Silly Superlatives from the ADA Scientific Sessions 2011-Diabetes 24-7

Silly Superlatives: ADA’s Scientific Sessions 2011

by Elizabeth Snouffer on 06/28/2011

This past week, dozens of news reports have been posted on the web every 12 hours or so with breaking news (or not) on which new, second generation or rejected and discarded diabetes products are making waves at the Scientific Sessions.  Additionally, highlights from promising studies and research have exploded or teetered out on the scene.   What follows is the best superlatives from this graduating ADA Scientific Sessions class of 2011.

Most Likely to Break the Rules – Dr. Denise Faustman
(or Most Awe Inspiring Scientific Study and Whistle Blower Extraordinaire)

Dr. Denise Faustman, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Immuno-biology Laboratory, presented two abstracts from a clinical trial funded by the Boston-based Iacocca Family Foundation at this past week’s Scientific Sessions,  which showed that low doses of an 80-year-old tuberculosis vaccine (Called BCG, and now available generically) temporarily reversed type 1 diabetes in a Phase 1 human trial.   BCG induces the immune system to make tumor-necrosis factor, which kills the T-cells that cause the pancreas to stop producing insulin.  Here’s more:

Silly Superlatives from the ADA Scientific Sessions 2011

Summer Recipes-Diabetic Living

Eat What You Love!

As you get ready to enjoy all the favorite feasts of summer, remember these easy recipes and tips to keep you on track. Eating healthfully doesn’t mean giving up the summertime foods you love!

·	Our Favorite Tomato Recipes
·	Healthy Tips for Hot Dogs & Hamburgers
·	How to Survive (& Thrive) at a Potluck
·	Diabetes-Friendly Barbecue Recipes
·	Our Best Berry Desserts

Meal Planning

· Make Now & Freeze for Later Recipes · What Nutrition Labels Mean · 19 Delicious Dinner Menus

What's the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?-Diabetic Connect

What's the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?

Which type of diabetes is most common? How do the symptoms and treatments differ? Who needs to take insulin? If you have questions about the differences between type 1 and type 2, find clear, simple answers right here.

Poor Sleep Might Worsen Diabetes-Diabetic Connect

Poor Sleep Might Worsen Diabetes
Do you toss and turn at night? Do you have insomnia, sleep apnea, or other sleep disorders? New research discovers that people who have trouble sleeping have more problems controlling diabetes. Here's what you and your doctor should know about protecting your health.

More about sleep and diabetes:
The Sleep-Diabetes Connection
CPAP Improves Sleeping Glucose Levels in Type 2 Patients
Links Between Sleep and Diabetes

The Great Meat Makeover and More-Reverse Diabetes

The Great Meat Makeover

Twenty grams. That’s your limit of saturated fat per day if you want to abide by a diet that limits your risk of heart disease. So how much fat is that? Roughly one-third of a stick of butter. Put that way, it seems like a lot—it would take a lot of bread to handle that much butter! But the problem is, saturated fats are in a lot of food. And so most Americans pack in way more saturated fat each day than they should.

It’s an important health issue. Whereas we once thought that it was cholesterol in your diet that caused cholesterol in your bloodstream, we now know that it’s saturated fat that leads to high cholesterol and clogged arteries. Plus dietary fat is calorie dense—one gram is 9 calories, compared with 4 calories per gram for protein or carbs. Which means excess fat in our diet is a big reason we gain weight.

Saturated fat is found in just about any animal source of food, be it butter, milk, meat, or cheese. But what a lot of folks don’t realize is that saturated fat often sneaks in your diet. Sure, you may not drink a glass of whole milk every day, but if you add cream to your coffee, eat ice cream once in a while, and snack on whole-milk cheeses, you’re still getting an ample serving of saturated fat.

Unfortunately, the stealthy saturated fat sources don’t end with animal products. Certain plant oils such as palm, palm kernel and coconut oils—which are found in most packaged and processed foods like cookies and granola bars—contains loads of saturated fat. 

You can easily pack more than a day’s worth of saturated fat into a single meal if you’re not careful. The good news is that you can still enjoy a hearty dinner and dodge all that saturated fat. A few simple changes to a traditional steak and potatoes dinner can help you easily stay within your daily saturated fat budget. Here’s how:

A Typical Big, Bad Fats Dinner
3.5 oz. rib-eye steak, 5.7 g saturated fat
1 tablespoon butter for frying, 7.3 g saturated fat
2 tablespoons sour cream for potato, 2.7 g saturated fat
1 cup whole milk, 4.6 g saturated fat
1 cup chocolate ice cream, 9 g saturated fat
Total: 29.3 g saturated fat

That’s almost more than 125 percent of your recommended daily value—and this doesn’t even count the rest of the saturated fat you might have eaten throughout the day. Instead, try this meal: 

Good Fats Alternative Dinner 
3.5 oz beef tenderloin, 3.8 g saturated fat
1 tablespoon olive oil for frying, 3.8 g saturated fat
2 tablespoons herbed non-fat yogurt for potato, 0 g fat
1 cup 1% milk, 1.6 g saturated fat 
1 cup fresh strawberries, 0 g saturated fat
Total: 9.2 g saturated fat

With just a few quick swaps you cut out almost 70 percent of the meal’s saturated fat. Plus, with these tasty options, you’re not cheating yourself on quantity or taste. While protecting your heart and reducing your risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease, you still get to enjoy a steak dinner with all the fixings—and dessert!

