Tag Archives: diabetes

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Let’s Get Cooking to #StopDiabetes for American Diabetes Month 2014

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Stop Diabetes American Diabetes Month NCES

Happy American Diabetes Month! Every November, we all join forces to raise awareness of diabetes. We’re excited to join the American Diabetes Association this year to further their vision of “a life free of diabetes and all its burdens”. By raising awareness and providing education, we can help to make this vision of the future happen today! We know that many of you, our customers, fans and blog readers are diabetes educators. Thank you for everything that you do, day in and day out, to prevent diabetes through preemptive education and help those living with diabetes through lifestyle education. This year’s American Diabetes Month theme is “America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes”. In the next few steps, we want to provide a few ways that we can all get cooking in a way that prevents diabetes and also helps those living with diabetes enjoy their meals without the ingredients that their bodies can’t process.

  1. Utilize cooking spray or small amounts of olive oil rather than butter when sautéing in a pan. Butter contains saturated fats, which raise blood cholesterol levels and is a risk factor for heart disease. A Tabletop Oil Mister allows you to create your own blend of oils, herbs and spices and use it sparingly across many types of foods.
  2. Steam your vegetables in water or broil them in the oven versus cooking them in butter or another source of fat. Many vegetables have a fantastic flavor that can be accentuated through the use of the right herbs and spices.
  3. Use fresh herbs or spices to add flavor to your foods rather than salt. Although salt packs a big punch, you’ll find that you won’t even want it after freshening up your favorite meals with some fresh herbs and the right spices. Fresh herbs always taste best, so a tool like the Herb Savor Pod help keep them that way. Plus, it’s just pretty cool looking! Herb Shears are also a great kitchen addition if you plan to cook with a lot of fresh herbs.
  4. Be sure to trim any visible fat off your meat before you cook. Many times, some fat will be left on the meat that you purchase at the grocery store in order to add some weight or leave ‘flavor’ on the meat. Be sure to inspect the meat and remove this excess fat. There are plenty of other ways to add flavor and don’t need this extra fat.
  5. If you have diabetes, it’s very important to measure your carbohydrate portions to make sure you’re staying within your daily allowance. There are many resource guides available to help measure your carbohydrate servings and exchanges. Our favorites are the Nutriportion Measuring Cups because carbohydrates in many common foods are listed around the sides of the measuring cups. No need to look anywhere else!
  6. Avoid high sugar and processed foods at all costs. When it comes to both preventing diabetes and managing it if you’ve been diagnosed, sugary and processed foods can be your worst enemy. Instead, opt for foods with natural sugars such as fresh or frozen fruits.

This November, we’ll be doing everything we can to fulfill the vision of the American Diabetes Association, a life free of diabetes and all its burdens. We hope you’ll join us as we blog, Facebook, Tweet and even create a video to help stop diabetes through prevention, education and useful diabetes tools. Are you involved in the fight against diabetes? Share how you’ll be celebrating American Diabetes Month with us. We’d love to see what you’re doing too!

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NCES Brings Together Diabetes Professionals with First Twitter Chat in New Series

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Company Will Host First Company Sponsored Twitter Chat

OLATHE, KAN. (September 5, 2014) – In today’s “Social” workplace, NCES has seen an increase in social media and the role it plays in nutrition education, To meet this industry demand, NCES is launching a new series of Twitter Chat’s to facilitate conversation among nutrition professionals.

Topics will range across the various specialties within nutrition education; including diabetes, weight loss, portion control, child nutrition and much more.  The first Twitter Chat will focus on the area of diabetes in a conversation titled “Diabetes Products You Love and Hate”. The goal of these chats is to start a conversation that participants can continue both on and off-line.

NCES Health and Nutrition Education“We hope that these conversations will not only help to further educate nutrition professionals, but also to provide valuable information to consumers interested in bettering their own health and the health of their families”, says Carrie Mark, Chief Acquisitions Director of NCES, Inc.

NCES has shared this event through multiple social media channels and sent personal invitations to NCES customers. Because of this, the company is confident that the event will be well-attended by diabetes professionals.

“The more participants we can have involved in the conversation, the more useful the conversation will be”, says Chris Jackson, CEO of NCES, Inc.

