Diabetes Support Group

Don’t forget to join us for information and socializing at our next Diabetes Support Group meeting on Thursday March 1st. We’ll be meeting at the River Hospital in Alexandria Bay at 6PM. For more information, contact us or check out the Events & Announcements page.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

A recent study out of the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that a woman’s Body Mass Index (BMI) is a better diabetes risk-indicator than her level of physical activity. The research showed that regardless of activity level, women with a BMI in the obese range (30 or higher) had a greater chance of developing diabetes than those women in the healthy BMI range (25 or below).

It seems from this study that weight, or BMI, is the best predictor of diabetes risk. However, it’s important to note that while the risk for both active and inactive women with higher BMIs is greater than that for women with healthy BMIs, the active women in this study did show a decreased risk in comparison to the inactive women in the same BMI range. While BMI may be a better indicator of diabetes risk, decreasing BMI and increasing activity level are both extremely important factors in reducing your risk for developing diabetes.

If you are at risk, it is extremely important for you to reach and maintain a healthy weight. The two best ways to lose weight are to make moderate changes to your diet and to gradually increase your physical activity level. While this study suggests that increasing your activity may not decrease your risk for developing the disease as much as losing weight might, you’ll likely find that the two are very closely related. If you eat a nutritionally balanced diet and start moving more, you’ll begin to lose weight and you’ll become more fit—getting closer to both of the goals that will ultimately improve your health and decrease your risk for developing diabetes in the future.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

According to the USDA, Carolina Culinary Foods of South Carolina has initiated a voluntary recall of more than 50,000 pounds of pre-cooked chicken breast strips. The product, manufactured for Oscar Mayer/Louis Rich, may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

If you have purchased Oscar Mayer/Louis Rich grilled, fully-cooked chicken breast strips has the establishment number “P-19676″ on the front of the package and the “Use by” date of “19 Apr 2007″ on the back of the package, discard the product immediately.

For more information about this recall or the effects of Listeria monocytogenes, view the official USDA News Release.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

The New York State Department of Health is taking on diabetes in a big way. As part of an initiative to increase diabetes awareness and improve the health of those living with or at risk for diabetes, six counties in upstate New York are joining together to form a powerful coalition. Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties are uniting for C-DROP, the Community Diabetes Regional Outreach Partnership.

C-DROP will help upstate New York communities improve diabetes education and treatment through services such as health and wellness clinics, support groups, healthy cooking workshops and informational programs. Medical treatment and monitoring are necessary parts of a diabetic’s life, but the coalition aims to spread the news that moderate lifestyle changes can also improve the health of those who are at risk for diabetes or who currently live with its challenges. If your organization is located in any of the participating counties and you are interested in becoming part of the coalition and its mission, please contact Nicole Garnsey for more information.

As a team, the coalition is making great strides in diabetes education and they’re looking forward to a long and successful future improving the health and wellbeing of those living with diabetes. Nicole is happy to be part of this exciting project. As part of her commitment to diabetes education, the Feed the Soul website will begin featuring a diabetes-related article each month. Her goal is to meet your health education needs, and your feedback and suggestions are important to her. If you have questions about diabetes and living with the disease, if you have a personal story about your own journey with diabetes, or if you’d like to suggest an article idea, please feel free to leave a comment or contact Feed the Soul by phone, mail or email. We look forward to helping you live a healthy, fulfilling life.

Be well.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."