D•blog | Welcome to the Diabetes Stories website | riva greenberg

The first meter that works with your iPhone, iBGStar

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:37:25 -0400

Two weeks ago I was invited, along with a handful of diabetes bloggers and advocates to Sanofi’s (third largest global pharmaceutical) corporate office in New Jersey on the eve of their launch of iBGStar. They secured FDA approval December of last year.

If you haven’t heard of iBGStar, it’s a new blood glucose meter that plugs into an iPhone or iPod touch. Using the iBGStar Diabetes Manager App it’s the first meter to work as a mobile health device. Shawna Gvazdauskas, VP and Head of Diabetes Devices, for Sanofi U.S. brought us together along with 7 members of her team to see the iBGStar up close and personal.

With the iBGStar (I is for iPhone, BG blood glucose and Star their new line of devices) and its App, patients can record, track, manage and share their data, anytime, anywhere. The premise being that you always have your phone with you. I don’t, but I seem to be a minority of one.

The iBGStar captures blood glucose readings, records carbs and insulin doses, tags readings according to mealtimes and allows you to add customized notes about each meal or exercise. You can analyse the data using a logbook, trend chart and statistics. Color-coded screens indicate if blood glucose is too high or too low. You can of course show your doctor your handy, dandy phone, now turned into a mobile health device and/or email your results.

What I learned from Alice Sommer Herz

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:58:14 -0400

Last April at just about this time I was the dinner speaker at Diabetes Sisters' "Weekend for Women." One hundred women with diabetes gathered in Raleigh, North Carolina for a weekend of bonding and learning. The weekend's theme was 'Celebrating Our Strengths' and that was the theme of my talk.

I began with the life story of Alice Sommer Herz, the oldest living survivor, now 108 years old, of the Holocaust. You are probably wondering, as were the women gathered in front of me, why I would talk about a Holocaust survivor? This is why: Alice is a perfect example of using our strengths to get through troubling - for her harrowing - times, and thrive.

Alice, her husband, Leopold, and their six year old son, Stephan were rounded up and sent to the Nazi concentration camp Theresienstaadt. Alice's mother had been sent there three months earlier. Her mother would die in the camp. Her husband would die in an extermination camp and Alice and her son would two years later be freed.

When Alice entered the camp she was already a budding concert pianist and she was ordered to play in Theresienstaadt's orchestra. She knew she had a choice: refuse or resent the request or let music be her salvation and release her from the day to day suffering. Forty-four thousand people lived in the camp barracks that were built for three thousand. A piece of bread and bowl of broth was all they got to eat for the day. But Alice let go of anger, which could have destroyed her strength and spirit, and chose to play music with an open heart.

The circle of diabetes, we are seen and unseen

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:25:17 -0400

I took my weekly walk to Trader Joe this morning and as life sometimes serves up unexpected connections I found the woman behind the cash register has a son with type 1 diabetes. She told me reading the logo on the jacket I was wearing.

He got it at three and is now fifteen. I felt our immediate bond as she packed my greek yogurt both smiling and looking apprehensive. She told me his A1C, and her concerns. "How will he ever be able to take care of himself? I worry," she said. I was surprised, why wouldn't he be able to take care of himself? We find our way.

As I swiped my credit card she told me she's heard there should be an artificial pancreas in his lifetime and this would really help. I said with some confidence that I thought probably within ten years. Then she said, "but still I don't know how if he'll be able to take care of himself." As the eggs went into my bag, I heard her say "autism." I had missed it earlier. Yes, her son has type 1 diabetes and autism. My heart heaved for a moment.

The power of positive being

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 08:03:33 -0400

I happen to believe that positive psychology can be a force for good - good for one's self, and like the rings in a pond that ripple out, good for others. Whether it's writing down at the end of each day three positive things that happened - many call this keeping a Gratitude Journal - or painting a picture in your mind of yourself at your best, which then generates actions on your part to make that picture real, positivity is a powerful force.

By positivity I don't mean wishy-washy positive thinking, affirmations and telling yourself everything will be O.K. when you don't really think it will. I mean focusing more on positive things that happen around you and to you as well as using more of your positive emotions: kindness, forgiveness, patience, curiosity, wonder.

