How Geisinger Treats Diabetes By Giving Away Free, Healthy Food

How Geisinger Treats Diabetes by Giving Away Free, Healthy Food

How Geisinger Treats Diabetes by Giving Away Free, Healthy Food
Diabetes has long been one of the most expensive medical conditions.In 2013 spending on care for people with the disease in the United States topped $100 billion. But it is also one of the most amenable to simple, low-cost behavioral interventions. At Geisinger, we set out to improve the health of diabetic adults by providing them with free, nutritious food and a comprehensive suite of medical, dietetic, social, and environmental services. This program, our Fresh Food Farmacy has had clinical impacts superior to those provided by medications that cost billions of dollars to develop, and has done so at dramatically lower cost. This article describes how Geisinger built and is running the program.
Diabetes has long been one of the most expensive medical conditions. In 2013 spending on care for people with the disease in the United States topped $100 billion . But it is also one of the most amenable to simple, low-cost behavioral interventions. At Geisinger, we set out to improve the health of diabetic adults by providing them with free, nutritious food and a comprehensive suite of medical, dietetic, social, and environmental services. This program, our Fresh Food Farmacy , has had clinical impacts superior to those provided by medications that cost billions of dollars to develop, and has done so at dramatically lower cost. Finding effective, less expensive treatments for diabetes is critical because of its enormous social and financial costs and its growing prevalence: One in 10 people currently has diabetes, Continue reading

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{Guest Post} My pregnancy journey with gestational diabetes

This week’s post about gestational diabetes is written by South African mom blogger Puveshree Moodie, who blogs at Life’s a Treat.
I was somewhere between my 24th and 28th week of pregnancy when I got a call from my gynaecologist saying that I need to come in and discuss the results of my 3 hour glucose test. My gynaecologist sat Jason and myself down and discussed my results. She gave us as much information as she could as I had no idea what this meant for my baby’s and my health.
This diagnosis was a head-on challenge which I was up for the battle.I went into research mode to learn as much as I could about GD to ensure I overcome this without taking any medication. I learnt about the carbohydrate vs. protein balance to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.My gynae booked me into the hospital for 24 hours to monitor how my body coped with breaking down the sugar in difference types of food.Once this was established, a dietician compiled a personalised eating plan for me. I went home with a list of allowed foods and its portion size in each food group. I also received print outs to keep a food diary and blood sugar readings after 30 and 60 minutes of eating. I purchased a blood sugar test machine to get the readings. My goal was not to take any medication to manage the GD and to manage it through diet. Leading up to the diagnosis, I was eating healthier and limited sugars so it was not a huge task to adjust my eating habits.
I became obsessive about what I ate, how much I ate and about testing my sugar after each meal, my gynae and dietician had to make some adjustment Continue reading

How to Reverse Diabetes – The Bob Blackburn Story

Bob Blackburn served in the Marines from 1981-85 and later became a professional wrestler (The DI Bob Carter) in the WWE.
After retiring from wrestling in 1989, he developed a lifestyle of unhealthy habits, eventually leading to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at the age of 53 – the same age at which his own father died from the complications of type 2 diabetes.
Like many people, Bob was scared and frustrated with high cholesterol, high blood glucose, high blood pressure, and weighed 296 pounds. Candidly, he told us:
"I was just a cheeseburger and fries away from 300 pounds, and I knew I had to do something about it."
Despite this grim series of health conditions, Bob decided to make a serious lifestyle change to drastically improve his health and avoid the same fate as his father.
After learning that he could reverse type 2 diabetes using his lifestyle, Bob went home and began eagerly researching what steps he could take to turn his health around...completely.
Only 3 months after his diabetes diagnosis, Bob had lost 52 pounds, reduced his fasting blood glucose by 200 mg/dL, dropped his cholesterol by almost 40%, and lowered his A1c by 3.5%.
Here’s how it happened.
He first found Dr. Neal Barnard’s TEDx talk on YouTube. He watched the video, ordered Dr. Barnard’s book on reversing diabetes, and read the book from cover to cover.
The next day, he woke up and began eating a low-fat, plant-based, whole-food diet, just as Dr. Barnard had described.
In less than 24 hours, his life was changed forever.Bob admitted that even though he started eating a plant-based diet, he Continue reading

Mouse cells grown in rats cure diabetes in mice

SPOT ON Researchers created a mouse embryo that contains rat cells (red). Hybrid, or chimeric, animals may eventually grow human organs to be used in transplants.
Growing human organs in other animals is a small step closer to reality.
Injecting human stem cells into pig and cattle embryos created embryos that incorporate a small number of human cells, scientists report January 26 in Cell. The ultimate goal of the controversial research is to use hybrid, or chimeric, animals to produce human organs for transplant.
Farm animals incubating human organs wont appear anytime soon, says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a stem cell biologist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif. I feel were still far away from that, says Belmonte, who led the work. It has taken his group four years just to deliver a message that, yes, human cells can integrate into a pig.
While human-animal chimera work is still in its infancy (and faces ethical and funding hurdles, see sidebar ), hybrids of rats and mice are already hinting that growing an organ from
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9 Tips for Dining Out With Type 2 Diabetes

9 Tips for Dining Out With Type 2 Diabetes
Prepare to unleash your inner foodie.Photo Credit: Lumina via Stocksy
Dining out shouldnt be stressful, but when youve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, visiting a restaurant can feel suddenly fraught with peril. The temptation of the bread basket or the risk of waiting a ridiculously long time for your food might be enough to keep you at home. Fortunately, with a little preparation you can still do dinner at the latest Italian hot spot while sticking to your meal plan. Keep reading for nine tips to help you navigate and thoroughly enjoy your next night out.
A picture is worth a thousand words.Photo Credit: @vsoipetch via Twenty20
While reviewing a restaurants menu online can certainly help you plan ahead, take your reconnaissance to the next level by checking out your destinations Instagram, Facebook and more. I recommend my clients look at the restaurants social media accounts beforehand, says Lori Zanini, RD, a certified diabetes educator and creator of the free 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan . Pictures on social media will provide a great idea of how large portion sizes are and which dishes look like the best option for them. And it lets them plan in advance for portion control.
A handful of almonds should hold you over.Photo Credit: @shannonfieldsphoto via Twenty20
Sure, making a reservation is always a good idea when youre trying to stick to an eating schedule, but theres no guarantee youll be seated on time or that your food will show up promptly. To avoid a blood sugar low if your meal is delayed, Zanini recommends Continue reading