About NCES

Founded in 1989, NCES is an Olathe, Kan. based company that provides nutrition education resources in the form of books, manuals, videos and teaching tools for educators, public health officials, health care professionals and consumers. NCES offers more than 300 titles, in English and Spanish, on their website of health and nutrition materials, including a number of products developed exclusively by NCES.

NCES can be found online at http://www.ncescatalog.com.

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Understanding Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes

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For those with diabetes, there is probably no confusion about the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, to an outsider (especially the general public) there is a lot of confusion about the differences. What causes diabetes? How does it affect a person’s everyday life? Is it fatal? These are some of the questions that many people don’t have the answers to. So, our goal today is to clear up the confusion on these questions and provide a resource for those who are looking to learn more about diabetes.

The first thing that is important to understand is that Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented. Symptoms typically appear in childhood or young adulthood. Diagnosis comes because the bodies immune system destroys the cells that release insulin, meaning that the body cannot absorb sugar to produce energy. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, can typically can be prevented, or at least delayed with a healthy lifestyle including a proper diet and exercise. The signs of Type 2 Diabetes typically appear in adulthood. However, there have been more and more cases of childhood type 2 diabetes in recent years. Diagnosis for Type 2 Diabetes occurs because the body doesn’t use insulin properly, resulting in its inability to absorb sugar to produce energy.

Treatment for Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes can also look very different. In Type 1 Diabetes, because the body doesn’t produce its own insulin, a patient must inject insulin to regulate their body’s sugar absorption. Many cases of Type 2 Diabetes can be treated with a lifestyle change. Getting appropriate physical activity and eating a well-balanced diet can reverse the affects of Type 2 Diabetes for many. However, many patients with Type 2 Diabetes may end up taking Insulin at some point in their life as well.

Because Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and can be prevented, there are many diabetes educators, nutritionists and dietitians working to educate our society on the dangers of diabetes and preventative measures they can take now to avoid living with diabetes.

To aid in this, NCES has selected and created a robust line of diabetes education tools, books and other resources designed specifically for the diabetes educator and patient. If you’re a person living with diabetes and looking for resources, please browse our diabetes selection to see what’s available to help you. If you’re a diabetes educator, there are a lot of resources that can help you spread your message. Plus, you can share this blog to help others around you understand Type 1 versus Type 2 Diabetes. Simply use the links in the blog or click Diabetes in the header to start browsing NCES diabetes products.

Here are just a few of the many great products you’ll find when you visit us!

Right-Sized Diabetes Plate

diabetes plate

 

 

 

 

Diabetes Food Models

NCES Diabetes Food Model Kit

 

Glucose Wands

Glucose Wands

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Build your arsenal against Diabetes!

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In light of our last blog, we wanted to share some of the products that we currently carry for diabetes education.  Thank you for all the feedback that we did receive! We are excited for the fall catalog and all the new products that will be featured in it.

Although we are currently looking for new and exciting ways to enhance your diabetes education program, we have a solid line of diabetes education products currently available. Many of you already know this because you’ve used them in the past. But, I wanted to highlight a few today in case you haven’t had a chance to check them out yet. Or, this is also a great opportunity to share them with all of your colleagues by email using the button at the bottom of this post.

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Diabetes Food Model Kit: This NCES exclusive kit is a staple of our diabetes education program. This kit is perfect for hands-on nutrition education and includes tools for teaching your diabetic patients about proper portions, exchanges and menu planning. Learn more…

5021 Front

MyPlacemat for Diabetes: This recent addition to the NCES line of diabetes education products is a great tool that you can easily send home with your patients. Using this placemat, they can create meals based on a plate that is specifically designed with their needs in mind. Plus, it features an exchange list for easy access. Learn more…

5025Complete Diabetes Education Kit: Don’t have time to sift through the catalog for all of the best diabetes education materials? This kit includes all of the essential tools for your diabetes education program, including glucose wands, food models and more. Click here to see the complete list of items.

Diabetes education is a growing topic of conversation. We intend to offer the latest and greatest in diabetes education. Anytime you have product feedback for us, or ideas for new products, don’t hesitate to share it with us through social media or email us at info@ncescatalog.com.

