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Rewarding for you and us Defeat Diabetes Foundation Defeat Diabetes
Foundation 150 153rd Ave, Suite 300 Madeira Beach, FL 33708 |
Defeat Diabetes® MonthApril 2011
Defeat Diabetes Foundation (DDF) is on a mission to save children and their families from the pain of diabetes. We know that to Defeat Diabetes® poses many challenges. The first step is creating awareness of the risk factors, warning signs, its high financial costs and complications. The second step is arming individuals with information to make the right lifestyle choices to insure their health and well being each and every day for themselves, their family and their community. The final step is acting on that knowledge and taking a personal pledge to prevent diabetes in your own family.
Fortunately, DDF is there to provide over 5000 pages of information about diabetes, including information on self management, resources in your community and taking personal responsibility for managing your own health. A major part of our effort to Defeat Diabetes® is in the area of prevention - this is one area where DDF believes there is some hope. Doing the following 4 things can reduce your risk of developing the disease by as much as 55%!
Likewise, many of the things you need to do to prevent diabetes are also effective for the management of the disease and its various conditions. Below is a calendar of events to take you through the month. The links take you to articles, downloads, tools, puzzles and games, flashcards at the DDF site, as well as some links to other sites with interesting information. Each day review the activities for that day and click the links to get more information or to complete the activity. April 1 - No Fool's Day - Commit to taking Defeat Diabetes® Challenges by participating in the full month of activities. Take the pledge and post it on your refrigerator as a reminder. Be sure to invite family and friends to participate in the challenge. Take the Screening Test to determine your risk for developing diabetes. Have your family start logging their daily physical activity. A new study suggests many parents overestimate the amount of physical activity their kids are getting.
Islets of Humor™ Cartoon Pre-Diabetes
April 1 - Try a New Veggie Friday - The average American eats far fewer types of fruits and vegetables than you might imagine. The top 5 are: potatoes, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, bananas and oranges. That leaves plenty of room to stretch your taste buds. This month we'll recommend
 some new fruits and veggies to try. Give it a shot, you just might find some new taste treats. April 2 - 3 - Plan/Plant Your Garden - Not only does a vegetable garden provide an amazing cost saving for food, it is a much better use of available land than grass or ornamental plantings. Gardening also provides healthy physical activity that every member of the family can participate in, regardless of age.April is National Gardening Month, so join the celebration. Whether it's a small container garden with a single tomato plant, a square foot garden or something larger, help make your community a greener healthier place in which to live.
Gardens Large and Small - a downloadble article with resources to help you plan your garden.
National Gardening Association - offers the Web's largest and most respected array of gardening content for consumers and educators, ranging from general information and publications to lessons and grants. Kids gardening - an offshoot of the National Gardening Association, this website provides information for kids, parent's and teachers to make the gardening experience more fun.
 Shirley's garden - Tips for gardening from veteran gardener, Shirley Barriger.
April 3 - Dance! - Dancing is great for you. Whether you dance at home, a local nightclub or take a class, this month shake your tail feathers! Read more about dance.
April 4 - Family Dinners Matter - Idealized in the 1950's, the family dinner used to be an important ritual in our daily lives. This important ritual can and should be a part of your family routine. Learn why.
April 5 - Take the Stairs Tuesday - Walking up and down the stairs is good cardiovascular exercise, that's why so many gyms have Stairmaster machines. So, every Tuesday, make it a habit to bypass the elevator and take the stairs in as many places as you can. Be sure to add a few extra minutes in case you have to take it slow.
Islets of Humor™ - Exercise Equipment
April 6 - Try a Whole Grain Wednesday - The recently released USDA Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to eat three servings of whole grains each day. Whole grains are essentially living seeds with the potential to sprout and grow. Check out some different whole grains. Switch things up a bit this week and substitute Brown Rice for white rice in your dishes or instead of a potato or pasta. Brown rice is versatile and has a slightly "toothier" texture than white rice.
Islets of Humor™ - Carb Exchange
April 7 - What's Your A1c Day? Since 1990, Defeat Diabetes Foundation has been recommending that individuals with diabetes, and those at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, have a regular HbA1c test performed by their doctor. April 7 - Walk from the Back of the Parking Lot Thursday - Did you know most of our errands are less than a mile from home? And the average city block is only 1/10th of a mile? If you must drive to conduct your errands, at least park in the back of the lot. Even 5 - 10 minute bursts of activity add up!
 April 8 - Try a New Veggie Friday - Sweet Potato (includes a few great recipes too) and Sweet Potato FlashcardGet the history of diabetes in a nutshell with a diabetes timeline.
April 9 - Take a Walk - Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise. All you need is a
 good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing and the ability to open the front door! Looking for a special place to walk? Here's a few links: Traildino - largest database of trails in the world by continent, country and region. Trailink has information on more than 30,000 miles of bike trails, walking trails, equestrian trails, and hiking and running trails, including interactive trail maps, trail descriptions, pictures and more. Looking for more of a challenge? How about power walking? After completing his 10,030.3 mile walk of the U.S. perimeter, DDF Executive Director, Andrew P. Mandell - Mr. Diabetes®, was looking for a challenge. He found it -- read more from his walking guru Bonnie Stein. Islets of Humor™ A Walk a Day Keeps the Diabetes Away
April 10 - Try a New Physical Activity - There are literally hundreds of physical activities and sports that individuals can participate in - no matter how large or small the community. This Saturday try something you haven't done before or revisit something that you've tried in the past. Possibilities include bowling, going to the batting cage, disc golf, Frisbee tossing, or kayaking - for more ideas.
