If there’s one topic we get asked about all the time, it’s the insulin pump. What is it? How does it work? How can you get it covered by medical aid? Here are answers to all your questions: the ultimate guide to the insulin pump.
Category: Research
Diabetes is always changing, so this is a space for the latest diabetes research and information. You’ll find COVID-19 diabetes advice from a doctor, a simple way to eat LCHF, a guide to diabetic sweeteners and more.
Last year, we asked you to take part in the FIND Willingness to Pay for CGM survey. Here are the results!
Taking part in a research study is a fantastic way to help future patients and gain access to potential new treatments. Read on to find out if you could take part in this research study.
It’s nearly the end of the tax year! Which might not mean much to you, but means that some people and companies are looking for tax-deductible donations to offset their tax liability. Here’s how Sweet Life can help.
One of our community members, Armand Greyling, wrote to us to explain how to get an insulin pump covered by medical aid. He shared this step-by-step guide.
We all know that vitamins and minerals are important for our health – even more when we’re balancing diabetes and blood sugar all day long… But did you know that Vitamin B is essential for your nerve health?
Alongside the diabetes basics leaflet we developed, we also created a leaflet specifically for those living with Type 1 diabetes.
One of the projects we’ve been working on this year is our diabetes basics leaflet for public clinics – our TEEL leaflet. Here’s how we developed it.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can be life-threatening: Here’s what you need to know.
Your emotions affect your blood glucose. How you feel can have a huge impact on your blood glucose. We all know what it’s like to get angry about something, and notice our blood glucose rising… Which just makes us angrier, and keeps our blood glucose sky high.
Diabetes burnout is unavoidable, when you’re living with diabetes. But how can you help during diabetes burnout? What can you offer someone you love who is struggling?
While diabetes has some common symptoms – particularly before you are diagnosed – there are also some less common side-effects of diabetes, when you live with the condition every day.
Today we’re talking about something a little sensitive… eating disorders. Please be kind to yourself – if you find any of this triggering, there’s no reason to read on. But it is an important conversation to have… Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, and we want to be able to bring the conversation into the light.
Although diabetes is deeply personal to many of us, it’s important to take a step back, sometimes, and look at diabetes in South Africa – the big picture.
The language of diabetes. I’m not going to lie, I have resisted writing this article for some time – and I’ll tell you why.
We recently ran a survey to find out who exactly you are – who makes up the Sweet Life Diabetes Community we know and love. Here are the results:
Earlier in the year, we shared a Type 1 Diabetes Registry survey, to try and understand if South Africans with Type 1 diabetes would be…
Earlier this year, we were lucky enough to sit down with endocrinologist Prof. David Segal for a Masterclass on how to interpret your glucose reports. It was fascinating! Here’s what we learnt…
New diabetes stats released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ahead of World Diabetes Day reveal that 537 million adults around the world are living…
The University of Pretoria (UP) has launched South Africa’s first exclusive Diabetes Research Center at a public academic institution.
How many people with diabetes in South Africa use a flash glucose monitor or CGM? What’s stopping them from using one? Those are the questions we wanted to answer with our Diabetic South Africans and sensors survey. The results were surprising.
The Economist Intelligence Unit recently released a superb article about telemedicine and diabetes in South Africa – we unpack it for you.
In mid-April 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Diabetes Compact at the Global Diabetes Summit.
Is there a stigma around living with diabetes, do you think? Many people with diabetes feel as though there’s a diabetes stigma.
“Could you explain the diabetes situation in South Africa?” is a question we get asked all the time.
Every two years, the International Diabetes Federation releases a new Diabetes Atlas, in which they tell the world what the state of diabetes is in…
Sweet Life’s big focus for 2020 is diabetes education research, in alignment with the Diabetes Alliance. As South Africa’s diabetes community, we offer an online…
Sweet Life’s big focus for 2020 is diabetes education research, in alignment with the Diabetes Alliance. As South Africa’s diabetes community, we offer an online…
Sweet Life’s big focus for 2020 is diabetes education research, in alignment with the Diabetes Alliance. As South Africa’s diabetes community, we offer an online…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
There’s been a lot of talk lately about CGM because of the #cgm4all campaign. But what exactly is a CGM? And how do you decide…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
As diabetics, we need to understand the details of our medical aids. What we are due, what we can fight for, and how to motivate…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
We should all be talking about prediabetes. If there’s one thing the coronavirus pandemic is teaching us, it’s that we’re capable of making dramatic changes…
We just got sent this announcement of research from the University of Waterloo in Canada about diabetes medication and COVID-19. Although it is in the…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
Late last year the Diabetic South African community started a petition. The first time people with diabetes in SA all united for a single cause:…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
Sweet Life is South Africa’s diabetes community: a space to share information and advice about living well with diabetes, both here on the website and…
A recent post on Diabetic South Africans suggesting healthy replacements for common carbohydrates sparked off a huge debate around how people with diabetes should be…
Which South African medical aid will choose to be the industry leader in diabetes? Sweet Life Diabetes Community has just started a petition to South…
Rencia Phillip wanted to clear up some diabetes misconceptions… A few of the ways that people get diabetes facts confused. Do you have any to…
Do you struggle with feeling angry about your diagnosis? Diabetes counsellor Gabi Richter gives some advice on how to deal with anger and diabetes… Read…
What is the best sweetener for people with diabetes? Great question. It comes down to personal choice, so it’s important to be informed. Below, we…
Should diabetics use foot spas? When one of our community members asked about foot spas and foot massagers on Diabetic South Africans, there was a…
Best online diabetes magazines Last week, we were informed that Sweet Life has been named one of The Best Diabetes Magazines in the world. We…
I’d like to introduce Maryna Prins, a new contributor who will be sharing her thoughts on living with Type 1 diabetes every month. Would you…
So you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes… Welcome to the club! We’re happy to have you here, even if it’s not something you would have chosen.