Living with diabetes isn’t easy. It requires ongoing care and planning alongside a meticulous attention to detail. Without the proper system in place, this can quickly become overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to balance other areas of your life. Luckily, smartphone app developers have thought of just about everything—including diabetes management. Now, there are hundreds of different diabetes apps available, both free and for purchase, on the app store.
According to research, using a diabetes app can improve your health and lower hemoglobin A1C levels. With consistent use, apps can help you lower body weight and live a healthier, more active lifestyle. Staying mindful of your diabetes management and taking the time to record data in a mobile app is a great way to be more engaged, but it’s important to find the right one. Certain smartphone apps require more energy than they’re worth and when that happens, you’re not likely to use them for long. To help, here are the best diabetes apps of 2021.
What to Look for in a Diabetes App
Before you start downloading every diabetes app that you find, it’s important to know what to look for. Using an app is supposed to make life easier, not harder. Finding something with a strong user interface is a good starting point. Do you enjoy how the navigation is set up? Is it easy to access, enter information, and reference it throughout the day? If you’re not comfortable with technology, you’ll want an app that’s straightforward and easy to use. If you’re more technologically savvy, you might enjoy something more comprehensive.
Depending on the type of glucose monitor you have, you may be able to integrate your readings into an app that syncs your monitor to your phone throughout the day. This is a great way to make sure that you’re regularly monitoring your blood sugar levels and see how it’s affected throughout the day.
Everyone will have different preferences so while these are considered the best diabetes apps of 2021, you won’t need to use them all. Do some research and find a few that work well for your lifestyle and technology level. Download them, test them out, and pick your favorites.
The Most Important App to Have
One diabetes app that you should download regardless of technological skillset is Medical ID.
Medical ID allows you to enter all of your information including blood type, any allergies, medications that you’re currently taking, pre-existing conditions like diabetes, and any medical or emergency contacts. It is then made accessible from the lock screen on your phone for first responders to use in order to properly treat you in case of an emergency. If you have an iPhone, this can be done using the pre-installed Health app. If you have an Android, you can download it from the app store. You won’t actively use this app aside from during the initial setup, but it may one day save your life. Medical ID can be used by anyone and is not a diabetes-specific app, however, with the potential risks and complications that can occur in instances of hypoglycemia it’s absolutely essential. It is free to install and use on both iPhones and Androids.
Best Diabetes Apps for Tracking Food and Exercise
Keeping track of what you eat, how much you exercise, and your mental health is essential in a well-rounded diabetes management plan. While it can be overwhelming at first, there are plenty of great apps to help you make healthy choices.
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MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is an excellent way to keep track of what you’re eating throughout the day. It offers both free and premium memberships and has millions of different foods registered in the database. MyFitnessPal allows you to scan barcodes to enter food in your daily diary and gives you the breakdown of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and sugars in each item. To take full advantage of the features on this app you can use the exercise tracker and set daily hydration goals.
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Fooducate
Fooducate is similar to MyFitnessPal in that it allows you to track your food intake, but it has a few different features. Fooducate assigns a grade to each food that you track so you know what the overall nutrition quality is at a glance. For those foods that are poorly rated, Fooducate offers healthy alternatives for you to try. It is free for both iPhone and Android use.
Best Apps for Tracking Blood Glucose
Regardless of if your blood glucose monitor can be integrated into your smartphone or not, there are still ways for you to manually enter information. Below are the top three diabetes apps for tracking blood glucose levels throughout the day.
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Glucose Buddy
Glucose Buddy is an iPhone specific app for tracking your blood glucose levels. Its features allow for insulin, medication, A1C, and carbohydrate tracking. It can be synced with certain blood glucose monitors and offers areas to track your physical exercise and food intake. You can set up notifications in the app to remind you to check your blood sugar, get some exercise, and more. There are both free and paid options.
- MySugr
MySugr allows you to log all of your diabetes data in one place. It’s easy to use and gives you a convenient overview of your blood glucose levels on the home screen. MySugr also allows you to input medications, meals, and carbohydrates. It can by synced with Apple health to create a more comprehensive overview and has integration capabilities with certain continuous glucose monitors. There are both free and paid options for use.
Comprehensive Apps for Diabetes management
If you’re looking for something that gives you everything in one place, a comprehensive app is your best option. Some measure your food intake, others don’t. Just make sure that you find an app that you enjoy using if you want to make it a long-term habit.
- Diabetes Connect
Diabetes Connect allows you to record everything—blood sugar levels, insulin dosage, medications, and more. It provides you with more of a big-picture overview and allows you to turn off any features that you don’t need or use. It’s a great option for those looking for something simple.
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One Drop
One Drop is a free app that gives you a truly comprehensive experience. It has everything you need to log all of your diabetes data and includes a food tracking section that mimics popular apps listed above. You can connect compatible devices via Bluetooth for even easier use. One Drop also includes a built in “coaching” aspect that can help you boost morale and keep up with your management efforts.
The Benefits of Using a Diabetes App
If you’re an avid smartphone user, you know how beneficial certain apps can be. Once you start using and incorporating them into your daily routine, it can be hard to imagine life without them. The same can be said for diabetes apps. There are measurable benefits of using them regularly, some of which include the following.
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Control Blood Glucose Levels
-by downloading and using an app, you’ll gain a better understanding on what’s causing your blood sugar levels to rise and drop throughout the day. This insight can help you gain better control over your levels in the long run.
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Lower Risk of Losing Eyesight
– while staring at a phone isn’t good for anyone, a diabetes app can help you monitor all aspects of your diabetes to reduce your chances of diabetic retinopathy and other serious complications. -
Control Blood Pressure
– having diabetes increases your risk of high blood pressure, but when you live a healthy lifestyle you can avoid dangerous spikes. Diabetes apps help you manage what you eat, limit alcohol consumption, and monitor areas in your life that need improvement. -
Increase Convenience
– while the above benefits are mere side effects of tracking and monitoring what you’re eating, doing, etcetera, without an app to help keep you organized and provide feedback you likely wouldn’t take the effort. Diabetes apps help increase convenience so you’re more likely to stick with healthy habits.
Improve Knowledge and Diabetes Education
– when you use diabetes-specific apps, you get the added benefit of daily tips and bits of information to help you with ongoing education. With readily available information, you’ll continually improve your knowledge of diabetes so you can make more informed decisions
Improves Communication Between Doctors
– whether you have an integrated blood glucose monitor or not, diabetes apps can help improve ongoing communication between you and your doctor. Many apps allow you to share information directly with your healthcare provider for the most efficient management and care.In addition to utilizing some of the best diabetes apps of 2021, make sure that you visit Byram Healthcare for added support, clinical and educational resources, and a full line of diabetes products. As one of the best overall diabetes supply companies of 2020, we intend to continue to provide outstanding customer service and diabetes products. To learn more about our product catalog or to speak with someone from our Diabetes Center of Excellence, contact us today at 1-877-90-BYRAM.
