Is Now Available For Rent

Kewl Innovations has introduced a rental program for ClimaPak™ so that you can rent a ClimaPak for an upcoming vacation, business trip, or extended outdoor activity.

It also can be used as a “Try it before you buy it.” program.  Whatever your need, check out the rental program today.  At $9/day, that is pretty inexpensive insurance for your insulin lifeline.  For more details, click here.

Diabetes Prevention – Keep It Simple

Preventing type 2 diabetes is both simple and hard. Simple because the factors that will help reduce risk are relatively well-known. Difficult because those factors can be hard to change on a personal level.

By the way, it should be quickly noted that talk of preventing diabetes refers to type 2 diabetes. Although research continues into type 1 diabetes, as of now there is no known way to prevent the development of type 1.

A short tutorial on type 2 diabetes will help you better understand the ways to prevent its development. When you eat, the food is broken down and the resulting glucose (a simple sugar) is released into the bloodstream. This carries it to cells where it can be used as energy to keep you functioning. A crucial element in this process is insulin (a hormone). You can think of insulin as the regulator of the amount of glucose reaching the cells.

For someone who is diabetic, insulin is no longer working. The body is either no longer producing it, or it has developed a resistance to it. This “insulin resistance” means that the body is no longer responding to insulin in a way that keeps your body functioning properly.

The biggest culprit in developing insulin resistance is obesity, which usually stems from an improper diet and sedentary lifestyle. It is important to note that not all cases of type 2 diabetes are related to this risk factor. When talking about diabetes prevention, there is not a certain 100% foolproof way to prevent it. Strictly speaking, you are reducing your risk by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Nonetheless, obesity is the leading cause and the actions you take can have a profound impact on whether you develop type 2 diabetes.

Here are 3 specific ways to a lifestyle that significantly lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes:

1. Work with Your Doctor. For one, getting blood work as part of your annual exam can help you see early warning signs. There are several findings your doctor can go over with you. If your triglyceride level is high, this is definitely a risk factor. Simplifying a bit, triglyceride level refers to the fat in your blood. Another important number is your fasting blood sugar level. Specific risk-factor ranges have been developed and this will help you determine if you fall into a pre-diabetic category. If you have the high triglyceride levels, high fasting blood sugar levels, and high blood pressure, you should definitely be discussing positive lifestyle changes with your healthcare professional.

Tip: if you do come in with high risk numbers, ask your doctor if you can re-test again in four months. This puts in place a goal and accountability standard for you. If you wait a year to re-test, will you let yourself off the hook?.

2. Hey Buddy, Take a Walk. Sedentary behavior is one of the number one causes of obesity. Start with a small commitment to change. Give up a half-hour of television or internet surfing time everyday and trade it for a 30 minute walk. This alone will not solve the problem, but if it is a true commitment it can be the turning point in developing other habits that can lead to profound change. (As always, you should discuss any exercise and diet programs with your doctor).

3. Create a Support Team. If the risk is fairly serious, consider putting together a team to both encourage and hold you accountable for lifestyle changes. Maybe you and a friend can create a pact to meet at the gym 2 nights a week at a certain time. Get the support and encouragement of the person who does the food shopping (if it is not you) and discuss making new food decisions as a family.

Speaking of dietary changes, be sure to use your doctor, a qualified nutritionist, or resources approved by the American Diabetes Association for information you can trust. Fad or quick, crash diets will do more harm in the long run.

As the technical knowledge and research on diabetes continues to increase, it is important to remember that on a practical level the advice is still pretty simple. Making positive, healthy changes and fighting obesity are still the best bets to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.

Source: National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP)

For more great information, click on this image to visit the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) website and read “Get Real! You Don’t Have to Knock Yourself Out to Prevent Diabetes” – a tip sheet for people at risk of type 2 diabetes.

