Who would have ever thought that getting my bangs cut would lead to a long career in diabetes care and education? It's funny how life works. Here's my story how I got so passionate about helping people with diabetes that all started with a chance encounter. I learned valuable lessons...the hard way. I want things to be easier for you so here are my tips. 5 Tips for Supporting Someone with Diabetes 1. Ask your loved one how you can help. Everyone is unique. What helps one person doesn't help another. You can say something like "I know having diabetes can sometimes be hard and I want to … [Read more...]
Eating Healthy for Heart Disease and Diabetes
People who have heart disease and diabetes often come to me in a state of panic. "Hmm...heart disease, so, low fat means no meat or cheese...diabetes, that means no potatoes rice or pasta...not to mention sweets. Gee, can I eat anything?" Fortunately, the answer not only is "yes" but that you can eat everything. The key is not only what you eat, but how and when you it. Diabetes and heart disease are like evil twins. They work together in all the worst ways. Diabetes significantly increases your chances to have a heart attack or stroke. Many people with diabetes also have high blood … [Read more...]
Healthy Eating Tips for Your Summertime Trips!
Summertime! A time for sun, fun and family vacations. You pack up the family and head down the road. After a while, it's time to eat. What are your healthy food choices? Well, the typical rest stop has that wonderful vending machine fare: ice cream, sugary drinks, trail mix with stale nuts and pastry with an expiration date sometime into the next century. You could go with the fast food restaurants, but that also usually involves high fat, high calorie choices. How about gas station/convenience store fare? Anyone want to guess how long those hot dogs have been sitting there? There's … [Read more...]
Flexitarian 101: How to Get Started Eating a Flexitarian Diet
Now that you understand a little more about being a flexitarian, here are some tips on getting started with a Flexitarian Diet. Create Awareness. The first step in the transition into Flexitarian diet is becoming aware of how much meat and animal products are you consuming. Consider keeping a food journal to be able to see how much you are consuming animals products such as meat, chicken, seafood, deli meats, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, coffee cream, etc. Begin to Reduce. After you are aware of how much animal products you are eating, it’s time to start cutting back. Begin by serving … [Read more...]
What Is Diabetes?
Most people don't understand all the aspects of diabetes. It is important to have a basic understanding of what is happening in your body when you have diabetes. Let’s first look at what happens in a healthy body. When you eat, some of your food is broken down into sugar (also called glucose). Sugar travels in your bloodstream to all your body’s cells. Insulin helps sugar move from your blood into your cells. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. When you have diabetes: Your pancreas makes little or no insulin, or Your body prevents the insulin you do make from … [Read more...]