Featured Recipe

Chinese Beef Soup with Barley & Spinach 
With a potent combination of lots of protein and fiber, this Asian-inspired soup with hints of ginger and garlic will fill you up in all the right ways. Mmmmm, pass the spoon!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium, fat-free beef broth
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 piece ginger, peeled and cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked barley
12 cups stemmed spinach leaves
2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional) 

Preparation:
1    In a large saucepan, combine beef, onion, garlic, 6 cups water, broth, soy sauce, ginger, fennel seeds, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2    Stir in barley. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 1½ hours until beef is very tender.
3    Stir in spinach. Simmer 2 minutes. Remove ginger pieces. Garnish with scallion, if desired. 

Per serving: 304 cal, 6 g fat, 32 g carbs, 32 g protein, 8 g fiber, 66 mg chol, 808 mg sodium, 94 mg calcium

Great Ideas

4 Fun Things To Do With Oats (Besides Oatmeat)

Oatmeal is a high-fiber food superstar. Those oat grains have an amazing cholesterol-lowering benefit: Regularly eat 1½ cups and your LDL cholesterol can drop by 12 to 24 percent. But after a few bowls, oatmeal can be so booooooring. To keep you from falling asleep in your porridge, here are four ways to glam up the good old-fashioned oat:

1. Grind oats in the blender and use them to coat fish and chicken instead of breadcrumbs. Add a shake of salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings. You’ll cut out the carbs and replace them with heart-healthy fiber.
2. Use a mixture of oats and ground oats with a little margarine to make a delicious crumble topping for pies and cobblers.
3. Next time you make pancakes, add oats to the batter to increase the fiber content. You’ll experience less of a sugar-crash than you usually get from flapjacks full of refined carbs. 
4. Use ground oats in meatloaf and meatballs instead of breadcrumbs.

How To Tell If You Eat Too Much and More-dLife Foodstuff

How to Tell if You Eat Too Much

When you eat pasta, how many servings do you think you typically have? (Guess again.) Check out these great visual cues to help you get a handle on official portion sizes. Go to the slideshow.

Tiramisu Bites

This low carb version of the classic Italian dessert will satisfy your sweet tooth without spiking your blood sugar. Watch the video (or just get the recipe.)

Teriyaki Beef and Peppers

Teriyaki sauce is sweet and high in carbs, but this recipe skips the sugar and uses arrowroot — an alternative to corn starch — to create a healthier version. Get the recipe.

Lower Carb Smoothies

Fruit smoothies seem like a health food, but they usually come loaded with carbs and sugar. Do you have any tips for making delicious, dFriendly smoothies? Talk about it in the dLife Kitchen.

Turning "Bad" Fat Into "Good"

Scientists have discovered a way to transform white fat cells into brown fat, which burns extra calories instead of storing them. This finding could lead to better treatments for obesity. Read the news.

Refreshing Low-Carb Summer Drinks and More-Diabetic Connect

Refreshing Low-Carb Summer Drinks Pour yourself a tall, cool treat—then relax, sip, and smile! Here are four sweet ways to cool off in summer heat. They're festive, easy to fix, and each has fewer than 10 carbs per serving. Great with friends, cookouts, parties, or anytime! Iced Ginger Tea Blackberry Twist Lemonade Cantaloupe Aqua Fresca Summertime Lemonade

    

    Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms—Only 4g Carbs!

   

   Once your family smells this delicious entrée simmering on the stove, they'll be waiting at the dinner table to dig in! Add a big spoonful of gravy—it's included in this mouth-watering low-carb recipe.

Get this Recipe! 

   

     Sensational Snack: Low-Carb Buffalo Wings

     

      Here's the perfect appetizer or snack: great tasting and easy to make! These tender, juicy buffalo wings will go fast—better make plenty!

Get this Recipe!