As social scientist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson's research reveals, the more positives we associate with in our lives the more robust we are: more creative, more open to possibilities, flexible, emotionally strong, physically healthy and socially connected. As Dr. Boyatzis's, organizational psychologist at Case Western Reserve University, research reveals the more positively-focused we are, the more we stimulate neurons in the brain that open us up cognitively, perceptually and emotionally. In other words, it pays to be hopeful, to dream and to look on the bright side.

An alternative way of eating for health, The Primal Blueprint

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:03:34 -0400

This is my full interview with Mark Sisson, health and fitness expert and author of the newly updated book, The Primal Blueprint.

Q: Tell me what the “Primal Blueprint” is in a nutshell?

Mark Sisson: For over 200,000 years, homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers living in “the wild,” eating plants and animals. For the last 9,900 years, our ancestors lived on unprocessed, whole foods, with few modern comforts. It’s only in the last 100 years that we’ve started eating industrialized, processed food and living sedentary lives. So, we’ve got 200,000 years of eating animals and plants versus 10,000 years eating grains versus 100 years eating mutated grains, refined sugar and vegetable oils.

The Primal Blueprint is a lifestyle whose tenets are informed by biological evolution, traditional wisdom, and modern science to form a healthy, sustainable, enjoyable way of being. It’s a way to eat, move, sleep, and simply exist with our ancient genes in this modern world - taking advantage of modern science and drawing upon lessons of our evolutionary background.

Q: You talk in your book about one being a “sugar-burning” or a “fat-burning” person. What does that mean?

Sisson: A sugar-burner requires a steady drip of dietary sugar - fructose and glucose - to maintain energy levels. So they can’t go long without eating. They burn basically carbohydrate and have difficulty accessing their stored body fat to use for energy, and in terms of weight loss, burn their fat. A fat-burner uses both their body fat and dietary glucose for energy and end up burning fat which leads to weight loss. Also, if a fat-burner skips a meal, it’s okay because he can run for days on his own fat (adipose) tissue.

Q: Even though our earliest ancestors may have eaten as you suggest in the Primal Blueprint, our more recent ancestors have been eating grains and beans for thousands of years. Have we not adapted to this way of eating? Asians were always thin eating their diet of rice and noodles, how do you explain that?

Sisson: Rice is the least offensive grain. It’s basically pure starch as opposed to something like wheat. It has no problematic lectins or plant proteins that interfere with digestion or disrupt satiety signals to the brain. In Asian countries they used to eat only foods like rice, meat, vegetables, all cooked in animal fat, and every day life was active. Now diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are on the rise because, like us, they’re eating more wheat, sugar, and vegetable oils and moving less. And no, our bodies haven’t evolved to catch up to our diet today.

Q: Most medical professionals regard burning ketones as a bad thing. The Atkins diet was criticized for that in the 1970’s. Yet the Primal diet depends on it. How do you answer them?

Sisson: They mistakenly equate ketosis with ketoacidosis. The former is a viable physiological way of burning fat for energy. It burns cleaner than glucose and spares necessary glucose for the brain to use. The latter is a pathological condition that occurs when insulin isn’t around to keep ketone production in check. Ketosis is a perfectly healthy physiological state to dip into from time to time. Burning ketones, which isn’t the same as being in ketosis, let alone ketoacidosis, is always occurring in a healthy fat-burner.

Q: I have type 1 diabetes. Making ketones has always been regarded as dangerous for people with type 1 diabetes. Is this diet viable for people with type 1 diabetes?

Sisson: Making ketones, which leads to ketoacidosis, only occurs when there is insufficient insulin present to regulate ketone production. Making ketones is different than burning ketones. As long as a person with type 1 diabetes is aware of this and manages this, there shouldn’t be a problem. I get a fair amount of feedback from people with type 1 diabetes who have had success implementing the Primal Blueprint. And it can help with managing the disease. I would tell any patient to let their doctor know before undertaking any massive lifestyle change.