2012 Healthy Living Expo Garland

Join Kewl Innovations at the 2012 Healthy Living Expo Garland this Saturday, September 22, 2012 at the Curtis Culwell Center, located at 4999 Naaman Forest Blvd.  The Healthy Living Expo features information and activities for a Healthy Earth and a Healthy you, including new and exciting features for this year’s event, like the H20 5K!

The Garland Healthy Living Expo features information and activities designed to encourage healthy lifestyles.  Learn about everything from exercise to organic gardening!  Health screenings and family safety information will also be available.  To find out more, visit the Garland Goes Green webpage.

Learn about the importance of safety, and personal and environmental health issues at the Healthy Living Expo Garland. In conjunction with the event, Garland’s Community Multicultural Commission will host its We the People Conference in the Curtis Culwell Conference Center. This special event will provide community workshops and other special activities.

Click here for an event map provided by the City of Garland. Make sure to stop by and see us!

Here’s a list of exhibitors:

Free Sports Bag!  Sponsored by RBC Capital Markets
The first 500 visitors to the Healthy Living Expo Garland will receive a sports bag, courtesy of RBC Capital Markets. RBC has been providing investment banking financial services to municipal issuers across Texas and the nation for more than 75 years, including the City of Garland and Garland ISD.  RBC is committed to environmental stability by promoting environmentally responsible business activities through our products and services.

Sponsors
The Garland Healthy Living Expo is sponsored by the City of Garland, Garland ISD, Garland Chamber of Commerce and Baylor Medical Center at Garland.

Media Sponsors

Diabetes Awareness

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so now is a good time look a little ahead and discuss what awareness means and how it can help with prevention, education, and research.

The growing knowledge about the significant health costs of diabetes in both human and economic terms is a double-edged sword. More awareness is a good thing, but much of it is coming about because more and more people are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

With more attention comes greater diabetes awareness, but there is still much more work to be done in terms of prevention and general education. For example, many people still often confuse the two types. You’ll also find some who think that diabetes is not very serious because the tools and knowledge for managing it have improved. As anyone who has diabetes knows, better tools and knowledge are terrific, but that is completely different than an actual cure.

So awareness is crucial for 3 reasons.

1. Prevention. A key contributor in most cases of type 2 diabetes is an unhealthy lifestyle. So educating people on the connection between unhealthy choices and risk of diabetes is one of the best ways to stop more cases from developing.

2. Understanding. The more people can understand the disease of diabetes, the more those who suffer from it will find a friendly and supportive environment. At work, within families, and among friends, the more they understand the disease and its consequences, the more support you can expect as you manage diabetes. Even if it is something as simple as a kind word, every bit of awareness can contribute to a positive environment.

3. Research. The blunt truth is that more awareness usually means more funding. As the number of people aware of the serious consequences of diabetes increases, more dollars go to research. Not only are people more likely to give, it also promotes a climate where public grants, private endowments, and other important sources of research funding flow toward research on cures, prevention and better treatment.

What Can You Contribute to Diabetes Awareness?

Maybe after reading the benefits of awareness, you are ready to step up and add your contribution to the cause of awareness. Here are a few suggestions on how you can add your voice to the cause:

• Visit the American Diabetes Association page about the upcoming American Diabetes Month.
  They have a list of some terrific informational resources available. As of October 1^st, they will also be collecting personal images via Facebook. The images should reflect what the theme “A Day in the Life of Diabetes” means to you or a loved one. Full details are available on the page, but uploading an image to Facebook also means you are making a contribution. CVS has agreed to donate $1 for each upload to the American Diabetes Association up to $25,000.

• Get a grey ribbon to show your support for diabetes awareness.
  Piggybacking on the great success of pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness and other similar campaigns, the blue circle or the gray ribbon (often with a small red mark representing a drop of blood) has become a statement for those supporting the cause of diabetes awareness. Fun fact: the Diabetes Awareness Ribbon Facebook page has over half a million fans and counting and is quite active in terms of posts and comments.