The Scent of Diabetes and the Gift of an Alert Dog-Diabetes 24-7

The Scent of Diabetes and the Gift of an Alert Dog

by Elizabeth Snouffer

Cadence is 4-years-old and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 2 1/2.  She loves Tinkerbell and Lady Gaga, going to the beach, and learning about anatomy and the earth.  In so many ways, she is like many other bright little girls who suffer from type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes is difficult to manage on its own, but doubly so for Cadence.  She also has a condition called hypoglycemia unawareness (sometimes called impaired awareness of hypoglycemia), which is defined as a phenomenon where individuals, especially young children, are not able to recognize normal or severe falling blood sugars.  Cadence’s trouble doesn’t stop there either.  Not only does she not recognize when she has hypoglycemia, but she also does not feel or show any of the normal symptoms for low or high blood sugars.  Her mother has first hand experience with this, “ she can be playing, seemingly happy and unaffected, whether her blood sugar is 45 or 450 (mgdl).”   It is a very scary situation for Cadence’s parents,  Marijane and Dave Gray.

In one landmark study, (Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia in a Population-Based Sample of Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes , Diabetes Care, October 2009 vol. 32 no. 10 1802-1806), researchers defined hypoglycemia unawareness as a “very real phenomenon, caused by repeated low blood sugars” and further elaborated by pointing out that the brain is to blame:

The general understanding is that in response to frequent lows, the brain increases the number of glucose sensors on cell membranes to become more efficient in extracting glucose. As a result, the brain doesn’t feel starved until there is almost no glucose left, and at that point the risk for loss of consciousness or seizure is very high.
Essentially, patients with this condition will have blood sugars in the hypoglycemic threshold (starting at 63-69 mgdl) or lower without any symptoms, such as sweating, adrenaline release, and impaired cognitive ability.  Impaired awareness of hypoglycemia for adults with diabetes has been studied extensively with patients who either utilize insulin therapy or sulfonylureas.  There is significant evidence that proves older patients can essentially retrain the brain to sense lows at higher levels, by meticulously avoiding hypoglycemia for 2-3 weeks, but is difficult to nearly impossible to achieve this reversal with children.  The risk for these children having a hypoglycemia-related coma or seizure is great.  It’s worth noting that the study also found that about one in three children with type 1 have impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, so it’s important for parents to have children screened for the condition.

To read the full article, click link below:
The Scent of Diabetes and the Gift of an Alert Dog-Diabetes 24-7

25 Lowest Carb Fruits and More-dLife Foodstuff

25 Lowest Carb Fruits

It's not easy to compare apples to oranges when it comes to carbs. Here are the 25 lowest carb fruits, bite for bite. Check them out here.

Mexican Pizza

Chef Michel Nischan creates a snack the whole family will love with a healthy Mexican twist on the traditional pizza. Watch the video (or just get the recipe.)

Orange Roughy with Nectarine Salsa

Liven up this grilled fish dish with a sweet and tangy salsa made from nectarines, kiwis, and cucumbers. Get the recipe.

Diabetes-Friendly Cereals

Jes asked dLife members for help finding cereals that aren't loaded with sugar and carbs. Come browse their suggestions or add your own! Talk about it in the Food Talk forum.

10 Secrets to Better Cholesterol

Drugs aren't the only way to keep cholesterol levels in check. Take a look at these foods and supplements that work almost as well as meds. Go there now.

ALWAYS Do This Before Exercising! and More-Reverse Diabetes

ALWAYS Do This Before Exercising!
Exercise is potent stuff. Getting your body in motion has such a powerful blood sugar benefits that it’s almost like taking medicine. But for the person who hasn’t exercised in a long while, getting started isn’t as easy as swapping an apple for potato chips. There are several smart steps to take to be sure you don’t harm yourself or cause blood sugar hills and valleys. When you begin or resume an exercise routine, follow these seven recommendations:

• Check with your doc. If it’s been years since you really pushed your body hard, or if you have had diabetes for more than 10 years, your doctor can help guide your exercise to be at the right pace and intensity to benefit you the most. For example, if you have high blood pressure or eye or kidney damage, you might have to avoid the strain of weight lifting. And if your feet have suffered nerve damage, you may be better off kicking in a pool than pounding the pavement.

• Run by your pharmacy. Ask about side effects of any medications you take. Some oral diabetes medications can cause muscle ache or fatigue, while others can make you dizzy or nauseated. Be sure your doctor and pharmacist are clear about how intensely you intend to exercise and how your medication might affect your activities.

• Time exercise with insulin levels. Avoid peak hours for insulin and oral medications. Try to time your workout so that you’re not exercising when the activity of insulin or other diabetes medicine peaks—often within the first hour or two of an injection or taking your diabetes medicines. Why? Exercise naturally forces your cells to draw in more blood sugar; taking medicine at the same time could lead to low blood sugar levels. If you’re working to cut back or eliminate your medication use, your doctor may start by having you take less (or none) before your workout. In effect, you may be able to use exercise in place of taking your medication if the effects on your blood sugar prove to be similar.