Q: Why do you believe eating Primal is the way we were meant to eat?

Sisson: I tried eating “the right way” for over thirty years and it nearly killed me. I was the paragon of fitness, a competitive marathoner and triathlete who ate whole grains and beans and watched my red meat intake. It didn’t work. Since I have always been a student of human evolution, I got my degree in biology, I started thinking about health in terms of nutrition and fitness. I did a lot of research and self-experimentation and trained tons of people, enough to realize that the Primal way of eating works. And I’ve found it works for just about everyone who gives it an honest try.

Q: What are people most satisfied with about the Primal diet/lifestyle?

Sisson: That it’s not a struggle, that its seems to come naturally once you get it. People like a lifestyle that emphasizes delicious, fresh, wholesome food, simple and effective exercise, lots of leisure and relaxation, good sleep and quality time with loved ones.

Q: Is there any scientific research to support this diet?

Sisson: Careful parsing of the nutritional literature is actually the basis of many of our recommendations, but there have been several paleolithic diet controlled studies. In one notable study by Lindberg out of Sweden, diabetic heart disease patients were put on one of two diets: Paleo (very similar to Primal) or Mediterranean. Paleo allowed no dairy, no grains, and had more meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruit than the Mediterranean diet, which was high in whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fish, margarine and low-fat dairy. Both groups improved, but the paleo group showed significantly greater improvements.

Q: What other eating approaches do you respect? And why?

Sisson: I like well-designed vegetarian diets. My wife was a vegetarian for years, still is, for the most part, except for seafood, and she’s one of the healthiest people I know. As long as you’re not eating loads of pasta, but eating actual vegetables and plenty of eggs and quality dairy, I think you can be very healthy as a vegetarian. I have dozens of longtime readers who are vegetarian yet make this lifestyle work for them.

Q: Conventional wisdom says soy, beans, whole grains and complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes have a protective or positive influence, yet they’re not part of a Primal diet

Sisson: There’s nothing magical about beans or grains. They have no dietary monopoly when it comes to vitamins or minerals. Leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, berries, and all the other produce we can eat provide plenty of micronutrients. Plus, many of those minerals in beans and grains aren’t absorbed. Phytic acid, found in most beans and grains, binds to minerals and prevents their absorption. Habitual grain eaters like birds and rats produce phytase, the enzyme necessary to break down phytic acid - but we don’t. So while those foods look impressive on paper, we’re not absorbing most of their nutrients. Traditional cultures that consumed grains and beans did so only after extensive soaking and fermentation, which improves the digestibility and deactivated most of the phytic acid. It also takes a lot of work and I’m just not willing to put forth that much effort.

Complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes are not allowed on some paleo plans but they’re allowed on the Primal plan. Roots, tubers, and other starchy, underground plant organs can be an important part of your diet, especially if you’re highly active and need the glucose.

Q: How do you answer your critics like Dean Ornish who has scientifically proven that eating whole grains, and severely restricting the consumption of animal products and dietary fat reverses heart disease?

Sisson: Dean Ornish has “scientifically proven” that avoiding processed junk food plus daily meditation, stress-reduction therapy, regular exercise, and a cessation of smoking tobacco results in a slight, not a major, regression of narrowing in the coronary artery. The Ornish plan isn’t just the diet. It’s an entire lifestyle change. Stress, lack of exercise, and smoking are all causally related to heart disease, so you can’t focus on just the food.

I would agree with Dr. Ornish that removing processed carbohydrates, vegetable oils, and sugar is healthy. My program does all that too. I just disagree that removing animal products and healthy fat is a necessary component, and he has never proven that to be the case.

Q: Do you believe people with type 2 diabetes would be better served by this diet considering that they are three times more likely to have a cardiovascular event, and this diet emphasizes eating saturated fat?

Sisson: Absolutely. The last reviews of the medical literature have found that replacing carbohydrates with saturated fat does not increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Plus, this diet doesn’t emphasize saturated fat, it de-emphasizes toxic foods like gluten-grains and processed vegetable oils that are high in omega-6 and sugar.

