Man Accused Of Injecting Illegal Drugs At Bus Stop Wants To Raise Greater Awareness Of Diabetes

A man with Type 1 diabetes is on a mission to raise awareness of the illness, after a passerby thought he was injecting himself with illegal drugs.
Ben Lockwood, 26, took to Facebook to explain that his blood sugar levels were high on his way home from work so he gave himself an insulin injection while waiting for the bus. To his surprise, a man nearby remarked: “You can’t do that in a public place you druggie scum bag.”
Lockwood, who is from London, spent the next five minutes educating the man about diabetes and why he needed the injection. He has since shared his experience on social media to raise awareness of the condition.
After his post went viral, Diabetes UK praised the 26-year-old for speaking out. They said patients shouldn’t feel stigmatised for administering treatment and added that putting off an insulin injection, for fear of upsetting other people, could have “very serious effects”.
Regular insulin injections are a daily reality for many of the 4.5 million people in the UK living with diabetes. Yet awareness of the condition could be greater.
Lockwood shared a photo of the orange NovoRapid cartridge on Facebook and explained that after he’d finished describing what it’s like to live with Type 1 diabetes, the stranger who had called him a “druggie scum bag” gave him a hug and apologised.
“I’m gonna use this experience in the most positive way possible, I’m gonna start spreading more awareness about Type 1 diabetes,” Lockwood explained.
“The picture below is of my NovoRapid, it’s in a bright orange cartridge, as you can see. If Continue reading

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Singer Nick Jonas Draws a Crowd for Diabetes Discussion

Nick Jonas admitted to being scared in 2005 when he learned the reason for his weight loss, irritability and constant thirst was Type 1 diabetes.
“I was nervous and I didn’t know if it would all end right there,” says Jonas, who was only 13 at that time and gaining fame on tour with his siblings, the Jonas Brothers. “I had to do what I had to do to keep going.”
Rolling with it
With help from friends and family, Jonas figured out how to adapt to T1D, an autoimmune disease affecting at least 1.25 million Americans.
That wasn’t easy at first, especially for Jonas, a self-described independent person who had to learn to rely on others to make sure he stayed healthy and his insulin in check. “My go-to advice is to just trust in your family and friends,” he adds.
One of Jonas’ biggest obstacles upon his diagnoses was understanding his body and learning how to stay healthy, especially with a hectic schedule. He counts on a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump to stay on top of his condition. “These are life changing tools that I literally and figuratively keep in my back pocket,” he says of the devices, which simplify his disease management.
BREAKING THE CHAINS:
Put in perspective
“We all go through something that makes our life challenging,” adds Jonas. “We need to look at it in a different way. My diabetes has definitely made me stronger. It’s a big contributor to my character as a person.”
Jonas has become a source of inspiration for others, most recently through the creation of Beyond Type 1, a non-profit organization focused on raising a Continue reading

Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino is a Colorful & Fun Way to Get Diabetes

SEATTLE, WA – Starbucks’ new limited-edition Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, available only from April 19 to April 23, is a fun, colorful, and magical way to give a brand new demographic of coffee drinkers – children and teenagers – something they have always wanted: diabetes.
“As you sip, it changes not just color and flavor, but also blood sugars and insulin resistance,” said Starbucks President and CEO Kevin Johnson. “If you ask me, that’s just as magical as a unicorn.” Johnson wants to help carry the food industry’s torch of disguising obviously unhealthy options behind novelty and bright colors. “Over these 4 days, we hope to put 90% of Americans into DKA. U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.!”
The Unicorn Frappuccino contains over 400 calories and 59 grams of sugar, which is more than adequate to tip a diagnosis of pre-diabetes into full-fledged diabetic coma. If you want your child, who probably already is a handful after one or two cookies, to have the mother of all sugar crashes, then go ahead and give the new Starbucks product a whirl, see how that works out for you.
Unicorn Frappuccinos do not come with insulin.
Health care professionals are recommending against the Unicorn Frappuccino unless, as one endocrinologist put it, “you really want to experience the joy of diabetes complications or see what it’s like to be on an insulin drip. Just ask the Cookie Monster.” Starbucks baristas are also imploring customers not to order the ghastly sugar bomb. Not only are they difficult to make, but they are a “sin against everything that is holy about coffe Continue reading

Natural Remedies for Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a condition that affects over 12 percent of adults in America. It is sometimes referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes. This condition affects the way that the body uses sugar. It occurs when the body either does not produce enough insulin, or the body is resistant to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar.
There are a number of symptoms that a person may experience if he or she has type 2 diabetes, none of which should be ignored. Some of those symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, increased hunger, and slow-healing infections.
There are a variety of factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes. Some of those factors include inactivity, excess body weight, and family history. People who have pre-diabetes, which is a condition where the blood sugar is elevated but not high enough to be classified as diabetic, often develop type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition, but it can be managed. To supplement the necessary medication diabetics must take, you may also want to consider these natural remedies.
Natural Remedies for Diabetes
Avocado
Avocados are one of the healthiest foods that you can eat if you are a diabetic. They have monounsaturated fat and low in carbohydrates. Studies have shown that a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in monounsaturated fat can help improve insulin sensitivity.
Not only does the monounsaturated fat help improve insulin sensitivity, but it also helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Diabetics are at an increased risk for heart disease. There are several ways that you c Continue reading

Diabetes-Friendly Pumpkin Cheesecake

Serves 12
Ingredients
2 cups ground nuts (almond or pecan recommended)
1 1/4 cups Splenda (or other sugar substitute), divided
6 Tbsp butter, melted
24 ounces (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix ground nuts, 1/4 cup Splenda, and butter in a bowl. Press crust mixture into the bottom of a springform pan, and bake for 20 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 300 F.
Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of Splenda on medium speed. Add vanilla, sour cream, and pumpkin pie spice, then combine until smoothly mixed.
Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, combining into the mixture on low speed.
Fold pumpkin into the batter until blended. Do not over mix.
Gently add the pumpkin batter to the pan over the cooked crust.
Place the pan on a large piece of aluminum foil, and fold the foil around the sides and top of the pan to keep water out. Fill a larger pan or dish halfway with water, and place the aluminum-wrapped pan into the water bath.
Bake for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 200 F and continue to bake for 1 more hour.
Turn oven off and allow cheesecake to completely cool inside the oven. It can be left overnight to cool.
Remove the cheesecake gently from the pan, and let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight.
Nutritional Information per Serving
310.9 Calories
27.8 g Fat
155.1 mg Cholesterol
260.3 mg Sodium
10.7 g Carbohydrate
0.2 g Fiber
6.1 g Protein
S Continue reading