Defeat Diabetes^® E-Lerts™ Newsletter

January 2004
(Volume III, Issue 1)

Happy New Year! How many of you have made resolutions regarding fitness and weight loss? How many have strayed? In this month's E-Lerts™ we have 8 tips for exercising off the holiday season weight, the benefits of using a pedometer and the most effective exercise to reduce insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetics. What do you think is the most common obstacle for success in any weight loss or fitness program?

Vinegar, grape juice and the right kind of cooking oil are common foods that can make us much healthier. There's even more in our Latest News.

Defeat Diabetes Foundation is pleased to welcome Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE and Barbara Quinn, MS, RD, CDE  as regular contributors to our website and E-Lerts™. Theresa will be writing a bi-monthly column starting in February and a monthly cartoon Islets of Humor. Barbara will be also writing a bi-monthly column on nutrition, Nutrition News.

Prepare yourself for SUPERBOWL with great tasting Diabetic Recipes from Jyl Steinback, America's Healthiest Mom that are low fat, low carb and easy to prepare.

Imagine a sweet treat that doesn't make you fat, a device that improves nerve sensation, and two seemingly different things that may lower the risk of getting diabetes: coffee and magnesium. Those are our Treatments on the Horizon for January.

 We received comments and questions following December's E-Lerts™ and in our Reader's Forum are two of them. We want your feedback. Please let us know what we are doing right and what we can improve.

At Defeat Diabetes Foundation one of our major Public Awareness Campaigns is our Schools Programs. So far we have sent over 1,553,353 screening tests to over 3,025 schools in every state. We offer them free of charge to other civic groups as well. If you or your group are interested in obtaining Defeat Diabetes Screening Tests please contact Lisa Rasolt, Program Director. To see our programs

The deadline for the Mr. Diabetes^® Achievement Award^™ is February 29, 2004. This award  which consists of public recognition and a cash prize, will be given to a diabetic or diagnosed pre-diabetic individual or group for work that contributes to the knowledge, awareness and/or prevention of diabetes. To find out more 

Good Health,
Lisa M. Rasolt
Program Director
lrasolt@DefeatDiabetes.org

Awareness + Action = Prevention™
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Don't forget to subscribe to Defeat Diabetes^® E-Lerts™
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Latest News news
Eight Tips for Exercising Off the Holiday Season Weight  Should we just concede that gaining weight during the holiday season is inevitable? Well, believe it or not, you can keep the extra weight off and keep your blood glucose under control.
Vinegar Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Subjects Type 2 Diabetes  Vinegar can significantly improve postprandial insulin sensitivity in insulin-resistant subjects. Vinegar may possess physiological effects similar to acarbose or metformin.
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WE NEED YOUR HELP to continue our highly recognized and well received programs, but we would like to do more. Defeat Diabetes Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Our web site is secure and all donations are tax-deductible.
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Grape Juice Improves Memory and Neuro-Motor Skills  Grape juice joins blueberries as possible anti-aging "brain food." Consuming Concord grape juice significantly improved laboratory animals' short-term memory in a water maze test as well as their neuro-motor skills in certain of the coordination, balance and strength tests.
Fitness Lowers Overweight Diabetics' Death Risk  Investigators found that diabetic men who were physically fit were less likely than their less-fit peers to die of any cause over about 15 years. What's more, men who were heavy yet fit had death risks similar to those of fit normal-weight men.
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More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. In 2000, 38.8 million Americans or 31 percent of the adult population were classified as obese, meaning their health was seriously at risk. CDC
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Most Effective Exercise to Reduce Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes Aerobic exercise alone is not sufficient. Adding resistance training to aerobic training enhanced glucose disposal in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes.
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The IDF (International Diabetes Federation) estimates that 314 million people worldwide, or 8.2% of the global population, have impaired glucose tolerance, a state that often precedes type 2 diabetes.
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Diseases Linked to Obesity and Insulin Resistance: Obesity: Building A Program For Success  Incentives need to be built into each patients program individually and something they can relate to. Part of the challenge in tackling this recidivistic clientele is overcoming boredom. Try doing this by offering varied menu choices when making suggestions.
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Mr. Diabetes^® Says
A person's true character is measured by what he would do when nobody is watching.
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Using A Tape Measure to Track Diabetes  Identifying who is at risk of diabetes and a number of other health concerns may be as simple as measuring waist size. If a person's waist is relatively large, you can order an inexpensive blood test to measure the amount of fat circulating in the blood. The threshold value for waist size was about 38 inches ( 95 centimeters) in men and about 35 inches (88 centimeters) in women.
Right Cooking Oil Key to Avoiding Trans Fats  Many consumers were unaware that food processing can turn many of the most popular cooking oils into ticking time bombs for arteries. Those little bombs are "trans fats," which the government has deemed dangerous enough to require labeling in U.S. food products beginning in 2006.
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On Friday February 20, 2004 do something for yourself! Step out for a free, high-energy expo event in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D. C., where you will get inspired to boost your heart health. Heart disease kills more women than any other disease but the good news is that it is preventable. For more information go to www.sistertosister.org.
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Using A Pedometer To Increase Your Walking  Public health recommendations suggest that everyone should accumulate 30-60 minutes or more of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, on a daily basis. But how do you know if you are walking enough? The most effective way of ensuring adequate activity following this recommendation is to monitor your daily behavior using a pedometer.
Early Fitness Protects Middle Age Hearts  Fitness in early adulthood greatly reduces the likelihood of developing high blood pressure and diabetes -- both major risk factors for heart disease and stroke -- in middle age, a new study has found.
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Islets of Humor
By Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE
             