• Workout after eating. Instead of relying on snacks to head off low blood sugar during your walk, be diligent about planning to exercise after a meal so that you can take advantage of higher, more sustained blood sugar levels.

• Test before and after. Before you start to exercise, blood-sugar testing can tell you when it might be better to hold off, at least until your glucose levels are sufficient to meet your muscles’ demands. It’s wise to test your blood sugar again afterward, too, to see how far it’s fallen. This will give you a sense of how exercise affects your blood sugar levels so that you can make adjustments in meals, snacks, and the timing of your exercise.

• Protect against extreme highs and lows. Don’t exercise if your blood sugar is below 100 mg/dl. Instead, have a piece of fruit or other snack containing at least 15 grams of carbohydrate, then test again in about 20 minutes. Keep snacking until blood sugar rises above the 100 mg/dl mark. On the opposite end, test for ketones using a urine ketone test strip if blood sugar before exercise is above 240 mg/dl. If the test detects ketones, don’t start exercising until you’ve taken more insulin to handle glucose uptake during your workout. If ketones are absent, don’t exercise if blood sugar is above 400 mg/dl.

• Drink plenty of water. Think of yourself as a well-oiled racing machine, but for you, that lubrication is water. It keeps our blood sugar stable, enables organs to function properly and even prevents aches and pains of exercise. So, drink up. Don’t wait for thirst to hit before drinking; thirst can be a sign of high blood sugar and could bring your workout to a halt while you check for hyperglycemia. Instead, drink one to two cups 15 minutes before exercising, at least a half cup every 15 minutes during your workout, and another one to two cups afterward. 

Featured Recipe

Lentils with Dill and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Filled with the delightfully fresh summertime taste of dill, this dish packs a highly nutritious double-play with lots protein and fiber yet zero saturated fat and cholesterol.  

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, divided
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed thoroughly and drained

Preparation:
1    Bruise one of the garlic cloves with the side of a knife. Cook the garlic, lentils, and bay leaf in plenty of boiling water until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Discard the bay leaf and garlic.
2    Crush the remaining clove of garlic. In a serving bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, oil and pepper. 
3    Fold in the lentils, dill and tomatoes. Serve warm.

Per serving: 130 cal, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 20 g carbs, 7 g protein, 5 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 mg sodium, 19 mg calcium

Great Ideas

Secret Mission:  Sneak In More Veggies

Cue the James Bond theme song. Can you hear those staccato beats dum, dum, dum, dumming in your head? Your mission is on: You must find under-the-radar – but tasty – ways to add more vegetables to your diet. Making this your No. 1 mission conveys more benefits than Q has nifty gadgets. Most of us are lucky to get two servings of vegetables a day, and that’s far short of the five per day recommended for heart health and to help maintain weight and steady blood sugar levels. Try these five super-secret ways to slip in more veggies – trench coat entirely optional: 

Build a sandwich that has more lettuce and tomato than meat. Think of a vegetarian Dagwood as your sandwich-building role model. Stack the meat in the sandwich to no higher than the thickness of a standard slice of bread. Then pile on lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, roasted peppers, spinach, or whatever vegetables you wish  to the combined height of both slices of bread. Presto: Your sandwich creation has the height of the Empire State Building yet the svelteness of the Eiffel Tower.

Fill your spaghetti sauce with vegetables. Then replace half the pasta you normally eat with more vegetables. We typically take a jar of low-sodium prepared sauce and add in string beans, peas, corn, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and more. Like it chunky? Cut them in big pieces. Don’t want to know they’re there? Shred or puree them with a bit of sauce in the blender, then add. And don’t stop there. Steamed broccoli or green beans, or baked spaghetti squash (use a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands), are filling and delicious replacements for the mounds of pasta that often find their way onto our plates.

Order your pizza with extra veggies. Instead of the same old pepperoni and onions, do your blood sugar and digestion a favor and ask for half the cheese, double the sauce and add loads of garden-inspired toppings like artichoke hearts, broccoli, hot peppers, and other exotic vegetables. Don’t be shy and explore, because many pizza joints stock up on such items for their gourmet pies.

Be salsa-riffic! First, make sure you have a large batch of salsa that’s chock-full of vegetables. One good approach: Add chopped yellow squash and zucchini to store-bought salsa. Then put salsa on everything: baked potatoes, rice, chicken breasts, sandwiches, eggs, steak, even bread. Salsa shouldn’t be just for chips. It’s too tasty and healthy not to be used all the time. Ole!

Puree vegetables as sauces. Impress guests and dazzle your own palate with vegetable sauce creations. For example, how about pureed roasted red peppers seasoned with herbs and a bit of lemon juice, then drizzled over fish? Or puree butternut or acorn squash with carrots, grated ginger, and bit of brown sugar for a yummy topping for chicken or turkey. Cooked vegetables are easily converted into sauces. It just takes a little ingenuity and a quick blender finger.
 