Q: I have followed the Primal diet now for almost six weeks and find it takes extra time shopping to keep fresh produce in the house, and to prepare meals. Also, since I’m not a skilled cook, I find myself cooking the same things day after day. How successful have people been staying on the ‘Blueprint?'

Sisson: It’s highly sustainable. A massive online community has sprung up around Paleo/Primal eating. In addition to my own cookbook, paleo cookbooks are being released every couple of months, and there are several dozen high quality Primal recipe blogs.

We post new recipes every Saturday and link to others every Sunday. To cut down on prep time, I would devote a Sunday afternoon to making a week’s meals. A big pot of stew, chili or curry, some parboiled vegetables, some sliced fruit, grilled meat that you can simply heat up or eat cold. If you plan and prep ahead, making your own food gets a whole lot easier.

As for produce, frozen vegetables are actually a more economical, longer-lasting, and often more nutritious option than wilted “fresh” produce.

Q: Do you know any cases where the Primal Blueprint hasn’t worked?

Sisson: I’ve seen people fail because they went too low-carb while trying to run 120 miles a week and train for a triathlon. Or because they went overboard with the “Primal treats” made out of almond flour, honey, and coconut oil, but I would say they were doing it wrong. I’ve never known anyone to fail when they removed processed, industrial junk food, started sleeping more and exercising better.

Book Review: The Primal Blueprint gives both an historical background on why we should be eating like our earliest ancestors during paleolithic times and why we’re now eating like our neolithic ancestors, and that our bodies haven’t adapted to many of these foods. Furthermore, many of the foods we eat today, especially grains, have been genetically and environmentally modified causing insulin resistance and inflammation, the root causes of many of today’s lifestyle diseases. The Blueprint in the book gives you 10 steps for reprogramming your genes to transform yourself from a sugar-burner to a fat-burner, lose weight, heal your body and boost your energy. Also, the Primal approach is not just a meal plan, and Sisson covers a life system including fasting, bursts of exercise and strength training, sleep and stress reduction.

What I like most: The book is written very simply and is a quick, easy and fun read. Men will probably also enjoy the cartoon-like characters Sisson uses to make some of his points. If you choose to try the diet, there is much support and more information on Mark’s blog, Mark’s Daily Apple. Mark’s written hundreds of articles about going Primal and provides recipes to help on the journey. I must also confide I like that on the Primal plan red wine and dark chocolate, in moderation, are allowed.

Weaknesses: Mark’s enthusiasm will tell you this is a simple diet and lifestyle, but for the average American it probably isn’t. There is some repetition in the book and at times not as much specificity, or scientific evidence, as I would have liked.

Take 2 and call me in the morning: With all lifestyle changes, talk to your health care provider before beginning this program.

Personal note: I tried the diet for six weeks. I felt fine and lost 2.5 pounds, but I found myself constipated. I then put some complex carbohydrates back into my diet like oatmeal and beans. Now I follow a diet in-between the Primal Blueprint and low-carb with some complex carbs and dairy. I side with those who say too much carbohydrate, not too much fat, is the cause of most of today’s ills including diabetes.

Diabetes Alert Day: Might you have diabetes?

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:58:37 -0400

You have the opportunity to, in a few minutes and with a few answers, change your life. You're invited to take the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) "Diabetes Risk Test" - right now.

Each year the ADA sends out the call to help people become aware of whether they may have, or are at risk for, type 2 diabetes. One in three American adults are at risk for diabetes. One in four doesn't know he has it.

You'd think you'd know if you had diabetes. But at least one-quarter to one-third, of the 26 million Americans with diabetes - get this - don't! Do you want to take the chance of having diabetes and not knowing when early detection can save your life and the quality of your life?

Here are common risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a family history, being overweight, being sedentary, high blood pressure and high cholesterol,, belonging to a minority risk group like African American, Hispanic and Native American Indian, for women having delivered a big baby. This used to include being over 50 years of age but with the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes in children, I don't think age is as much a factor.

