Your Diabetes Awareness Month 2017 Action Plan

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to shine the spotlight on diabetes and diabetes research. Ready to get involved? Here are some noteworthy events happening across the country, along with suggestions for creative ways you and your family can raise awareness about diabetes in your community.
Observe JDRF’s T1Day
What better way to kick off the month? The JDRF-sponsored T1Day, held each year on November 1, is an opportunity to get people everywhere more engaged in talking about type 1 diabetes. Suggested T1Day activities include visiting your child’s class for a kid-friendly diabetes Q&A, encouraging your child to write to the local paper about type 1 awareness, and sharing some of your story via social media. Even something as simple as a tweet describing how diabetes has affected your family’s life can be a rich conversation starter. Tag social media posts with #T1Day to connect with others in the diabetes community.
Cheer on NASCAR® Driver Ryan Reed
Ryan Reed was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 17, just as his racing career was taking off. At diagnosis, he was told he’d never race again. Now, at age 24, Ryan is driving for Roush Fenway Racing in the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Xfinity® Series. Stop by or tune in for races on November 4 (Texas Motor Speedway), November 11 (Phoenix International Speedway), and November 18 (Homestead-Miami Speedway).
Join the #T1DLooksLikeMe Campaign
JDRF wants to show the world what life with T1D really looks like with its #T1DLooksLikeMe campaign. Use the free photo editing tool at jdrf.org/T1 Continue reading

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Rates of new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on the rise among children, teens

Fastest rise seen among racial/ethnic minority groups.
Rates of new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing among youth in the United States, according to a report, Incidence Trends of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes among Youths, 2002-2012 (link is external), published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In the United States, 29.1 million people are living with diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, and about 208,000 people younger than 20 years are living with diagnosed diabetes.
This study is the first ever to estimate trends in new diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in youth (those under the age of 20), from the five major racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.: non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. However, the Native American youth who participated in the SEARCH study are not representative of all Native American youth in the United States. Thus, these rates cannot be generalized to all Native American youth nationwide.
The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study (link is external), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found that from 2002 to 2012, incidence, or the rate of new diagnosed cases of type 1 diabetes in youth increased by about 1.8 percent each year. During the same period, the rate of new diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes increased even more quickly, at 4.8 percent. The study included 11,244 youth ages 0-19 with type 1 diabetes and 2,846 youth ages 10-19 with type 2.
“Because of the early a Continue reading

Diabetes is on the rise in America's kids and experts don't know why

A new study is the first to look at diabetes diagnosis trends in America's youth. Video provided by Newsy Newslook
The rate at which America's kids are diagnosed with diabetes is climbing and researchers don't know why.
A first-ever study of new diabetes diagnoses of U.S. youth under age 20 found both Types 1 and 2 diabetes surged from 2002-2012.
The diagnosis of new cases of Type 2 diabetes, associated with obesity, increased about 5% each year from 2002 to 2012, the study said, while new cases of Type 1, the most common form for young people, went up about 2% every year.
The National Institutes of Health, which funded the study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the cause of the rise is "unclear."
"These findings lead to many more questions," explained Dr. Barbara Linder, senior advisor for childhood diabetes research at NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "The differences among racial and ethnic groups and between genders raise many questions. We need to understand why the increase in rates of diabetes development varies so greatly and is so concentrated in specific racial and ethnic groups."
The study, published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed higher rates of diabetes diagnoses among minorities. Type 2 diabetes, which the CDC stated makes up about 90% to 95% of diagnosed diabetes cases, rose by 8.5% in Asian Americans ages 10-19. Blacks in the same age group saw a 6.3% increase, followed by a 3.1% bump in Hispanics and whites at fewer than a 1% increase.
Hispanics saw the biggest rate Continue reading

What You Can Drink, Besides Water, When You Have Diabetes

No doubt: Water is the perfect drink. It doesn't have calories, sugar, or carbs, and it's as close as a tap. If you're after something tastier, though, you've got options.
Some tempting or seemingly healthy drinks aren't great for you, but you can make swaps or easy homemade versions of many of them. These tasty treats can fit into your diabetes diet and still satisfy your cravings.
1. Chocolate Milk
This treat may remind you of the school lunchroom, but it’s a good calcium-rich choice for grown-ups as well. Low-fat chocolate milk can be a good post-workout recovery drink. The bad news: Ready-made brands come packed with sugar. Try this at home: Mix 1% milk, 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons of the zero-calorie sweetener of your choice. It saves you 70 calories, 16 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat compared to 1 cup of store-bought, reduced-fat chocolate milk.
2. Sweet Tea
A 16-ounce fast-food version might have up to 36 grams of carbs. That’s a lot of sugar, especially when there are carb-free choices, like sugar-free iced tea or iced tea crystals, that are just as satisfying. But you can also easily make your own: Steep tea with your favorite crushed fruit (raspberries are a good choice). Strain, chill, and then sweeten with your choice of no-calorie sugar substitute. That’s a tall glass of refreshment.
6. Hot Chocolate
It’s the ultimate in decadent drinks. Coffeehouse-style versions of this classic are packed with carbs. A typical medium hot chocolate made with low-fat milk has 60 grams. Good news: You can make your own satisfying mug for less than Continue reading

11 Superfoods for Your Diabetes Diet

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What to Eat to Beat Type 2 Diabetes
What makes a food “super”? When it comes to type 2 diabetes, it’s not just about foods that pack lots of nutrients. For a diabetes-friendly diet, you also need foods that will help keep your blood sugar levels in check. “Look for items that contain healthy fats and are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber,” says Sue McLaughlin, RD, a certified diabetes educator at Burgess Health Center in Onawa, Iowa. It’s also crucial to eat a wide variety of foods to make sure you’re getting a healthy mix of phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. Add these 11 superfoods to your grocery cart to keep your diet diabetes-friendly. Continue reading