Justice Sotomayor: Childhood Diabetes "Taught Me Discipline"-The Huffington Post

Justice Sotomayor: Childhood Diabetes 'Taught Me Discipline'
By MARK SHERMAN   06/21/11 03:32 PM ET  

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was seven years old and living in the South Bronx when she found she was thirsty all the time. Soon after, she started wetting her bed at night.

"I was ashamed," the 56-year-old justice said, as she related how she came to learn that she has diabetes. The audience for the unusually personal glimpse at a justice's life was children who are diabetics, like Sotomayor. And the reason she met with them Tuesday in a Washington ballroom was to assure them that their common affliction is no bar to doing anything they want.

Please click below to read the full article:
Justice Sotomayor: Childhood Diabetes-The Huffington Post

Low-Calorie Recipes That Won't Disappoint!-Diabetic Living

Healthy & Delicious Recipes!

Are you looking for ways to cut calories but don’t want to feel deprived or depressed? That’s why you have Diabetic Living on your side! We test all our recipes for nutrition and taste—giving you quality recipes and peace of mind. Enjoy!

·	Yum! Unbelievable Low-Calorie Desserts
·	Enjoy a Hearty Meal for Less than 250 Calories
·	22 Low-Calorie Breakfast Recipes
·	Sweet & Savory Snacks Under 75 Calories!
·	Must-Have Foods for 20 Calories or Less

The Biggest Diabetes Meeting In The World-Diabetes Stops Here

The American Diabetes Association's 71st Scientific Sessions start next week, so we interviewed Andrew F. Stewart, MD, on our blog to give you a sneak peek!

It’s Coming: The Biggest Diabetes Meeting in the World! | Diabetes Stops Here

diabetesstopshere.org

Andrew F. Stewart, MD, is a busy man. In addition to his multiple responsibilities as Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he has also taken on the role of Chair of the American Diabetes Association’s 71st Scientific Sessions.

 

Click below to read this article:

It's Coming: The Biggest Diabetes Meeting In The World

Worst Way to Fight Diabetes: Buy A Giant Pepsi-Marion Nestle-Life-The Atlantic

Marion Nestle - Marion Nestle is professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, and the author of Food Politics, Safe Food, What to Eat, and Pet Food Politics. More

Worst Way to Fight Diabetes: Buy a Giant Pepsi

Jun 16 2011, 2:49 PM ET

A partnership between a KFC franchise and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation shows off the odd world of "cause marketing"

I collect things like this—examples of food company marketing alliances with health and nutrition organizations that by all rights should be advising their members and clients not to eat much of the company's products. This one promotes mega-size Pepsi to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

This particular treasure comes from a blogger, Joe Tower, who runs a business—"Selfish Giving"—that helps companies do cause marketing. This one crosses a line, even for him:

I've said this before: I don't have a problem with nonprofits and fast-serve chains doing cause marketing. What I do have a problem with is when fast serve chains like KFC encourage consumers to buy products that directly contribute to the health conditions - in this case diabetes - they are supposedly trying to prevent by partnering with the cause in the first place....What was JDRF thinking? I'm not sure, but I'm calling them today to see if I can find out!

Here are excerpts from the response from JDRF:

We appreciate your concerns and your questions about the banner promoting a JDRF fundraising activity at KFC. Please understand that the fundraiser in question is a local initiative in Utah involving a single KFC franchise owner with a personal type 1 diabetes connection.That said, JDRF values its supporters, both individual and corporate, and their efforts to raise funds to support research aimed at improving lives and curing type 1 diabetes. JDRF carefully reviews national partnership opportunities to ensure that they are appropriate prior to joining corporate campaigns to raise funds.

Regarding this particular promotion, we understand that one of the criticisms has been the association with a sugary product, which many have associated with contributing to diabetes. It's important to note that JDRF supports research for type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that results when the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, therefore requiring a child or adult with the disease to depend on insulin treatment for the rest of their lives. It is a common misconception that type 1 diabetes is caused by obesity or eating too much junk food or sweets.

Finally, JDRF does not endorse any particular products, nor any particular diet. People with type 1 diabetes should work with their healthcare team to determine a diet that works best for them. JDRF fully supports people living with type 1 diabetes engaging in healthy eating habits and lifestyles.

-Gary Feit, National Manager, External Communications, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

As I find myself saying again and again, you cannot make this stuff up. And how does Pepsi, now promoting itself as a wellness company, feel about this?

(Thanks to David Schliefer for sending.)

Here is the link to this article from The Atlantic:

Worst Way to Fight Diabetes: Buy A Giant Pepsi-Marion Nestle

Chris Dudley Biography-dLife

Neither diabetes nor injuries could deter this b-ball player with the Ivy League degree. His teams were revolving but not his resolve, earning him the respect of his peers, and even winning him the nomination of governor of his home state.