• Raise the attention of local media.
  Keep in mind that journalists, bloggers, and others in the media are always seeking good, relevant content. Local media in particular always have their radars up for stories that are both timely and can be tied to a national trend. National Diabetes Month is a perfect opportunity to suggest to a local newspaper or other media outlet a story on diabetes prevention or covering a local fundraiser for diabetes.

Of course, sometimes the best kind of raised awareness is the type delivered one-on-one during informal conversations.  For example, maybe wearing a ribbon will lead to a conversation in the line at the grocery store and is a chance to tell people how common diabetes has become and its startling costs.

When they ask, you can communicate these attention-grabbing statistics from the American Diabetes Association. Almost 26 million children and adults have diabetes, and another 79 million can be considered pre-diabetic with elevated risk for developing type 2 diabetes. You might add that, in a time of great concern about higher healthcare costs, the American Diabetes Association puts the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes at $174 billion.

With numbers like that, the answer to the question about how much diabetes awareness is enough seems obvious. However much it is growing, we could use a lot more.

Are Your Kids Safe at School?

About 215,000 school-aged children and adolescents have diabetes and the numbers keep increasing each year with more new cases of diabetes being diagnosed in young people. Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that must be managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In a supportive environment, where school personnel understand the needs of students with diabetes and can respond appropriately in emergency situations, young people can manage their diabetes effectively.

Unfortunately, with school budgets being cut every time we turn around, nurses’ presence seem to be viewed as a luxury rather than a necessity in schools. More and more school nurses must cover more than one campus, working rotations. What does this mean for a child with diabetes?  A lot less medical care.

Many stories are currently being shared about the role of schools and teachers in a diabetic child’s life.  A parent cannot be around 24/7 at school to care for their child’s condition.  Therefore the school nurse and teachers become the primary caregiver during school hours. Unfortunately, teachers lack training and education on diabetes, leaving them unable to assist students.

We spoke with DxONE creator, Dan Masucci, who was all too familiar with the struggles parents of children with type 1 diabetes face.  He, like many other D-parents, has had to drop everything and rush to school to care for his T1 son, Nick, when the nurse is absent.  Dan also worries about his son during school lockdowns.  “Nick only carries one vial of insulin in his backpack, the rest is kept in a fridge in the nurses office.  Sometimes these lockdowns last for multiple hours, and the kids are not allowed to leave wherever they are when the lockdown commences,” Dan says.  He worries about what Nick would do if he were to run out of insulin.

Without the guarantee of medical staff, it is imperative that parents encourage their children to take an active role in their diabetes management and be prepared for emergencies. Here are some steps your child can take to make this process easier:

• Find out who is on the school health team. Know how to contact them if you need help.
• Always wear a medical alert ID. Keep a Diabetes ID Card in your backpack or book bag. Order a FREE one here.
• Always carry a quick-acting source of glucose as recommended by your health care team.
• Tell your teacher if you feel symptoms of low or high blood glucose, especially if you need help.
• Carry your diabetes equipment and supplies with you at all times. ClimaPak is a great way to store insulin safely at school. It will fit in any backpack and the charge lasts for 3-5 days. Click  here for more information.
• Take charge of your diabetes care at school, as allowed in your health care and education plans. You may be responsible for these diabetes care tasks:
  • Checking and writing down blood glucose levels.
  • Figuring out the correct insulin dose you need.
  • Giving yourself insulin.
  • Discarding your syringes and lancets in a proper container or taking them home with you according to your written care plans.
  • Throwing away needles, lancets, and other supplies you have used in a safe place.
  • Eating meals and snacks as planned.
  • Figuring out the carbohydrate (carb) content of food.
  • Treating low blood glucose with a quick-acting glucose product.

The American Diabetes Association is calling for an increase in diabetes education to all educators and school employees. Parents should not have to leave their jobs multiple times a week to ensure that their children are getting the proper medical care at school.

As children go back to school, it’s important to have a checklist in case of emergencies at school. Here is the American Diabetes Association’s “Back-to-School-Checklist” for parents.