The healing power of friends

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:47:52 -0400

Spring has sprung. I'm looking at the tree outside my window full with pink and white flowers while I'm sitting at this computer writing my next book. It's going to be a small handbook of the key things to do to stay healthy with diabetes and lots of suggestions how to do 'em. So as I'm writing I thought I'd like to share one step with you for taking care of your diabetes.

Collect Good Friends, Even If You’re Not A Collector

If you’re planning on starting a collection, skip rare stamps, miniature toys, and vintage handbags, and head straight for the collection that pays dividends whether the market is up or down - good friends. Good friends don’t take up much space in your home and they’ll be there to cheer you when you’ve lost your cheer. Good friends say nice things about you even when you don’t, and they provide a shoulder to cry on when it’s all too much.

Diabetes may from time to time make you feel alone; I know. But collect good friends and I guarantee you’ll find diabetes easier to live with. Plus, studies show that having friends, and strong social networks, can improve your blood pressure, memory and decrease physical ailments, cognitive decline, depression and Alzheimer’s. And don’t forget the biggest benefit of all - you’ll hardly ever have to dust them!

Be a site tester while getting "Glu-ed" to your fellow type 1s

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:33:52 -0400

As you read this, a new online community has been building its platform to connect all those living with type 1 diabetes. This new social community, called "Glu," is being rolled out by monies under the Helmsley Trust.

Chances are you can figure out that Glu aims to be THE place for people with type 1 diabetes to find each other and stick together exchanging information and experiences. When it goes live later this year it will be available to anyone with type 1 diabetes across the globe and available through web and mobile applications free and without restriction.

Since the site is currently being built, they're inviting you - if you have type 1 diabetes - to help by being a site tester and send your comments to the Glu team.

To get the secret tester's code email, info@myglu.org with the subject line, "sign me up." Or text, "myglu" to 41411 for a registration number.

Also feel free to spread the word. It's nice to have a hand in building the community that aspires to be there for you.

Bridging the gap between patient and provider

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:48:09 -0500

I'm part of a new service being offered by QuantiaMD called "Ask the Patient." I'll be answering health care provider's (HCP) questions about what it's like to live with diabetes, and how they can help their patients achieve better control and make healthy behavior changes. Given the strong emphasis on cut and cure in medical training and bare mention of behavior change, here's an opportunity for providers to understand how to turn on a patient's desire, skills, hope, and enthusiasm to take care of their diabetes.

Here's my page which consists of a 3 minute introduction of myself, explanation of the service and a call for questions. After questions are submitted I'll my answers will be presented in a follow-up video.

The service is available only to HCPs so patients will not know what you are asking. All you have to do is sign up.Members can access QuantiaMD for free through any smartphone, tablet or computer.

If you are a health care provider, or know of someone you think this would benefit please pass this along. Having patient-experts as resources to help HCPs better understand what we deal with is to me a fantastic idea, and a brilliant way to help both patients and health care providers achieve better outcomes.

A1C Champions is looking for you

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:01:55 -0500

Are you successfully managing your diabetes? Are you interested in helping others do the same? Then you may be interested in being a peer-mentor as part of the A1C Champions group.

There are 70 of us A1C Champions who live across the country and go across the country - or stay mainly in our local area - giving various presentations to help our fellow patients take better care of themselves, and their diabetes. That's me above giving an A1C program. I've been doing it for 5 years and I find it enormously fulfilling work.

VPR Communications, the group that trains us to do this work, is actively looking for more Champions. Here are the criteria:

1) You must use insulin

2) Have an A1C less than 7%

3) Be at least 21 years old

4) Have a strong desire to help others

If interested, you can see more about the program on the A1C Champions web site. If you're ready, or have any questions, please contact Becky Lodes at becky@vprpop.com or call 855-A1CHAMP (855-212-4267).

The power of the A1C Champion programs is that patients hear how to better manage their diabetes from a patient. Often they will have heard similar information from their health care providers, but when they hear it from you - and they know you live it - they hear it in a completely different way.