Chris Dudley Biography

Claim to Fame: NBA player
DOB: February 22, 1965
Diabetes Type: 1

Quote: "If you want to play sports, you can play sports. Don't let diabetes stop you. But, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take care of your condition."

As a teenager, former NBA player Chris Dudley played on the basketball team for Torrey Pines High School in California. After graduating, he attended Yale University and became a three-time First Team All-Ivy League selection. Dudley finished college with a degree in economics and political science, but dreamed of entering the NBA.

He began playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1987-1988 NBA season. Due to an immense amount of injuries, Dudley was often traded during his career, and thus played for several NBA teams. The different teams include the New Jersey Nets, the Portland Trail Blazers, The New York Knicks, and the Phoenix Suns.

At 6’ 11”, Chris Dudley was an exceptional defender known for strong rebound and shot-blocking capabilities. His ability to play in 886 games while living with diabetes earned him a lot of respect.

Dudley has taken insulin since 1981 when he was diagnosed with diabetes; he was only sixteen. The disease, however, did not quench his desire to play.

In 1998, Dudley started the Chris Dudley Foundation so he could motivate young people with diabetes to pursue active lifestyles. The Foundation includes sports camps and clinics that teach young teens how to successfully balance sports with diabetes management.

Known for his charitable work, Dudley won the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and USA Today’s Most Caring Athlete Award. Dudley has donated money to help fund Yale’s basketball program, as well as sponsored a class of fourth graders to attend college through the “I Have a Dream Foundation.”

More recently, Dudley has attempted to enter politics. In 2010, he won the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon, but later lost the November election to a former two-term Oregon governor.

Chris Dudley's Foundation
Find more athletes with diabetes.

A Surprising Way to Lower Your A1C and More Info-dLife

Lower Your A1C

Pesky A1C still not where you want it to be? We've got a simple way to lower it that just may surprise you. Check it out!

Feeling Itchy

The community wants to know: "I've been experiencing itchy lumps at the site where my infusion set delivers insulin." and "Does diabetes cause arthritis?" dLife's team of diabetes experts are here to help answer your questions. Get answers now!

At a Distance

Mylosttorturedsoul writes: "My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 years. He's been diabetic since he was 9. Lately his neuropathy has gotten extremely worse. He's dropping weight and his sugar is approaching the 1000 range. He's out of town....I feel so guilty that I can't be there. But even if I were what would I do..." Got advice?

Diabetes This Week

dLife Diabetes Newswire: FDA Approves Updates to Lilly's Humalog® Label; Quality Improvement Collaboration Leads to Improved Blood Pressure Control in People with Diabetes; Weight Loss After Gastric Bypass Surgery Reduces Expression of Alzheimer's Genes; More.

Diabetes events are happening all over the county! Get the details here or submit your own event to the dLife Calendar today.

Great Grilled Veggies and More Recipes

Great Grilled Veggies for Your Diabetic Diet
Liven up your next barbecue with great grilled veggies! Here are 4 mouth-watering ways to make the most of summer's garden-fresh vegetables. Enjoy them seasoned, marinated, or tossed with dressing and sprinkled with cheese. All of our veggie delights are low in carbs and easy to fix. And wait till you taste them hot off the grill!

Grilled Garden Veggies
Zesty Grilled Veggies
Marinated Grilled Veggies
Char-Grilled Vegetable Slices

Tasty Crusted Fish—Low in Fat, Carbs, and Calories

This delightfully crisp potato-crusted fish tastes like it came from a fine-dining restaurant. Yet it has only 5g carbs, 9g fat, and 189 calories! Make it and bake it in less than 30 minutes.

Get this Recipe!

What's for Dessert? Peach Blueberry Crisp

Watch your family smile when you set this scrumptious dessert on the table. It's chockfull of sweet summer fruits that are bursting with flavor. And with only 19g carbs, you can enjoy it right along with them. Easy to make too!

Get this Recipe!

Transplant Recipient Speaks Out-San Francisco Gate

San Francisco Gate: anger at the American Diabetes Assoc., is it deserved? Read more:

Transplant Recipient Speaks Out: Shame On The American Diabetes Association

Palm Desert, CA (PRWEB) June 14, 2011

A transplant recipient and past National Public Citizen of the Year as awarded by the National Association of Social Workers, Dr. Richard Darling, is criticizing the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for not taking a proactive stance with organ-donor policy makers in support of trial projects of new organ-donor policies to reverse America's crisis.

