Diabetes

If your child has food allergies or diabetes, we know that putting together Easter baskets and Easter egg hunts requires some creative thinking because your child may not be able to tolerate the traditionally high-sugar and often-times allergy filled treats that accompany Easter time. Many parents opt to find a variety of options besides chocolate and sugar candy to make the Easter holiday fun for their children despite being deprived of the sugary-treats. With the holiday just around the corner and a large selection of our Children’s medical ID Bracelets on sale, we thought we’d share some fun and affordable alternatives to stuff Easter baskets and eggs. We have many of our popular “Ultra-Light & Nylon” children’s bracelets on sale. Normally $15.50, our special March pricing is $7.50. These bracelets, for boys and girls, are perfect for everyday wear. They are made of nylon webbing and adjustable with a plastic center push buckle. They also come with the children's “Slider”  medical ID tag. Here's a quick look at some of our Children's bracelet's on sale The “Like” Children’s Medical ID Bracelet Purchase the "Like" bracelet here “Beating Heart” Children’s Medical Bracelet Purchase the Beating Heart Bracelet, here “Catch A Wave” Children's ID Bracelets Purchase "Catch a Wave" bracelet, here “Butterfly Kids” Children’s Medical Bracelet Purchase "Butterfly" Bracelet, here “Angel” Children’s Medical Bracelet Purchase"Angel" Bracelet, here Does your child already have an N-Style children's "Slider" medical id tag? If so, check out our huge selection of affordable interchangeable children's  medical bracelets without ID tags. At just $5.95 each they are a perfect treat for Easter Baskets 7 egg hunts. What kid wouldn't love having a bunch of different bracelets for each day of the week? View all Interchangeable Children's Bands, here. Continue reading...

Type 2 diabetes is not only the fastest growing disease on the planet, its one of the main illnesses for which N-Style ID designs medical alert and medical ID jewelry.  Since January is the month of proactive planning to make positive change in our lives, we focused our first 2013 blog on lifestyle and diet tips for people with Type 2 diabetes.

With concentrated efforts to make practical lifestyle and diet changes, managing and minimizing the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes can be accomplished in anyone’s life. Type 2 diabetes is generally caused by genetics and obesity combined with a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits.  People that carry excess weight, especially in their midsection, are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Any plan to minimize the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes is always centered on incorporating healthy lifestyle changes into our daily routine.  The thing about the recommended changes for diabetics, is that they are virtually the same for people not suffering from diabetes who are looking to improve their overall health. So the good news is that a Type 2 diabetic is not alone in seeking a healthier lifestyle.  Diet and exercise goals can be made with your partner or friends. Here are the core changes needed to improve the overall health and well-being of people with Type 2 diabetes: Eating Habits and Meal Patterns

• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. Stick to the same meal times each day.
• Managing and tracking the amount of carbohydrates at each meal or snack will keep your blood sugar level steady throughout the day.
• It’s not just the actual food you eat that affects blood sugar levels but how much you eat and when you eat affects blood sugar in the body.
• Omega-3 fish oils can improve glucose tolerance, high triglycerides, and cholesterol levels
• Incorporate high-fiber, low-glycemic-index sources of carbohydrates like whole-grains, fruits, vegetables into your diet.
• Limit intake of saturated and trans fatty acids.

Regular Exercise and Weight Loss

• Exercise promotes cardiovascular fitness and weight loss, lowers high blood pressure, improves lipid profiles and improves blood sugar control.  Since excess fat in the body can decrease the number of insulin receptors in the body, weight loss is a critical component to managing diabetes.

Limit Alcohol Intake

• Alcohol is essentially pure sugar so it worsens glucose tolerance. Try to completely refrain from or drastically reduce your alcohol intake

Stress Management

• Stress is very bad for people with diabetes. Unmanaged stress elevates blood sugars. Identify techniques to help lower stress levels such as reading, meditating or yoga.

There are endless online diet and exercise programs for people with Type 2 diabetes to help them achieve their goal of a healthier lifestyle: Online Recipes: http://www.joybauer.com/recipes-for-Type-2-Diabetes.aspx http://www.diabetesinanewlight.com/ http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20307365,00.html http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/ Exercise Tips and Programs http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/ http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20425548,00.html http://www.everydayhealth.com/diabetes/type2/managing/weight-lifting-get-strong.aspx And finally, wearing your medical alert /medical ID jewelry is also a core tool in managing Type 2 diabetes. It’s surprising that many adults with Type 2 diabetes don’t where medical alert jewelry. The importance of wearing medical ID jewelry for your overall health can’t be understated. In the event of an emergency, first responders need to know of your condition so they can administer proper care thus potentially saving your life. Continue reading...

