December 2009 Volume 1

Living with Diabetesin the Birmingam area

In this issue:

Stop Diabetes movement--pg. 2

Ways on staying active and eating healthy--pg. 3

Calendar of Events--pg. 4

Act Learn

ShareGive

Join the movement to STOP DIABETES.In the next 24 hours, diabetes will claim the lives of 200 peopleThere is a way you can help! Join the movement.-Become an advocate and let your voice be heard. Let Congress know what is important for people with diabetes.-Participate in an event by biking, walking, running, or volunteering.-Get screened. One out of every four people living with diabetes doesn’t even know they have the disease.

Whether you or a loved one has diabetes, or you are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes there is a lot to learn.-Learn the diabetes basics. Know the facts and the myths that come with diabe-tes. Statements like, “I can only develop diabetes if I am obese.” Myth or Fact?-Learn about living with diabetes. Ques-tions like “What do I tell people about my diabetes?”-Learn about the latest news and research in diabetes development, and how you can help raise funds for the cure.

There are many ways to help give to dia-betes. 75% of the money raised by the American Diabetes Association funds re-search, information programs, and advo-cacy efforts. How can you help give?-Give a donation. You can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly do-nation.-You can also turn your holiday shopping into dollars. Shop the Gift of Hope catalog and raise money for diabetes research and awareness.-Donate your old car to diabetes.

There are many reasons why people want to help stop diabetes. What’s yours? Let us know so we can share it with communities across the nation.-Share your story. Tell us how diabetes affected your life and we may share it with others.-Share videos. Submit your video telling us why you want to stop diabetes.-Share your commitment. Spread the word to others using your social network-ing sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linke-dIn and on your blogs.

Food and FitnessExercise is part of a healthy lifestyle for everyone, and it’s especially important for people with diabetes. But exercise doesn’t necessarily mean running a mar-athon or bench-pressing 300 pounds. The goal is to get active and stay active by doing things you enjoy, from garden-ing to playing tennis to walking with friends. Here are some ideas for getting moving and making exercise part of your daily life.

Apple Crunch Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Fruit-1 cup diced, unpeeled Granny Smith apples-1 cup diced, unpeeled Golden Delicious apples-1/2 cup diced unpeeled Gala, Fuji, or Red Delicious apples-1 cup sectioned oranges-1 medium banana, slicedDressing-3/4 cup nonfat sour cream-2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice-2 1/2 tsp. sugar-2 tsp. toasted unsweetened coconut

Top 10 Benefits of Being Active1.Improve blood glucose management. Activity makes your body more sensitive to the insulin you make. Ac-tivity also burns glucose (calories). Both actions lower blood glucose. 2.Lower blood pressure. Activity helps your heart pump stronger and slower. 3.Improve blood fats. Exercise can raise good cho-lesterol (HDL) and lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides. These changes are heart healthy. 4.Take less insulin or diabetes pills. Activity can low-er blood glucose and weight. Both of these may lower how much insulin or diabetes pills you need to take. 5.Lose weight and keep it off. Activity burns calories. If you burn enough calories, you’ll trim a few pounds. Stay active and you’ll keep the weight off.6.Lower risk for other health problems. Reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke, some cancers, and bone loss. 7.Gain more energy and sleep better. You’ll get better sleep in less time and have more energy, too. 8.Relieve stress. Work out or walk off daily stress. 9.Build stronger bones and muscles. Weight-bear-ing activities, such as walking, make bones stron-ger. Strength-training activities, such as lifting light weights (or even cans of beans), make muscles strong. 10.Be more flexible. Move easier when you are active.

Preparation:1. Combine all the fruits into an attractive serving bowl2. Mix together the dressing ingredients. Toss with the apple mixture and serve.Nutrition:Serving Size: ½ cupFruit Exchanges: 1.5Calories: 125Calories From Fat: 10Total Fat: 1 gramCholesterol: 0 milligramsSodium: 20 milligrams (w/o salt)Carbohydrate: 22 gramsDietary Fiber: 3 gramsSugars: 16 gramsProtein: 2 grams

Calendar of Events in 2010:

Tour de Cure bicycling event:

Huntsville: May 15, 2010

Birmingham: May 22, 2010