For people with diabetes, visual aids can remind them of the correct lifestyle choices to control their blood sugar. The diabetes food guide pyramid helps people choose food items to maintain their health. At the bottom of the pyramid, there are fruits, vegetables and whole grains that contain fiber, nutrients, and electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium. At the top are foods one should be eating far less of – dairy and meat, with fats and sweets at the top (foods to avoid).

Another of the diabetes visual aids that educates patients is the diabetes tree (http://www.mymedicalreports.com/site_media/content/42/audio/25-diabetes-4-09.pdf). This demonstrates the roots of disease control, with the flowering branches as the three areas of most importance – glucose level, blood pressure, and lipids. The key elements at the roots include risk factors, knowledge, nutrition, coexisting health problems, condition of vital organs, and family support system.

In Diabetes Forecast, they’ve published an …