April 10 - Go Fly a Kite - The perfect way to welcome in spring, grab some fresh air, a little dashing about and participating in an ancient human activity. There are lots of kiting events scheduled nationwide between March 27th and May 2nd - look for one near you or just find a nice flat field or beach and have fun.
 April 11 - Try a New Fruit Monday- Figs and Fig Flashcard - Delicious and nutritious fresh or dried.April 12 - Take the Stairs Tuesday - Get a pedometer to keep track of your steps. Studies have shown that wearing and tracking your steps makes people be more active. Aim for 10,000 steps a day.
 April 13 - Try a New Whole Grain Day - Amaranth, is it a grain? Vegetable? Flower? Gluten free too!April 14 - Walk from the back of the parking lot Thursday - Every little bit helps. Maybe you can start walking from the back of the lot everyday.
Diabetes Puzzles - Crossword, Word Search and Word Jumble
 Islets of Humor™ Dog Walks Man
April 16 - Visit a Farmer's Market - Fresh fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Although many large grocery store chains have excellent produce departments, many of the fruits and vegetables are from foreign countries, are grown with pesticides or irradiated so that they can survive the trip from the farm to the grocery store.
A local farmer's market provides an important link between your community and fresh food sources. Citizens have an opportunity to interact with the farmers whose food they eat. Small farmers, generally, also utilize more eco-friendly farming techniques. Children get in touch with seeing food that isn't canned, frozen or processed.
Local Harvest provides a searchable database for farmer's markets, local farms and other local sustainable food sources.
Defeat Diabetes® News Video - Farmer's Market Diversity
Defeat Diabetes® News Video - Organic vs Conventional Gardening
April 17 - Get Outdoors! Nature Rocks is a great way to plan outdoor adventures for the whole family, sorts by zip code, child's age level, time commitment and more. Download their Spring Activity Planner Guide.
April 18 - Meatless Mondays - Going meatless, even once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also reduce your carbon footprint and conserve fresh water and fossil fuel.
April 19 - Take the Stairs Tuesday - Keep up the good work and try taking the stairs other days, too.
Diabetes Jeopardy Game Link to downloadable program (zip file) Islets of Humor� Blood Pressure
Back to Top
April 21 - Walk from the back of the parking lot Thursday.
 Islets of Humor� Lucky Day
Are you interested in trying out other Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables? Visit our What's in Season page for other ideas.
April 23 - An Outdoor Scavenger Hunt is a great way to explore the great outdoors, spend some time with family and friends, and get some exercise and sunshine. Whether it's a city, county, state or national park; the beach; a local river or even the local playground - it's an opportunity to get more in touch with the world around you. Here is a list of items to scavenge.
Islets of Humor™ Goodbye Pre-Diabetes
 April 24 - Unplug from Video This Week. Between television, computer use, video game playing and hundreds of mobile applications we spend way too much time staring at a video screen. So, this week cut out television viewing and video game playing, keep computer use to what is necessary for business or school and get outside! Don't think too much video is a problem? Then, use this log for your family for a week to determine how much time they are spending in front of a video screen. Tips on how to reduce screen time April 24 - Experience the annual bird migration - Bird "flyways" provide an opportunity to see seasonal visitors that might not be around all year. Bird Migration's nifty website provides regional breakdown's of migratory birds, migration times, pictures, sounds and thumbnail information on each species. Need to know where you can see birds? Regional, state, national parks and Audubon Sanctuaries are all great places.
April 25 - Try a New Fruit Monday - Papaya and papaya flashcard - another tropical delight. Want to learn more about other Fruits and Vegetables? Visit Know Your Fruits and Veggies™ for additional columns.
April 26 Take the Stairs Tuesday Islets of Humor™ Spring Fever
April 27 - Try a Legume Day -- What are legumes? You might already have a few favorites. They make an economical and nutritious alternative to meat.
Portion Control - Portion size is one area where we go wrong when making eating choices. Part of the reason for that is we eat nearly 75% of our meals outside the home. When it comes to restaurants, food is the item with the lowest overhead. So, restaurants have got us used to overly generous portions to keep us coming back.
April 28 - Walk from the back of the parking lot Thursday
Defeat Diabetes Foundation is a non-profit 501(C)(3) charity dedicated to creating awareness about and preventing diabetes. If you have found any of the information we've provided to you this month valuable please take the time to make a small donation so that we can continue our work to Defeat Diabetes�.
 Islets of Humor™ Diabetes Donations
April 29 - Try a New Veggie Friday - Spinach and spinach flashcard -- nutritious and filled with antioxidants.
April 29 - Plant a Tree Day - Arbor Day - Trees are wonderful for our environment - they create green and shady spaces, help clean our atmosphere and, if properly selected, can also provide us with blossoms in the spring and fruit in the summer or fall. If planting for Arbor Day, or any other time, please consider planting a fruit tree.
April 30 - Don't Stop Now! - Even though Defeat Diabetes® Month is over you can continue taking the steps you've started this month. Hopefully, you've learned a few new things about fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and started incorporating more of them into your diet. Maybe you've even started walking a bit more, taking the stairs more often and, generally, being more physically active.
Sign up for the President's Challenge it's a fun way to keep being active and get rewards for your efforts.
Awareness + Action = Prevention®
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