important to do is sit again and luxuriate in a therapeutic massage. That seems like a beautiful reward to me.
You will discover the proper mannequin on your current in my evaluation of the most effective foot massagers for folks with diabetes (or simply purchase the Shiatsu Foot & Calf Massager that I ranked as number one in my evaluation.)
Lily’s chocolate
It has been a long-standing joke that diabetes chocolate, aka sugar-free chocolate, is so dangerous that you just solely reward it to folks you don’t like.
However that has modified in recent times and I believe that Lily’s chocolate is the gold customary in terms of sugar-free chocolate.
Lily’s now gives chocolate bars, baking chocolate, chocolate-covered nuts, peanut butter cups (that can make you utterly neglect the full-sugared ones), and different sweet choices.
Totally different sweeteners are used within the number of Lily’s merchandise however they don’t include maltitol, maltodextrin, or dextrose.
You should purchase Lily’s chocolate on Amazon.
4AllFamily Insulin cooling case
A 4AllFamily cooler is the proper resolution for maintaining insulin cool whereas touring or in scorching locations (just like the seashore). It was my best choice after I reviewed the most effective insulin coolers and journey circumstances.
I additionally did a full evaluation and demonstration of the 4AllFamily cooler on YouTube.
They’ve quite a lot of totally different sizes, starting from one-pen coolers all the way in which as much as coolers that may simply match 7 insulin pens.
I like this smaller one for shorter journeys as it’s tremendous mild and can preserve my insulin under 79F (26C) for as much as 16 hours. The temperature and the way lengthy it is going to preserve it chilly is determined by the skin temperature.
However what makes 4AllFamily distinctive is the coolers that include a USB lid.
When you get the moveable medical fridge lid, it is going to convert your cooler right into a mini fridge so long as it’s plugged into an influence supply. Which means that it’ll preserve your insulin 36-46F (2-8C) endlessly when plugged in.
You should purchase the 4AllFamily coolers on Amazon.
Frio cooling circumstances
Frio cooling circumstances are sensible for maintaining insulin on the proper temperature when you find yourself touring or simply out within the solar. With a Frio case, you might be on the highway for longer durations with out having to consider entry to a fridge.
The best way that is totally different from different cooling circumstances is that there aren’t any ice packs or fridges concerned, you merely submerge the pouch in water and it’ll preserve your insulin on the proper temperature for a minimum of 2 days.
And after the two days are up, you may simply resubmerge the pouch in water and you’ve got one other 2 days of cooling, and so forth.
You should purchase Frio cooling circumstances on Amazon.
Shimmer for a Treatment Jewellery
What I really like in regards to the Shimmer for a Treatment assortment is that it’s a mix of fairly jewellery and diabetes consciousness.
The designer behind the gathering lives with diabetes and collaborates with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Analysis Basis).
The Skyline Royale Assortment is designed “to empower and educate, bringing forth a message of energy and resilience to these dwelling with diabetes” and contains necklaces, rings, earrings, scented candles, t-shirts, and way more.
My favourite items of the Skyline Royale Assortment are the tennis bracelet and hoop earrings, however there are many different choices, and so they’re inexpensive too.
You may take a look at the gathering on their web site.
Diabetes books
Information is all the pieces in terms of diabetes, and increasing your data will solely make life simpler.
All of those books are written by folks dwelling with diabetes that I extremely respect and offers you extra insights into the complexity of diabetes, train, yoga, and psychological well being.
Suppose Like a Pancreas by Gary Scheiner
The Diabetic Muscle and Health Information by Phil Graham
Shiny Spots & Landmines by Adam Brown
The Athlete’s Information to Diabetes by Sheri Colberg
Your Diabetes Science Experiment by Ginger Vieira
Yoga For Diabetes: The right way to Handle Your Well being with Yoga and Ayurveda by Rachel Zinman
You too can check out this checklist of the 21 greatest diabetes books for extra concepts.
Donate to a diabetes group
In case you have all of the stuff you want and simply wish to assist different folks with diabetes, perhaps asking for a donation in your title may very well be an possibility.
I’ve listed 3 organizations that each one work exhausting to assist folks dwelling with diabetes, whether or not it’s via analysis, community-building, or elevating consciousness and preventing injustice.
If you’re exterior the US and would favor to maintain the donations inside your own home nation, most nations have a nationwide diabetes affiliation you may contact and donate to as an alternative.
Past Kind 1 (BT1) – Based in 2015, Past Kind 1 is the brand new child on the block. They’ve constructed a neighborhood for folks with diabetes (take a look at their app), present schooling, and lift consciousness about diabetes. All donations go instantly to those applications. In addition they have actually good details about diabetes-related topics on their web site. You may even discover health recommendation written by yours actually.
Juvenile Diabetes Analysis Basis (JDRF) – The JDRF is a world group funding diabetes analysis. Native branches have intensive neighborhood actions, schooling, and advocacy applications. I’m personally concerned with JDRFs Los Angeles Younger Management Committee (YLC), a small fundraising and community-building group.
American Diabetes Affiliation (ADA) – The American Diabetes Affiliation is the biggest of the diabetes organizations. Their mission is to stop and treatment diabetes and to enhance the lives of all folks affected by diabetes. You’ll discover a ton of sources relating to all the pieces diabetes-related on their web site in addition to native assist.
As you may see, there are quite a lot of nice diabetes-related presents to place in your want checklist. If I missed something, let me know within the feedback under and I’ll add it to my Final Information to Presents for Diabetics!
Completely satisfied Holidays!