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Feedback Wanted: What’s hot in Diabetes Education?

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Diabetes… it’s been around forever! Well, maybe not forever. But, it’s definitely been around for a long time. And, the bigger issue is that it’s becoming more and more of a problem as time goes on. Almost 2 million new cases of Type II Diabetes are diagnosed each year. Despite our best efforts as a health and nutrition education community, these numbers continue to rise, meaning that more people are dying from this disease each year than the previous year.

There are many misconceptions about Type II diabetes. Many people think they can ‘cure’ their Type II diabetes by simply removing sugar from their diet. Although this isn’t a bad idea, it’s not a cure for this incredibly dangerous disease. Or, on the other spectrum, many think that once they’ve been diagnosed, there is no going back. They are unaware that, after being diagnosed with Type II diabetes, simple lifestyle changes can reverse the effects of diabetes on their body. Clearing up these misconceptions is an important job of the diabetes educator.

The basics of diabetes education are commonly known in the nutrition community. Carb counting, Exchanges, Portion sizes. If you’re a diabetes educator yourself, I’m sure you can recite many of these words, plus many others, in your sleep without any thought because you’ve taught so many classes, given multiple presentations and counseled countless individuals on the topic of reversing Type II diabetes. Through the years, the disease has stayed the same. But, the educational tools have evolved. Or have they?

We’ve been noticing that many of the tools used to teach diabetes aren’t evolving with our obese population. So, we want to know. How are you teaching diabetes education? What tools do you think are most useful when you’re working with a patient whose recently been diagnosed with Type II diabetes? What information do you find is most effective in getting through to your patients the importance of making lifestyle changes to save their lives? And, most importantly, what’s missing in the field of diabetes education?

As we begin preparation for the Fall 2013 NCES catalog, we want your feedback! You’re in the field every day working with patients to help save lives, what do you feel is missing? This is your opportunity to make sure that a product that could make your diabetes education program more effective or easier to teach is included in our next catalog.

So, whether you prefer to leave your comments here on the blog, share them over on Facebook or Twitter, or even email them directly to us at info@ncescatalog.com. We hope you’ll consider offering your feedback so we can continue to fill the catalog with the best in nutrition education teaching aids, handouts, presentations and more!

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World Diabetes Day: Stand Up! Fight Diabetes!

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Did you know that today is World Diabetes Day? This day is all about raising awareness from the local level to a global level. Most of you already know about diabetes. But, just to recap, diabetes is a

“chronic disease that arises when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.  Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that enables cells to take in glucose from the blood and use it for energy. Failure to produce insulin, or of insulin to act properly, or both, leads to raised glucose (sugar) levels in the blood (hyperglycemia). This is associated with long-term damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.” (www.idf.org)

The effects of diabetes on the body are sickening, as very high blood sugar levels can do long term damage to many organs in the body. Here are some stunning facts (diabetes.org); 25.8 million Americans have diabetes. Another 79 million people have pre-diabetes.  In 2007, diabetes contributed to 231,004 deaths and the estimated total cost of diagnosed diabetes was $174 billion. The good news: we can fight these numbers!

Like the Coca-Cola bears, join in the fight to stop diabetes. Begin by education yourself and others around you about the causes of diabetes and the damaging effects this disease has on the body. Find a way to get involved in the fight! There are many organizations like the “International Diabetes Federation” (idf.org), StopDiabetes (stopdiabetes.com) and the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org).  Also, don’t forget to visit the Diabetes section of the NCES Catalog website. Here, you’ll find all the tools you need to educate patients about living with diabetes and even learning to live with your own recently diagnosed diabetes.

If you have any questions about educating about or living with diabetes, please comment on this blog, visit us on Facebook or email us at info@ncescatalog.com. We love hearing from you!

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Can You Avoid Diabetes?

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Paula Dean has diabetes! Of course, you have to have been living in a cave to not have already heard this news! First, we’d like to offer our sincere apologies to Mrs. Dean for her recent diagnosis. Type II Diabetes is a disease that would be tough to live with. And, if left ignored, can have a huge impact on the expected lifespan of the person diagnosed. So, our thoughts go out to Paula and her family while they adapt to the changes required in her life to treat her disease.