Medical alert jewelry is a simple and effective way to get you immediate and proper medical care and to save your life in the event of an emergency. If you were in an emergency, first responders need to know if there is a serious or chronic medical condition involved that requires special medical attention. Medical alert and medical ID jewelry will alert first responders and bystanders to your medical condition thereby enabling the appropriate care. All medical personnel are trained to look for medical ID jewelry. In a serious medical situation, time is of the essence and can be the difference between life and death. There are many medical conditions that should be immediately known to first responders, such as:

• - Diabetes
• - Food Allergies
• - Implants like pacemakers
• - Severe Asthma
• - Epilepsy and seizure disorders
• - Drug Allergies
• - Shunts for dialysis patients
• - Alzheimer’s
• - Bee Sting Allergies
• - Coronary heart disease
• - Renal Failure
• - Transplant Surgery
• - People on blood thinners
• - Mentally disabled
• - Cancer patients
• - Person’s having bariatric surgery

Everyone with a serious medical condition should wear a medical alert bracelet. Medical alert / ID bracelets are designed to be noticed by trained personnel. It’s important to note that both medical alert necklaces and bracelets are considered appropriate ID tools by the medical profession. Emergency personnel are trained to check any jewelry on your person to see if it is medical id jewelry. However, its been documented that EMTs always look for bracelets first. Additionally, depending on the type of activity you are engaged in, you may consider a different choice of medical alert and medical ID jewelry. For example, if you normally wear an ID necklace and you’re heading to the mountains to go skiing, it’s advisable to switch to an ID bracelet, as first responders would not have to dig through so many upper-body clothing layers to find your ID necklace. The information contained on your medical alert jewelry is just as important as actually wearing your alert jewelry on a regular basis. Here’s an example of the type of core information that must be included on your medical ID jewelry:

• - The Star of Life symbol
• - Statement of your type of medical (and if you take insulin)
• - Food or drug allergies
• - Prescription information
• - In-case-of-emergency (written as ICE) contact number information
• - Add anything else paramedics must know, including noting any implants (e.g., pacemaker or insulin pumps that shouldn't go in an MRI scanner)

In recent years, medical ID jewelry has come a long way in terms soft of looks. Gone are the days of the standard stainless steel bracelets.  Fashionable jewelry styles are available for women, men and children that look great and allow for variety, but still convey the vital life-saving information medial alert jewelry was originally designed to do. If you have a medical condition that requires alert jewelry there really is no reason not to be wearing one with so many styles and options available on the market today. At N-Style ID we've created hundreds of fun and fashionable medical alert jewelry for men, women and children. Continue reading...

Juvenile Diabetes directly affecting our family was the driving force behind starting a company focused on fun, fashion-focused medical alert jewelry for children and adults. At N-Style ID, we take the American Diabetes Month seriously and our grateful for an organization that drives so much awareness to the cause of ending Diabetes in America. For November 2012, there are a variety of nationwide events and programs planned to support the cause of Diabetes. You can also check your local diabetes organization to find out about events close to home. To kick-off the month, we’d like to provide an overview of the major events and programs included in the Month’s activities. From a national Diabetes Awareness Month program view, the American Diabetes Association will be launching an interactive campaign in partnership with the Awareness month’s title sponsor CVS Pharmacies.  The program theme is “A Day in The Life of Diabetes” and is intended “to demonstrate the increasing impact diabetes has on our families and communities nationwide.” - ADA The campaign is centered on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter. Per the ADA, “The campaign is a call to action for individuals to take a public stand, via our social media channels…. to support the movement to Stop Diabetes®.” From October through November, the American Diabetes Association will encourage people to share photographs or imagery on the ADA Facebook or Twitter accounts to illustrate what “A Day in the Life of Diabetes” means to them and how Diabetes impacts their lives. The beautiful part of this social media campaign is that all of the imagery posted will be woven into a spectacular “mosaic” representing people across the country living with or affected by diabetes in their lives and casting light on the inter-connectedness of this disease in people’s lives. To get people to participate in the program, CVS will be donating $1.00 for every image shared on Facebook or Twitter. To share you experience and learn more about the program go to: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanDiabetesAssociation Along with the social media ADA programs, here are some annual events and programs to participate in: STEP OUT Walk to Stop Diabetes http://stepout.diabetes.org/ Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is the signature nationwide fundraising walk of the American Diabetes Association. 20 years strong, this event has raised more than $150,000,000 to Stop Diabetes. Be T1D for a Day For November 2012, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will launch a campaign designed to illustrate and raise awareness for what people with Type 1 Diabetes experience on a daily, hourly basis.  The campaign is done via text messaging. Participants will receive text messages hourly throughout the day that “simulate the constant blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and dietary decisions that confront people with T1D.”  Learn more about this program: http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=117942 Become a Diabetes Advocate American Diabetes Month is a great time to become an advocate for diabetes. ADA Advocates are a critical part of the overall American Diabetes Ass goal of increasing funding for research, stopping discrimination in schools and at work, and improved access to health care among other things. Learn more about becoming an advocate at: http://www.diabetes.org/advocate/ The Safe at School Campaign The Safe at School Campaign’s mission is to promote safety and fairness for children with diabetes and is dedicated to “making sure all children with diabetes are medically safe at school and have the same educational opportunities as their classmates.” This campaign relies heavily on the support and donations of others. To learn more about his awesome program and make a November donation, visit: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/parents-and-kids/diabetes-care-at-school/ Tour De Cure The final stop for the 2012 Tour De Cure will take place in Santa Barbara, CA on 11/10/11. The Tour De Cure is a series of diabetes awareness fundraising cycling event with participates riding for themselves, friends or families. Visit the Tour De Cure website for information the Santa Barbara tour and 2013 Tour dates. http://tour.diabetes.org/ The Risk Test November is the time to take The Risk Test for Type 2 Diabetes and learn whether you are at risk for getting Type 2 Diabetes. This is a free test and it could be the most important test of your life. Go to http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/diabetes-risk-test/ Continue reading...

The winter season brings with it many joys: holiday parties, family reunions, presents, and cold weather activities like sledding and snowman building. For people living with diabetes, however, the winter also presents challenges: changes in blood sugar and circulation due to the cold, changes in activity level and diet, and also more stress. Continue Reading Continue reading...