As the number of students diagnosed with diabetes increases each year, school personnel, parents, and students face unique challenges. Collaboration and coordination are essential to ensure a safe learning environment and equal access to educational opportunities for students with diabetes.

To help meet these challenges, the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) has released an updated version of Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel. Developed with and supported by leading diabetes, pediatric medicine, health care professional, and education groups, the School Guide:

• Provides school personnel, parents, and students with a coordinated team approach for helping students manage their diabetes effectively in the school setting
• Contains user-friendly tools, copier-ready action plans, a diabetes primer and glossary, and a review of school responsibilities under federal laws

The guide contains new and revised information on:

• Strategies for effective diabetes management for children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Stages of child development and students’ corresponding abilities to perform diabetes care tasks
• Diabetes management training for school personnel using a three-tiered approach
• Commonly used diabetes supplies for blood glucose monitoring and administering insulin
• Step-by-step instructions for carb counting and computing insulin doses

This FREE resource can be ordered or downloaded by visiting www.YourDiabetesInfo.org/media/Youth_NDEPSchoolGuide.pdf or calling 1-888-693-NDEP (1-888-693-6337).

Free Diabetes Health Screenings

Be sure to spread the word… Sam’s Club Pharmacy locations are offering free diabetes and vision screenings for members and the public on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.9 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year, and the disease is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults in the U.S. If trends continue, 1 out of 3 U.S. adults will have diabetes by 2050.

As diabetes diagnoses continue to rise, a simple screening can help more Americans proactively manage their health. Sam’s Club’s free diabetes screenings are valued at more than $150 and include:

• Glucose tests
• A1C tests (blood test for diagnosed diabetics that measures blood sugar)
• Vision tests*
• Blood pressure and BMI (body mass index) tests

Managing Diabetes With An Active Lifestyle: Join In!

Exercise is seriously important for people and especially if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, a silent killer. The benefits derived from regular exercise in unaffected individuals are well known but have you realized the many health benefits received by those with diabetes? This particular metabolic disorder can lead to horrendous results, if kept unchecked. Therefore, for maintenance of normal blood sugar levels and optimal cardiovascular lung functions etc, an exercise routine is vital.

All diabetics who have included this healthy habit as a part of their daily lives experience a noticeable spruce in energy levels and have more steady control over their weight. This all leads to elimination and reduction in intensity of many of the possible complications associated with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. To burn calories and to regulate the level of glucose in your blood stream that in turn works on the sensitivity of insulin, exercise is highly recommended.

How Exercise Impacts Blood Sugar Levels

During and even after any exercise session, the body utilizes quite a lot of energy. Consequently, blood sugar levels are diminished during exercise and need to be replenished. This is one of the key reasons why various exercise forms are recommended to those suffering from diabetes, especially in case of type 2. Medication, proper diet plan and the willpower to stick to the fitness regime can make a tremendous difference.

Which Type of Physical Activity is Best For Diabetics?

As a matter of fact, any physical activity that has the ability to raise the heart rate for approximately twenty to thirty minutes, and is done routinely, will lead to health improvement. Brisk walking is perhaps the most convenient and safe for most diabetics, at least starting out. Plus, it requires no special equipment. Other activities that are equally effective include swimming, dancing, a long session of gardening, stationary bicycle riding and so on. There are plenty of exercises that can be done without hitting the gym!

According to several studies, aerobics is an exercise that proves quite helpful in maintaining good health. Patients with type 1 diabetes will notice a marked difference in their cholesterol level and blood pressure too. Besides that, resistance training has potential to strengthen your heart muscle and burn unhealthy fat. Certain flexibility exercise such as Pilates and yoga make use of stretching and core muscles that are beneficial as well. Take note: Always warm up prior to exercise.

However, regardless of the type of exercise, a diabetic must address a few special needs before initiating any type of exercise program. Here are a few examples:

Always consult your doctor before exercising. Give details regarding the type, frequency, duration and intensity of the physical activity. Some of the exercises must be avoided and your physician will inform you about them. Also, get information on how to avoid injuring your legs and feet. Lastly, you must always carry some form of carbohydrate that gets quickly absorbed by the body. Take for example- a snack bar or orange juice.