However, the true topic of controversy here is that Paula has announced that she has no desire to change her cooking and eating habits to accommodate her newly diagnosed disease. Instead, she is turning to medication to treat it. Although modern medicine provides great opportunities to treat sicknesses in our society, we believe that the best way to treat Type II Diabetes is through a combination of diet, exercise and medication when necessary. And, although claims have been made that her diabetes is hereditary, Type II Diabetes is primarily caused by poor eating habits like choosing foods that are high in fat, sugar and calories.  Rather than fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and foods that are low in carbohydrates and fatty oils, which we all know are used heavily in Paula’s most famous recipes.

Here are some shocking statistics! Approximately 26 Million Americans are currently living with some form of diabetes. And, approximately 58% of them are treating their disease with oral medication. The total cost for Diabetes Management is estimated at $174 billion, yes that’s BILLION, each year!  It’s important to note here that we acknowledge there are times when medication is necessary to treat diabetes. However, using it as a blanket treatment for diabetes is very expensive for the patient, and isn’t always necessary in order to treat it appropriately. This is why diabetes education is so important!

I’m not sure if you know this, but NCES offers a wide range of diabetes education products to help patients who have been diagnosed with diabetes.  We also carry a number of products designed to help the diabetes educator teach their patients about the disease. Check them out today, and be sure to share them with your friends too. Diabetes is the most commonly diagnosed health-related illness in our society. Let’s turn this trend around! Plus, you never know… maybe if we share this enough, Paula Dean herself could get wind of these great tools and incorporate them in to her daily life!

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Are you diabetic? If so, you’ve probably been told that carb counting is one of the single most important things you can do to help control your diabetes. Obviously, exercise is important as well. But, counting your carbs is your lifeline to successfully managing your diabetes! Right? Or… is that right? There is currently a lot of debate surrounding the effectiveness of carb counting to manage diabetes.

On one side, you have the traditional thinkers who argue that counting carbs is the only way to control your diabetes. It’s simple logic! When you consume carbohydrates, whether simple or complex, your body breaks them down in to sugar. This sugar is then absorbed in to your blood stream causing your blood sugar to rise. In response to this rise in blood sugar, your body releases the hormone insulin. Insulin is used to take the sugar from your blood and move it to your cells. Once in the cells, it can be used as energy to fuel your body. Diabetes is an insulin deficiency in your body. So, it makes sense that if your body struggles to produce insulin, it cannot appropriately manage the sugar in your blood caused by consuming carbohydrates. So, in order to control your diabetes, you must manage the amount of carbs you consume so that your body can manage the blood sugar levels.

On the other side, you have the radical thinkers who say that counting carbs is not a vital part of successfully managing diabetes. Instead, they argue that it is more a combination of the foods you eat and the amount of daily exercise you get that keeps your blood sugar in control.

But, we want to know what you think! How do you find that your diabetes is best controlled? Are you traditional or radical? Please share your thoughts with us… Facebook, Twitter, Email or even comment right here on this blog!

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Diabetes Education: What to teach?

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Happy American Diabetes Month! We’re excited that November is such a great opportunity to share information about diabetes and raise awareness about this epidemic that affects approximately 25.8 million Americans.  This disease is often preventable. The key is that we have to start with education; teaching healthy habits at an early age!

First, the specifics… what is diabetes? As defined by dictionary.com, diabetes is

“A mild, sometimes asymptomatic form of diabetes mellitus characterized by diminished tissue sensitivity to insulin and sometimes by impaired beta cell function, exacerbated by obesity and often treatable by diet and exercise.”

Please note, this definition is for Type II Diabetes, or adult on-set diabetes. Diet and exercise can aid in preventing and treating this deadly disease.

Over time, those with diabetes who have high blood sugar levels (glucose levels) will damage their tissues and blood vessels. With damaged tissue, they increase their chances for MI’s and strokes, as well as eye and kidney disease.

 

The ‘Glucose Wands’ discussed in this article are available for purchase at www.ncescatalog.com. To order, search for Item # 4532, or simply click here. To share your thoughts on this topic or product, please visit our Facebook or Twitter page, or comment directly on this blog!