My last patient of the week is one of my favorites.  Even with her “diabetes-denial issues”, she keeps her weekly appointments.  After reviewing her blood work, I tried to convince her that she had diabetes, but she was unable to be persuaded!  That was until I pointed out – a few times – that she was taking medication for diabetes and if she didn’t have the disease she’d pass out from low blood sugar!   At her third visit, she finally accepted the fact that she has diabetes and losing weight will help her control her glucose levels - tremendously.  Whew……..we got past that and have been working on a gradual change in her eating habits since. I’m so proud of her!

Although she has only lost a few pounds in the past month or two, more importantly, she has changed her eating patterns, and is thinking about her food choices differently.  She started out eating many sweets whether it be at home or when she dined out.  She had “stopped eating bread” but – of course, as she later would find out, that’s not as evil a food as we are made to believe.  Her first step was controlling the “sweet-eating” -  a huge accomplishment and her biggest challenge.  It has simmered down and she now has sweet cravings less frequently.  At our most current visit, she admitted that she is more accepting of her diabetes and is ready to take the next step – not rewarding herself with food!

Hello.  My name is Marci and I’m a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator.  I have so many inspiring patients!  Today I had the priviledge of educating my second 88 year old patient of the week!  The first one was a man who plays golf, recently was diagnosed with diabetes, loves his sweets and was interested in receiving diabetes counseling.  He brought his wife with him to learn about controlling diabetes  - practically - (my specialty) and how to use his new meter.  It wasn’t long after he sat down that he was confessing all of his poor eating habits.

His HbA1c (3-month blood sugar average) was 7.3% (not terrible, but we can get that number down to under 7% or even 6.5%) and his random blood sugar was 154 mg/dL.  By the end of the hour-long session (or maybe a little longer - I can’t resist helping people!), I made it clear that he could OF COURSE continue to have his sweets……….but moderately.  I knew, his wife knew and he knew - and admitted - that he loves his sweets and won’t/can’t give them up.  I suggested alternatives and foods/snacks to add to his sweet list and he seemed satisfied with those recommendations.  We’ll see when he returns in a few weeks.

My second 88 year old patient was a woman.  She lives on her own and is very intelligent and pleasant.  She no longer drives and was dropped off by a friend an hour earlier than our appointment.  Her dilemma was why her fasting blood glucose was high and the rest of her day was running quite normal.  After speaking with her and finding out her routine, it was clear that she has the Somogyi Effect.  What’s this - you might ask!?!  High morning (fasting) blood sugars - before you eat or drink anything - is the result of either (Dawn Phenomenon: hormones encouraging hepatic glucose release (in English: the liver kicks out sugar into the bloodstream) or a Somogyi Effect: rebound effect.  If you go to sleep with your blood sugar higher than it is in the morning,  and you’re not a sleep walker or sleep eater, you are probably getting lower blood sugar during the night and your liver spares you by sending out glucose into the bloodstream.  This is very nice of your liver except it becomes too generous and you wind up with high blood sugar, first thing in the morning.

My patient ate her dinner at 6:00 pm and took her diabetes medication and then ate nothing until the next morning.  Her bedtime glucose was 100 mg/dL and was dropping in the middle of the night.  I suggested that she have a bedtime snack of protein and carbs (a few crackers and low-fat cheese or a fruit and some nuts or even a Glucerna or Extend drink or snack bar or chips made for people with diabetes).  The other option was to speak to her doctor to lower her medication since this was a pattern with her and she didn’t want to eat more - she was trying to lose some weight.

Anyway, seeing these older patients is so inspiring for me.  Sure, some folks get old and lose their mental and physical abilities.  And then there are some, like these two lovely people, who prove that getting old is not all that bad.

Everyone likes to indulge in a bowl full of berries every once in a while. Well it turns out that this delightful pleasure is very good for you. Berries are jam packed with anti-oxidants, fiber, and vitamins! Read more about berries and the positive affects that they have on your body.

This week’s product spotlight features 3 cookbooks by Marlene Koch, RD. These books offer a wide variety of recipes for any type of meal or event. Also included in this week’s spotlight are 3 mouth watering fruit spreads by Walden Farms. Read about all of our featured products.

Do you enjoy parfaits? Do you enjoy cheesecake parfaits even better? Learn how to make Blueberry Cheesecake Parfaits. This recipe has only 185 calories 20 grams of carbs.

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This week American Diabetes Wholesale unveiled its new information website, Destination Diabetes. Our featured guest is Marlene Koch ( nutritionist and cookbook author ).

Marlene Koch will provide health tips and advice monthly in the “Cooking with Marlene” section of Destination Diabetes. Marlene’s reputation has earned her the opportunity to appear on television, magazines, and the radio.

Destination Diabetes will become the premiere spot for diabetic information, with professional writers and delicious recipes. Stop by and see why Destination Diabetes is truly your home for diabetes information.