A 40-year journey with type 1 diabetes

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:29:39 -0500

That's me, of course. Probably in my early twenties, just a few years after getting diabetes at the age of 18. This month is my 40th year with diabetes. I can't say if I ever thought I'd reach this point: I don't think I ever really considered it. I did think, however, how in the world will I read the little lines on my syringe when I'm old? Luckily at 58, I still have my eyesight. And better yet, I don't think I'm old, yet!

I wrote about my journey to here on the Huffington Post. Maybe another reflection when I hit 50 years!

OneTouch VerioIQ meters being replaced

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:43:21 -0500

I just received notice that LifeScan is replacing its OneTouch VerioIQ Meters in the U.S. and Canada. To be honest, I'm not sure if the meter is yet available to the public in the States but you can find more information on their web site.

It appears according to the press release I received, "the OneTouch® Verio™IQ Meter, under very specific circumstances, produces an error that causes the meter to turn itself off when a user attempts to access the “ResultLog” to view stored test results. If this occurs, when the product is turned back on, the meter enters the “set up” mode and requires the user to confirm the date and time settings before being able to test again."

This doesn't affect the meter's accuracy or your data and you can still use your meter if you have one. That said, LifeScan is providing free replacement meters without the problem.

To receive a replacement meter, call LifeScan's Customer Service number: 1 888-567-3003. You will need your meter's serial number and you will be asked to return your original meter.

My Valentine's Day card

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:11:02 -0500

So, the husband's in Holland where it's cold and dark and I'm sitting in Brooklyn this morning. (That photo's from our Christmas trip to Israel). Hmmm...some Valentine's Day you say? Well for me it is. It is the expression of the heart that just keeps growing fonder.

Yesterday I received my Valentine's email:

"I did an experiment," he wrote. "At 7:10 PM I checked my blood sugar (no he doesn't have diabetes, but he has a meter for occasional curiosity checks) and it was a perfect 85. I made dinner, vegetables and a veggie burger. I sauteed it all in a wok with olive oil. I also ate 8 nuts. I finished dinner around 7:35 PM. [Is he anal? Not really. But he's a good researcher ;-)]

At 8:10 PM I took my blood sugar. It was 139. At 9:35 PM, two hours post-meal, I took my blood sugar again. It was 108.

I think in a normal person [he means without diabetes ;-)] blood sugar also fluctuates. Then it comes back to a set point. But even if you just eat vegetables and a plant-based veggie burger, no other carb, no rice or pasta, it shoots up. So if this pushes up blood sugar in a non-diabetic, then what you are doing as a person with type 1 diabetes, keeping your blood sugar so well managed, is near perfection!

Timesulin's new "Smart Cap" for insulin pens coming this summer

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:48:35 -0500

I mentioned meeting the Timesulin people when I was at the IDF World Congress in Dubai. I am truly happy with this little invention that I've been road-testing since. Now it's left the production floor and is available in Europe.

Yes, I know, everything seems to happen in Europe before here, but Timesulin are now talking with distributors and planning for the cap to be available in the U.S. this summer.

Just so you're ready when it's available, here's a little preview.

Ever wonder whether you took your injection? Now you'll know. Place the cap on your insulin pen (there are caps that go with each insulin pen on the market) and it begins counting. Look at your pen cap minutes later, or hours later, and you'll see when you took your injection. Once you take the cap off, after 8 seconds it resets to zero. The cap will last about a year before it needs replacing.

In using it, not only did I like the knowledge that I had taken my shot, but it kept me more regular in doing it every 24 hours since I can take my Lantus without thinking much did I take it at 8 AM yesterday or 9 AM?

A diabetes solutions campaign you can help shape now

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:52:07 -0500

Sanofi has created an extremely brief 6-question survey in a unique diabetes awareness effort. Until Feb. 12th by expressing what matters most to you about diabetes in this survey you get to shape the focus of Sanofi's Data Design Diabetes Innovation Challenge.

The challenge will gather ideas for innovative solutions regarding diabetes awareness and care. After ideas are submitted, 5 semi-finalists will be selected for an intensive mentorship program, design boot camp and a $20K prize. Two favorite finalists will then be chosen by the public and finally a judge will select the winner who will receive $100K to develop their solution.