Darling's facts show that the present organ-donor system-agreeing to donate after death-is failing miserably in meeting the demand for organs as evidenced by the fact that one person on the transplant list dies every 52 minutes. Darling's assessment: "That's outrageous."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/06/14/prweb8566515.DTL#ixzz1PJbFQBqR

Cole Slaw Can Save Your Life (Really) and More-Reverse Diabetes

Coleslaw Can Save Your Life (Really)
Nowadays, coleslaw has migrated from the Eastern bloc to take its place on the American picnic table alongside hot dogs and apple pie. Delis ubiquitously serve the stuff in a little ramekin with sandwiches. We rarely give the cabbage concoction a second thought to its origins or nutritional benefits—but we should.

Cabbage has a long, hearty, and healthy history. For centuries, Russian peasants sustained themselves through some of the most bitter-cold winters on the planet by eating this leafy vegetable and not much else. That says something about the nutritional value, da? Cabbage (especially the red variety) is a surprisingly excellent source of vitamin C, which some experts believe may reduce the risk of getting diabetes. And because it’s a cruciferous vegetable like its cousins, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, it contains potent anti-cancer properties. One study found that women who ate the most cabbage had a 45 percent lower breast cancer risk than women who ate the least! Red cabbage offers another bonus: It’s rich in natural pigments that may help boost insulin production and lower blood-sugar levels.

With all that nutritional value, you’d think there’d be a catch. There’s not. To boot, cabbage is very low in calories (only 16 calories per one-half cup cooked!) and is a good source of fiber at 1.7 grams per one-half cup. Together, these two attributes spell weight loss, which almost always benefits blood sugar. Add to that the fact that cabbage is way low on the glycemic index scale, and you’ve got true magic for a blood-sugar food. Those Russian peasants were living on a rich diet after all! The one caveat with coleslaw is the potential for glopping on too much mayonnaise. Small, mayonnaise-laden portions, like those served with the deli’s pastrami, are okay. Just halve that sandwich to keep your calories in check. Healthier coleslaw is made with a vinegar base, which helps lower the glycemic value of your whole meal. Try making no-mayonnaise coleslaw—the combination of the fiber and vinegar to lower your glycemic load, and the minimal calories of the cabbage means your portion size can be the sky’s limit.

Another serving suggestion: Sauté cabbage and onions, or braise red cabbage with chopped apples, along with red wine for two amazingly tasty and low-cal side dishes. Add sliced cabbage to soups and stews, and try thinly shredded cabbage for a delightfully crunchy bite anywhere you’d use shredded lettuce, like on burgers or tacos. 

Featured Recipe

Roasted Asparagus with Orange Gremolata
Go beyond simply steaming asparagus and class up this traditional side dish veggie with a little taste of citrus and garlic. Even better: Adding this haute cuisine twist to your dinner menu only takes about 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup loosely packed flat parsley leaves and tender stems
1 strip orange zest
1 clove garlic  

Preparation:
1    Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a jellyroll pan or shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2    Spread the asparagus in the pan. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes.
3    On a cutting board, finely chop the parsley, orange zest, and garlic together. Sprinkle over the asparagus before serving.  

Per serving: 61 calories, 4 g fat (1 g sat), 6 g carbs, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber, 0 mg chol, 3 mg sodium, 45 mg calcium

Great Ideas

Every Step Counts-So Start Counting!

Here’s a quick question: How many steps do you take during a day? Don’t know? It’s a good idea to find out by clipping on a pedometer. The average healthy person should take about 10,000 steps per day. Simply knowing that you’re counting will make you more conscious of your activity level. You’ll also have a benchmark to chart progress. Plus, all those steps lead down a road of healthy benefits. Walking is a low-impact, no-gear-required way to shed weight and improve heart health. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your pedometer:
• Clip it on when you get out of bed, and leave it on until you go to sleep.
• Use it for a few days to get your baseline average of steps. 
• Make it your goal to add 5,000 steps a day to your baseline.
• Don’t want to invest in an actual pedometer? Download a pedometer application for iPhone, Blackberry or other smart phones. 

dLife Foodstuff Recipes and More

Makeovers for Cookout Classics

Here are some briliant ideas to help you rethink your summertime BBQ and picnic favorites. Check them out here.

Turkey Meatloaf

Is your dad a big fan of meatloaf? Then try cooking up this delicious, diabetes friendly version on Father's Day! Watch the video (or just get the recipe.)

Mocha Mousse with Almonds

Surprise dad on his special day with this decadent, low carb dessert he'll be sure to love. Get the recipe.

Eating on the Road

Falbertini drives for a living and needs help finding food he can bring with him in his truck. What's your favorite snack to take when you're on the go? Talk about it in the Food Talk forum.

Lighten Up this Summer

Summer can be a great time for healthy eating if you know how to plan right. Lara Rondinelli tells you how to make the most out of summer's seasonal fruits and vegetables. Learn more.

