Diet and Health Articels

Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Research

Who's the fairest of them all? Good question. With a plethora of options, let's take a look to find the best meter for you. The American Diabetes Association outlined a few key points to consider when choosing a meter. Their criteria includes: insurance, budget, convenience, support and additional features.

First let's address the necessary evils in blood glucose meters: insurance. You can choose a meter only to learn your health insurance will not cover the cost of the meter, or even worse- the strips. So weed out your options first by coordinating with your health insurance provider. Next, assume that your insurance covers any meter, but only covers a percentage (if anything at all) on the cost of strips. Once you've addressed the monetary decisions you are ready to look at the fun part (I do apologize, I use the term fun loosely). These, of course, are the convenience features, including: size of the meter, size of the blood sample, countdown to result, display size, and coding for new strips. The support feature is seldom an issue, but when you need it is when you are most pleased that you have it. Does the meter come with customer support? Last, but not least- the additional feature category. Does the meter offer special alarms to distinguish highs and lows? Does it connect to a PC or perform internal trend analysis? How large is the memory? Certainly this list is not all inclusive, but will guide you on some vague considerations when choosing a meter.

Glucose meters are, quite literally, a dime a dozen. Ladies and gentleman, the world is your oyster. Make this meter market your own and take no prisoners. I know in days to come I will be sharing a few reviews of my own. Tell me what your meter can do. Tell me what it can't do. Tell me what else you want it to do. I'm sure the blood glucose meter powers that be would love to hear what tickles your fancy. Ask and thou shall receive.

Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Events

Charity is a beautiful thing. This is especially true for Eugenia "Gene" Dodson, who was a beautician for most of her career. On October 17, 2006 the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center jointly announced the receipt of a $35.6 million gift from the estate of the late Eugenia J. Dodson of Coral Gables. Mrs. Dodson died 24 days before her 101st birthday.

The touching story of Mrs. Dodson's generosity begins with her two brothers, Russell (bottom left) and Raymond (bottom right) Johnson. Both brothers passed away from diabetic complications. Mrs. Dodson survived lung cancer. When her husband and the love of her life, J. Enloe Dodson (top right), passed away he left Gene a modest inheritance. Throughout the past 50 years, she preserved and discreetly grew this money for the purpose of funding research to cure diabetes and cancer.

The DRI Foundation plans to use the gift for a number of cure initiatives. The funding will be used to create the J. Enloe and Eugenia J. Dodson Diabetes Center for Translational Research and establish the Raymond and Russell Johnson Fellowship in Type 1 Diabetes Research. Eugenia's gift represents the single largest donation in the 35 year history of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation. In her wake, Mrs. Dodson has strengthened our hopes of someday finding a cure for diabetes. Without question, she has left a beautiful impression on the world.

Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Diet, Lifestyle, Services

A man by the name of Mike Adams, also known as the Health Ranger, compares the addictive nature of table sugar to that of illegal drugs like crack and heroin in a comic named Sugar Addicts. Mike explains how white sugar is like dietary crack. Believe me when I tell you, this is only a taste of how passionately he shares his crusade on information that empowers^TM.

Mike created News Target after a life altering experience. Before the age of 30, he was struggling with borderline obesity, diabetes, depression and severe back pain. Visiting doctors and following their advice enabled him to continue to eat anything he wanted, until he had an epiphany. He realized that practically everything he was led to believe about health, disease, food and medicine is possibly untrue. So began his mission of educating people on how to achieve and maintain peak health. Mike shares his discoveries about harmful foods, drugs, medical practices and dishonest marketing, to defend our ability to have a healthy future.

Call him a prophet of self-help, if you will. Mike shares his super-learning abilities with us. He knows, firsthand, that when you reform your physical health, you are revitalizing your entire nervous system - including your brain. With this highly perceptive clarity, he continues to educate us with articles that embody his own experience of health transformation. He has made it his life's work to explore and share the truth about nutrition, disease, health and healing. He features a quote from the Dalai Lama that sums it up, "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." Hear, hear, Mr. Lama.

Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Events, Support

MySpace, YouTube(R), nowadays anybody with a PC and a mission has a fighting chance. Those of us, like Tim McGee, have learned how to get the word out when it counts. He founded The REAL McGee, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to help cure diabetes.

Every year The REAL McGee participates in various events to raise funds for diabetes. The JDRF "Walk to Cure" is one, along with other American Diabetes Association efforts, like the launch of this melodically informative video. But Tim felt he could do more...and he did.

Tim created a benefit concert called Rock to Cure Diabetes. He invites friends and family of diabetics to come together, enjoy live performances of local bands, donate money to research agencies like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association. This event is a place where local bands can come out of the garage and show everyone what they are made of while raising money to cure diabetes. Rock on, Tim!

Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Drugs, Events

What is all the diabetic buzz about these days? Byetta and Exubera are certainly two biggies. My intention is to tantalize your interest in these juicy topics and leave a little to the imagination. Don't fret, I have a direct route to the quickest answers to any burning questions about these monster topics.

Byetta is getting a lot of attention nowadays. It comes from a poisonous lizard, the Gila monster. So quite literally, it really is monstrous. But don't let that discourage you from looking into it as a potential enhancement to your diabetes management. Many people have been pleased with its appetite suppressing, weight reducing attributes. Call it a shot of heroism -- since you must take it by injection. Traditional drugs to treat type 2 diabetes tend to cause a surge in appetite and weight gain. Could Byetta be the brute force to reckon with these dispiriting effects?

Exubera, what do you have to say for yourself? You can start by bragging that over 90% of the patients who tested you in clinical trials have chosen to continue using you. So the question is does this stuff work? It sounds like the answer is a resounding YES. Exubera is the newest form of insulin to hit the market since the debut of insulin, around 1890 (but please, don't quote me). You inhale it! The common concerns for this delivery of insulin include: how accurate is the dosing? What will be the long-term effects on your lungs? How long does the inhaled dose last? Will it need to accompany injections of longer-acting insulin? View the dLife TV interview with Dr. David Nathan, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Ed a type 2 diabetic who has used Exubera for 9 years.

dLifeTV clears the air with answers to some of the common questions about Byetta and Exubera. Watch dLifeTV, airing every Sunday evening on CNBC, 7:00 PM on the East coast, 6:00 PM Central time and every Sunday morning on DIRECTV channel 251 at 7.30 AM Eastern time zone.