Sanofi is casting the net wide to grab as many innovative ideas, interventions and solutions as possible to help in the management and awareness of diabetes. On the survey page you can read all about the contest and rules. I should just mention winning ideas will be mentored by industry leaders, plus remain the property of their creator.

So take the survey and help shape the Challenge. Be part of the solution finding a solution.

The role you were born to play may just be a heartbeat away

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:55:57 -0500

Whether you know who Stephen Colbert is or not - by the way he's the comedian who hosts his own late night TV show, "The Colbert Report," I recently read an article in the New York Sunday Times magazine about him where one line made my skin tingle.

Comedian Stephen Colbert

The author says, "The role he (Colbert) was born for...hadn't yet come his way." It references the fact that Colbert wasn't very successful when he began his comedic career because he looked too bland, too sane and too conventionally good-looking. That the role he was born to play, the character he currently plays on his nightime parody show, is the one he unknowingly was waiting for. And by virtue of not giving up, for years, but persisting, he eventually got to play his role.

The take-away for me is if we haven't known great success in the past, and/or are trying to find our way now, perhaps the role we were born to play - whether that's in our work, love life, family etc, just hasn't yet come our way. It may still be waiting for us if we just persist.

"How Mrs. Grady Transformed Olly Neal"

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:58:03 -0500

Olly Neal

Nicholas Kristof

This was a wonderful story I read this weekend in the Sunday Review of the NY Sunday Times. It was written by Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize winning Op-Ed columnist. Nicholas Kristof is also an idealist. The kind of idealist I like. I've been reading his articles over the last few years and most are trying to wake us up to the genocide in Darfur. Once a year Kristof even takes a student and teacher with him on a reporting trip to Africa to experience first-hand the strife and inspire in them their own way to make the world a better place.

Kristof's Olly Neal article is filled with the same idealism and I like the take-away. The story is about how a teacher, Mildred Grady, ridiculed and reduced to tears by troubled and trouble-some student, Olly Neal, in the segregated South in the 1950s, ended up doing Neal a remarkable kindness that put him on a trajectory to become a lawyer, the first black prosecuting attorney in Arkansas and then a judge on the appellate court. The kindness wove its way to Neal's daughter who earned a doctorate in genetics.

Volunteer abroad and empower children with diabetes

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:40:40 -0500

Summer program, apply now

Here's an opportunity I wish I could take advantage of, but unfortunately I am too old, oh yes, and I don't speak Spanish. But if you are a young person, at least sixteen years old, do speak Spanish and would love to have a life-changing experience empowering young people with diabetes, AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad) is for you.

AYUDA is looking for volunteers to help children with diabetes in Ecuador and the Dominican Republic. You don't have to be in medicine and you don't have to have or know about diabetes, you will be trained.

The Dominican Republic program runs mid-June to early July. The Ecuador program runs mid-July to early August. Applications are being accepted now until February 1 and here's everything you need to know.

Have a safe and wonderful journey.

The power to tame disease

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:48:31 -0500

A simple yet powerful talk

I came across this video while reading psychologist Arloski's blog on wellness coaching.

It's about Dr. David Servan-Schreiber who succumbed to brain cancer almost twenty years after he got it.

During Dr. Servan-Schreiber's years with cancer he inspired people who have cancer to fight for themselves through diet, being present and hope.

I found the video moving and a confirmation of how much our bodies are the result of what we do. As Servan-Schreiber says, "Food is something you do to your body three times a day." The idea of food being something we do to our body was a different way of looking at what we choose to put into our mouths.

You can substitute "diabetes" for "cancer" throughout this short video and I guarantee you will get something out of it. Even if just a reminder about how you're caring for yourself and your diabetes.

Thank you Dr. Servan-Schreiber.

Social media isn't just for patients

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:35:04 -0500

Support and idea space

The social media space isn't just support space for patients - which is incredible enough - but also "idea" space for medical device manufacturers if they'd only look.

That's what writer Amy Munice, blogger Amy Tenderich of DiabetesMine's Design Challenge, her inspired device designers and I think.