to read more about Theresa
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Diabetic Recipes recipes
It's Superbowl time and here are some great snacks to munch on that you don't have to feel guilty about. They're tasty, low-fat and low carb too. And, they're easy to prepare - all from America's Healthiest Mom, Jyl Steinback.

Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms
Chicken-Chile Tortilla Rollups
Spicy Hummus
Garlic Cheese Spread
Cowboy Caviar
Yogurt-Berry Dessert
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Nutrition News
By Barbara Quinn, MS, RD, CDE

Nutrition Recommendations For Diabetes: What’s Out and What’s In

You’ve tossed the last of the Christmas cookies. You’ve renewed your gym membership. What’s your plan for a healthful diet this year?

Here’s what is “out” and “in” based on the latest scientific evidence from diabetes research:

OUT: “Simple sugars,” “complex” and ”fast-acting” carbohydrates. Diabetes experts are moving away from these poorly-defined terms.

IN: “Sugars,” “starch,” and “fiber” best describe the carbohydrates in food that affect blood sugar levels.
to read more of Barbara's column and about Barbara
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US research has shown that in the past 20 years, the size of a standard hamburger has increased by 112% and bagels by 19%. Pasta servings are 480% bigger and biscuits and cookies are 700% larger than they were 20 years ago.
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Treatments on the Horizon
Root from Peru Holds Hope for Dieters, Diabetics Imagine a sweet treat that doesn't make you fat -- indeed, is positively good for you -- and that you can indulge in even if you're diabetic. Peru, the land that gave the world potatoes, is home to yacon, a tasty root that scientists say is good for the gut, potentially safeguards against cancer, helps absorption of calcium and vitamins and can lessen the blood sugar peaks from eating sweet food that are a problem for diabetics.
Device Improves Nerve Sensation In Diabetics Poor nerve sensation is a common problem for patients with diabetes, but a new device that uses near-infrared light may provide dramatic improvements, new research suggests. However, the benefits seem to be limited to patients without severe impairment of sensation.
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Just 1 hour of exercise per week, halves the risk of cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Hypertens 2003; 16: 629-633.
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Magnesium May Help Prevent Development of Type 2 Diabetes Magnesium-containing foods can prevent development of type 2 diabetes in both men and women, according to the results of a large cohort trial. A second cohort study showed a similar benefit, especially for overweight women.
Study: Coffee May Lower Diabetes Risk Compared to non-coffee drinkers, men who drank more than six eight-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by about half, and women reduced their risk by nearly 30 percent, according to the study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Readers' Forum
Q - Has anyone done any studies on the relationship of Beta Blocking meds and diabetes type 2 ? I did not have diabetes type 2 until I had been on a Beta Blocker for 6 mos. to a year. Any thoughts? It seems odd that the increase in the use of Beta Blockers and the increase in type 2 diabetes, might be related? Possible? - Connie - for our answer

Q - Thank you for your newsletter.  The information is quite helpful….I have been diabetic for 26 years.  I take many small injections a day.  I am interested in natural supplements, specifically cinnamon.  How much should be taken a day?  Is there a capsule or tincture which makes it easier to get the full amount daily? Blessings to you, and great appreciation - Darlyne - for our answer
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This concludes the Defeat Diabetes^® E-Lerts™ Newsletter.

If there are specific questions you have, you may reach us at info@DefeatDiabetes.org.

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The Defeat Diabetes Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Our web site is secure and all donations are tax-deductible.

Important Notice: The opinions and statements expressed in the Defeat Diabetes^® E-Lertsä Newsletter are directed at a general audience. Its intent is solely for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. Please consult a health professional on any matters regarding your health and well-being, or if you are interested in anything mentioned in the Defeat Diabetes^® E-Lertsä Newsletter. The information presented here is believed to be accurate, based on the best judgment of the Program Director, but the reader is responsible for consulting with his/her own health professional on any matters raised within.