Gluten Free & Diabetes

Hey Y'all,

If you know me you know I don't watch reality shows, but it just so happens that I ended up watching an episode of Tia & Tamera and they were attempting to bake a gluten free cake for Tia's baby boy's first birthday party.



I thought the episode was cute but more so it got me to thinking about gluten free and what it is exactly.
So you know what I did right??? that's right I went to the web in a search for INFORMATION, and here is what I found.
Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats as well as in all foods made from these grains or flours. It is associated with increased risk of osteoporosis and cancer in people with celiac diseases, headaches and a plethora of other illness.

This is good information from the American Diabetes Association

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder. When someone with celiac disease eats food containing gluten, their body reacts by damaging the small intestine. Uncomfortable symptoms such as abdominal pain often occur. The damage to the small intestine also interferes with the body's ability to make use of the nutrients in food.

About 1% of the total population has celiac disease. It is more common in people with type 1 diabetes. An estimated 10% of people with type 1 also have celiac.

The only way to manage celiac disease is to completely avoid all foods that have gluten. Following a gluten-free diet will prevent permanent damage to your body and will help you feel better.

Gluten Intolerance

There are also many people who are said to have a gluten intolerance. When these people eat foods that contain gluten, they also experience uncomfortable symptoms. However, they test negative for celiac disease and actual damage to their small intestine does not occur. More research about gluten intolerance is needed, but avoiding foods with gluten should help to relieve these symptoms. 

I hear that It can be difficult to start eating gluten free but now that it's such a widespread practice, with stores like Shoprite offering gluten free products I think you can do it easily. Check out some of these recipes from All Recipes as well. Be healthy my friends!

Until next time...
MUAH!

Diabetes & Older Adults

Hey Y'all,

More diabetes information for you...

From the American Diabetes Association

Diabetes disproportionately affects older adults.

Approximately 25% of Americans over the age of 60 years have diabetes, and aging of the U.S. population is widely acknowledged as one of the drivers of the diabetes epidemic.

Although the burden of diabetes is often described in terms of its impact on working-aged adults, the disease also affects longevity, functional status, and risk of institutionalization for older patients.

Download Living Healthy with Diabetes: A Guide for Adults 55 and Up to learn more.

Older Adult Outreach Program

To address this need, the American Diabetes Association is developing an older adult outreach program.

Our Senior Signature Series is a new activity targeting older adults across the nation. Our goals are to address the needs of this group of constituents and increase the level of awareness about the high prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes among our seniors.

The Senior Signature Series educates older adults and the general community about:

·         how to reduce the burden of living with diabetes

·         steps to reduce their risk for diabetes and its complications

·         the work of the American Diabetes Association

·         ways people can Share-Act-Learn-Give to help Stop Diabetes.

Each Senior Signature Series event is a half-day educational event inviting individuals age 65 years and older to learn more about diabetes.

Learn more here

Until next time...

MUAH!

World Diabetes Day November 14, 2012

Hey Folks,

I'm all about bringing light to awareness' that effect me and the ones I love. Type 2 Diabetes is one of them. Sugar Diabetes as most African American people call it, runs in my family on my Mom's side.  I remember my favorite Aunt injecting insulin into the fatty tissue of her tummy every morning. 

From the American Diabetes Association:

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they are at high risk. Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos,Native Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.

In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetes complications.

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes - its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.


Check out International Diabetes Federation site for things to do today! http://www.idf.org/worlddiabetesday/activities 

Until next time...
MUAH!

The Truth Behind Diabetes {Infographic}

National Diabetes: Month My Favorite Aunt

Hey Y'all:

I was watching the news this morning and discovered that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month! Basketball great Earl "The Pearl" Monroe was on the show talking about his battle with Type 2 Diabetes and what he does to combat the disease. This topic got me to thinking about my favorite aunt.

Auntie Ruby was the first person in my life that I ever knew with Diabetes (not sure what type she had.) I remember her eating butter toast and a cup of coffee for breakfast and then pinching her tummy fat to give herself her insulin shot, every morning.

Auntie Ruby was my favorite aunt. She was funny, fair and fearless and she suffered with diabetes. I never quite understood why she would add sweet and low to her Sanka and give herself an insulin shot in the morning but in the evening drink Bacardi Rum and Coke.

Auntie Ruby was my favorite aunt, and although she didn't die due to the effects of diabetes (but from breast cancer) she didn't take seriously, the effects that her lifestyle had on her illness. She did enough not to go into diabetic shock and knew what to do to keep her 'sugar' under control but she didn't make the necessary lifestyle changes regarding diabetes. If I knew the following tips from MayoClinic.com , when I was a little girl I would have shared them with her.

So today in honor of Auntie Ruby and National Diabetes Month 2009 I'd like to share these tips on diabetes prevention.

1. Exercise... You gotta get moving to be healthy... get off the couch with those chips and get to playing that Wii Fit!
2. Eat plenty of fiber... You know fruits, veggies, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds
3. Go for whole grains... skip the processed foods and go for items that have all the vitamins you need
4. Lose extra weight... go back to tip 1
5. Skip the fad diets and just make healthier choices

I'll be following these tips as well.

Until next time...
MUAH!