According to Amy Munice, "The foolproof way to get the right mix in social media messaging and pave the path for future patented technology, above all, is to focus on listening...all new product developers tapping into the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and disease-specific niches in the blogosphere at every stage of medical device development, could well be the harbingers of engineering and design school curricula in the not-so-distant future."

To read the full article click here.

JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit and You're Invited!

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:25:49 -0500

Saturday February 18th

If you have type 1 diabetes and could spend a Saturday hearing what’s currently going on in research toward a cure, and more – FOR FREE – would you? You can, and you are cordially invited to the second annual JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit.

Whether you are an adult with type 1, teen with type 1, parent of a child with type 1, loved one of a type 1, health care provider, CDE, MD, researcher, industry partner or interested party, the JDRF Capitol Chapter, which serves the Washington, DC metro area, is sponsoring this fantastic event Saturday February 18^th in Bethesda, MD - and welcomes you.

Registration is still open but will begin to fill up, so don't put it off, and spread the word. Here's the full day's program. To register simply go here.

While I wasn’t at last year’s event, I will be at this year’s. In fact, I'll be moderating the dozen stand-out researchers and scientists who will be presenting. Last year’s attendees numbered more than 400 and I heard via the grapevine all thought the conference was amazing. I know this year’s event will be just as amazing, enlightening and enriching both for what you’ll learn and who you’ll meet.

Help for families who have a child with type 2 diabetes

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:22:06 -0500

Your Healthy Home Series

Here's a great way to get the new year off to a happy and healthy start - if you have a child with type 2 diabetes: Your Healthy Home Series (YHHS).

YHHS is a 4-week series of video coaching sessions from Helaine Ciporen. Helaine is a licensed clinical social worker who counsels children and families at NYC's Mount Sinai Hospital, Center for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.

Even better news - the first 50 people who sign up get it for free!

Your Healthy Home Series consists of 8 interactive emails, each with a short video followed by a questionnaire designed to help families better understand their needs, so that they can make the small changes that will lead to big changes in their health. One of the advantages of this online program is families are right in the environment where they need to make changes - their home - and now they can have the ongoing support and guidance they need.

Although increasing numbers of children are getting type 2 diabetes, due to escalating childhood obesity, there are few educational resources for parents and families. Helaine's coaching program, as well as the educational web site she developed after years in the field, DiabetesFamilies.com, is one of those resources.

Dear Santa, won't you please take this diabetes away?

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:08:02 -0500

One can wish, can't one?

I've posted this before but I'm posting it again - because it makes me laugh, and humor can't be overrated living with diabetes.

Dear Santa,

All I'd like this Christmas is for you to take this diabetes away. I'm so tired of it already. All the time stabbing my fingers for blood and guessing when my sugar's too high or too low.

Now that I'm in menopause I can barely tell whether I'm sweating because I'm losing estrogen or because my blood sugar's crashing at 50 mg/dl!

And, can we talk... I mean the constant figuring out how many carbs are in a ravioli or bread stick or that fried calamari that will be at the company Christmas party. Some days I just want to lie down and shoot myself. Please, please, Santa, would you take this diabetes away?

Sincerely,
Riva

***
Dear Riva,

I'm very sorry you're having a tough time during my favorite season. I only want people to be singing carols and drinking eggnog and feeling good cheer. Unfortunately, it says in my contract that I'm not allowed to interfere with life's natural occurrences. So here's my suggestion: although you've already opened your holiday gifts, go back and look under your Hanukkah bush for the gift in having diabetes.

Free Classes at Type 1 University: A holiday gift just for you

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:32:25 -0500

Learn for free in January

CDE/pump trainer and author, Gary Scheiner, is offering free online diabetes classes throughout the month of January.

Don't miss this opportunity to relearn carb counting, lose weight on insulin, make better use of your pump or CGM and more. Gary offers 10 different classes to help you brush up on your management.

T1 University's online one hour classes are available to anyone who uses insulin and parents and caregivers.

Pre-registration is required, so take a look, check out this 10 minute sample class and then sign up today.

You'll be glad you did.