The Importance of Dentist Visits-dLife

Overlooked Twice a Year “Miracle Treatment” for Diabetes Could Help Millions
By Wil Dubois

Have you heard about Dencleanna? The diabetes treatment you only need to take twice a year? Dencleanna is equal to any diabetes treatment we have, lowering A1C up to a full point! That means if you were at, say, 8.2%, this twice-per-year-therapy could drop you to 7.2%.

It’s safe, cheap, and effective. Ready to sign up yet? OK! Then ask your doctor if a dentist is right for you.

Get it? Den-clean-na? As in dental cleaning?

Ouch.

It got so quiet I could hear a pin drop.

OK, so here’s the deal. Sorry if I misled you, but I needed to get your attention. No one likes to talk about dental stuff. But everything I’ve told you is true. A twice-per-year dental cleaning will lower your blood sugar as well as any diabetes pill in our arsenal. And unlike drugs, it’s side-effect free. It won’t make you sunburn easily. It won’t cause edema. It won’t give you the runs. It’s not contraindicated with any other prescription or over-the-counter med.

Of course, if you’d rather take yet another pill to get your blood sugar in control, just pop a Tic-Tac in your mouth while you’re in your dentist’s waiting room reading five-year-old copies of National Geographic. You’ll feel like you’re taking a real med and your dental hygienist will thank you. 

So, how on earth is this possible? Well, we gotta talk about bugs. Bugs that live in your teeth and gums. Eww. Gross. The brutal truth is that bacteria live, and thrive, on sugar. That’s probably why gum disease (known in more formal circles as periodontal disease) is hugely more common amongst people with diabetes than it is in people without diabetes.

The most recent statistics from the feds show that PWDs have double the risk of periodontal disease overall, and those of us over the age of 45 whose blood sugars are… ummm… you know… less than perfect… have a threefold risk of having severe gum disease. Severe gum disease leads to the euphemistic-sounding “loss of attachment” between the gum and the tooth.

Yeah. Your frickin’ teeth fall out.

Personal note from Sue:

I, personally know this to be true.  I have gum disease and after being diagnosed, I had to visit the dentist every three months.  I had to have two teeth pulled because they were loose and the one was causing infection.  Now, it seems to be contained and I only have to visit the dentist twice a year, which my dental insurance fully covers.

Best Healthy Lunches-Cooking Light

22 Healthy Lunch Ideas

Our definitive guide to a healthy lunch on the go—complete with nutrition-boosting tips, make-ahead strategies, and tasty pack-and-go recipes.

Photo: Getty Images

«

1 of 24

»

View all

Our Best Healthy Lunch Ideas

Ah…the ubiquitous lunchbox. Whether you’re packing your own or one for every kid in the house, there are real challenges when thinking about your mid-day meal. We know you want healthy options that keep you full enough to stay away from the vending machine come mid-afternoon. There’s also a real need for make-ahead recipes…why would those pre-packaged lunch packs and frozen meals be so popular if ease of prep wasn’t the primary goal (since nutrition and flavor certainly aren’t their claims to fame). And most importantly: How can you keep your lunch tasting good day after day? After all, if it doesn’t taste good, vending machines, drive-throughs, and lunch table swaps are inescapable. Enter our lunchbox makeover. Look out for “Nutrition” “Prep,” and “Smart Packing” tips throughout the slideshow, offering our secrets to building a better lunchbox meal.

Our Best Healthy Lunches-Cooking Light

BALANCE! False cheer, a sunny forecast every day is unrealistic. Diabetes does not benefit from sugar-coating nor does it benefit from too much negativity.

SQUEAKY CLEAN! Washing hands before checking blood glucose is an important way to get it right. Wash hands with soap and water, not sanitizer. Dry them well.

Summertime Throwdown-Diabetes Stops Here

Summertime Throwdown

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Dayle

 

At first it was pretty feet, then it was grilling tips, then it was summer recipes and the balanced diet. Is it obvious to you? I’ve had a one-track mind lately: I am ready for summer! And I’m not the only one – five of the American Diabetes Association’s cookbook authors stepped up to the challenge of a Grilling Throwdown. Who is the champion of this challenge? That’s up to you! So go ahead and light your charcoal and try these recipes all summer long!

If you want more of these delicious recipes, check out the cookbooks they came from and get 30% off when you order from shopdiabetes.org in the month of June!

Sesame Coated Chicken Kabobs from Amy Riolo

“After spending a lot of time in North African and the Middle Eastern countries famous for their grilled foods, I believe that  the secret to great grilling is a great marinade. Marinades are the key to successful grilling. A few great and healthful ingredients like olive oil, garlic, herbs, spices (and in this case, mustard and raspberries) pack sweet and sour flavors into lean meat without a lot of fat and calories.”

For more of these recipes, please click below:

Summertime Throwdown-Diabetes Stops Here