American Diabetes Wholesale’s GlucoStories contest submission period is coming to a close on July 6, 2009, so hurry up and submit your inspirational diabetes story. There are lots of prizes to be won, including the Grand Prize -  a trip to Homestead, Florida to see professional race car driver Charlie Kimball’s Championship Indy Lights Race! Share your inspirational GlucoStory with the diabetes community and tell your own personal tale of life, living and winning with diabetes.

Don’t forget that every person who submits to GlucoStories receives a coupon for $5 Off Orders of $50 or more at American Diabetes Wholesale! (Coupon Expires 7/31/09)

And here’s a special message from Charlie Kimball himself to get your engines revved-up to send in your own fantastic GlucoStory!

This week in the American Diabetes Wholesale newsletter, Dr. Wendy Rapaport takes a detailed, step-by-step approach to controlling your stress by one of the healthiest methods available: exercise! Sometimes it is difficult to get started on an exercise regimen, but the benefits to a condition like diabetes and your mental well-being are well worth it. Check out Dr. Rapaport’s article on Destination Diabetes “An Antidote to Stress” for more information.
Don’t forget about our new “Share Your Story” website and contest, GlucoStories featuring professional race car driver Charlie Kimball. We are asking you to share your inspirational stories with the online diabetes community and even win great prizes, including the Grand Prize - a trip to Charlie Kimball’s Championship Race in Florida!

This week, diabetes educator Marci Sloane gives us “The Scoop on Stevia” in the latest edition of the American Diabetes Wholesale Newsletter. There’s a lot of buzz in the US about this sugar-free sweetener as some major companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill and PepsiCo are releasing products containing stevia such as Truvia and PureVia. Find out more about where stevia comes from, a brief overview of the historical worldwide use and with the FDA as well as its relation to the diabetic diet.

If you are interested in trying stevia or are already enjoying it, American Diabetes Wholesale carries products like Stevita Simply Stevia packets for sweetening your morning coffee or Stevita Spoonable Stevia - 16oz Jar for cooking or other uses. In addition to stevia, ADW also carries other sugar-free sweetener products such as the EZ-Sweetz Liquid Sucralose Sweetener or DiabetiSweet Brown Sugar Substitute.

Today in a special ceremony American Diabetes Wholesale paid tribute to Joyce Malaskovitz, PhD, RN, CDE, the winner of their 2nd Annual Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest. We also recognized esteemed Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest finalists Suzanne Laws, MS, RD, LD, CDE and Laura Terrio, RN, BS, CDE.

Created to recognize the unsung heroes of the diabetes epidemic, the Diabetes Educator of the Year Contest received an outpouring of support, and more than 60 people, in both the diabetes and non-medical communities, attended the awards ceremony. NBC 6 South Florida News Anchor and Type I diabetic, Joel Connable, hosted the event. Other attendees included diabetes education professionals, local dignitaries and members of our Destination Diabetes advisor team.

In addition, the event featured prominent speakers such as Donna Rice, immediate past President of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and Charlie Kimball, a 24 year-old race car driver who made international history with a podium finish in the Formula 3 Euro series in his first race - after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2007.

Christopher Thomas of Diabetic Rockstar and Andy “Mr. Diabetes” Mandell of the Defeat Diabetes Foundation were also in attendance. We want to recognize the team at IPump.org for their support of this important award as well.

About Our Winner

Joyce Malaskovitz. Joyce believes in following dreams and taking risks. After the sudden death of her grandfather who was a diabetic, Joyce embarked upon her lifelong mission to become a nurse and certified diabetes educator, and to provide the best possible care to all people with diabetes.

For the past 18 years, she has worked as the Director of the Diabetes Treatment Center at Desert Springs Hospital, and in partnership with Healthways, has led the hospital to become the first in the nation to achieve the Certificate of Distinction for Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Care awarded by The Joint Commission. She has spent countless hours supporting diabetes colleagues across the nation to prepare for their certification. She also spends time assisting various community organizations and businesses to make a difference in the fight against diabetes. She is their voice, educator, leader, advocate and friend.

The American Diabetes Wholesale team extends a heartfelt thanks to everyone that made this award so special to all involved. Special thanks go to Home Diagnostics and the Boca Raton Resort & Club for making this year’s contest possible.