Follow the above-mentioned tips and exercise options for a longer and better quality of life.

Plus, What Better Way to Kick-off an Exercise Program Than With the The Big Blue Test?!

The Big Blue Test - Video Intro

The Big Blue Test is a program of the Diabetes Hands Foundation that encourages people with diabetes to test their blood sugar, exercise for 14-20 minutes, test again and share their experience on BigBlueTest.org. For every test, people with diabetes in need receive life-saving supplies through Big Blue Test grants that are awarded to humanitarian diabetes charities in the US and around the world, made possible thanks to the program sponsor.

Be part of the 20,000 people who will do the Big Blue Test this year. Help yourself and help others. Get active, join the movement at BigBlueTest.org.

Happy D-Labor Day

Whether Labor Day represents the sad end to Summer or a welcome return to routine, navigating holidays with diabetes presents a unique challenge. We’ve put together some tips for eating and traveling, plus info on a super kewl Labor Day Blogfest for Diabetes Awareness.

Labor Day Food – D-Style
Get-togethers usually mean tons of food and as a diabetic, the thought of party food probably makes your BG spike! So when a Labor Day barbeque or party is on your agenda, the most important thing you can do is to plan for it. Here are a few tips to help you plan:

• Make sure you stick to your meal plan before and after the party — just in case you eat one too many hors d’oeuvres while you are there.
• Schedule your meals so that you have eaten within 2 hours of arriving at the party — don’t show up hungry!
• See if you can find out anything about the menu ahead of time. This will give you some time to think about your meal choices ahead of time and also allow you to bring a diabetes-friendly dish, which is usually much-appreciated by the host/hostess.
• Load up on carb-free appetizers like vegetables and dip, grilled items high in protein.
• Stay active. Enjoy the last days of Summer by planning games and activities outdoors. Not only is this fun, but will improve your BG levels.

Labor Day Weekend Travel – with Diabetes
An estimated 34 million Americans will be on the road during Labor Day weekend, many of them with type 2 diabetes. Road travel can interfere with blood sugar management and lead to low blood sugar, which can cause serious complications, if not treated quickly.

In fact, according to a recent survey by the American College of Endocrinology, 37 percent of people with type 2 diabetes have experienced low blood sugar while driving or traveling. Here are some tips for safe travel:

• Pack extra snacks, drinks and testing supplies , so that you are prepared in the event of delays.
• If you take insulin, make sure you store it properly for the road trip. Click here for more information on proper insulin storage.
• Take identification that explains your condition in case you are unable to give instructions yourself. Keep a Diabetes ID card in your wallet in case of an emergency.
• If you are taking a long car trip, test your blood sugar before leaving. If it is 70 mg/dL or below, eat or drink something that will raise it quickly, and wait until it is back to normal before getting behind the wheel.
• Research restaurants at your travel destination so you know your healthy options for meals in advance.
• Research emergency clinics along your travel route. Ask your doctor to fill in this medical travel certificate for you, and keep it with you when you travel.
• Test yourself at regular intervals.
• Stop periodically to walk around, stretch your legs and give your body a break from sitting down.
• Follow your regular daily dosing routine.

For more tips on traveling with diabetes or information on air travel, click here.

Labor Day Blogfest For Diabetes Awareness
Wayman Publishing is teaming up with a whole smattering of awesome authors for a kickin Labor Day weekend event. Between September 2nd and 4th, you can download several of the featured e-books FREE.

You can also enter to win CASH or physical books by outstanding authors such as Valerie Bowen, Adrienne deWolfe, Peter Thomas Senese, Lucy Swing and Kara Tollman.

In honor of Melynda Fleury — who has been fighting diabetes and has almost completely lost her eyesight as a result– Wayman Publishing, as well as several of the participating authors (see below), is also donating 5% profit from select physical book sales to the American Diabetes Association.