This year’s award was even better than last year, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to raise awareness about the importance of diabetes education.

Marlene Koch is back with another great article in the American Diabetes Wholesale Newsletter! As you probably know, carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation in the age of Atkins and South Beach, but Marlene discusses how some of the information out there is not accurate. In fact, carbohydrates are an important part of a nutritious, balanced diet, so sort the carb myths from the carb facts in the article, “Truth About Carbohydrates.”

Marlene also provided a great recipe for you to try - the Chicken Caesar Wrap! It’s a great balanced mix of fat, calories and carbohydrates - and tastes fantastic too!

This week’s American Diabetes Wholesale Newsletter features an article just in time for American Podiatric Medical Association’s Foot Awareness Month this April. Diabetes educator Roberta Kleinman, RN provides some great tips to follow during this Foot Awareness Month and the rest of the year too! Check out her article “Happy Feet, Healthy You” for more great information on keeping your feet safe and healthy.

American Diabetes Wholesale also carries a wide range of foot care products to help you improve the condition of your feet. Check out the popular Anastasia Diabetic Foot Treatment or one of our newest neuropathy care products, Neuragen PN.

This edition of the American Diabetes Wholesale Newsletter features an informative article by Marci Sloane titled “Food Label Reading Made Easy.” In the article, Marci helps make sense of the myriad of information on food nutrition labels that can often leave a person perplexed. It seems like the labels as well as the expert opinions and studies change every few months, and it can be difficult to keep up with all of these changes when one is at the supermarket. If you need tips on how to calculate the actual calories from fat (not just the grams) or the what allows a food to be labeled “low fat.”

Time is also running out to take advantage of our free gift of a one year subscription to Diabetes Self-Management Magazine. With any purchase made between now and April 15, 2009 you can receive our special gift by shopping through this special offers link.

American Diabetes Wholesale provides many of the diabetic insulin pump supplies that you need in your daily diabetes management, including skin prep products like the Smith-Nephew No-Sting Skin Prep Protective Wipes. These popular no sting wipes have many great features that appeal to anyone who has specific needs, such as daily insulin injections:

• Alcohol free
• Forms a protective interface upon contact
• Does not crack or peel
• Moisturizes skin to minimize dry skin from forming
• Easy-to-apply, even on areas like the knees & elbows
• Easy removal with a skin cleanser or soap and water
• Each No Sting Prep Wipe is individually wrapped

Find this high-quality skin preparation product and other insulin pump supplies and accessories at our online diabetes store.

After weeks of the votes coming in for whom should be recognized as American Diabetes Wholesale’s Diabetes Educator of the Year 2008, the three finalists have been announced:

• Suzanne Laws
• Joyce Malaskovitz
• Laurie Terrio

American Diabetes Wholesale would like to thank everyone out there who took the time to nominate a diabetes educator and vote for the final contestants, including the finalist runner-ups, Linda Aman and Janet Crockrel. It is crucial to recognize the efforts of diabetes educators all over the country, and our goal is to raise awareness of the contributions that these health professionals make as well as the positive impact they have upon the lives of their patients.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner at a special ceremony on May 1, 2009 in Boca Raton, Florida.

This week Marlene Koch is back with a very timely article for these tough financial times titled “10 Ways to Eat Well on Budget.” As many of us are trying to cut extra spending, one of the biggest expenses happens to be food. As you probably know, there is a temptation to save by eating plentiful yet starchy foods such as pasta and rice or cheap yet filling fast food. This poses a challenge to consuming a balanced nutrition every day, especially for those with diabetes. Marlene presents some great tips on how to continue to eat right…and spend right too!

Marlene also offers one of her great and healthy recipes by putting a new spin on an old homemade staple with Tuna Noodle Casserole. Make this old favorite better for you by using low-fat soup and cheese and partially substituting the amount of pasta with artichokes. It sounds like a great way to feed the family (and have enough for penny-saving leftovers) and cut the carbs and fat on this classic American dish.

If you are looking for some more healthy recipes or ideas for the dinner table or snack time, check out our selection of diabetic cookbooks, including Marlene Koch’s own 375 Sensational Splenda Recipes or Fantastic Food With Splenda by Marlene Koch.

Check out the American Diabetes Wholesale Newsletter Archive for useful health information, diabetic recipes and more!