Dialog

Volume 9, Issue 4, Fall 2008

Living with Diabetes  
You are a key player on your health care team when it comes to managing your diabetes.

In this issue...

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Spotlight on: Counting carbohydrates

Curing mixed dish malady: Easy ways to count carbs
Cara Walcheck, registered dietitian with Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education, smiles at the camera. She has short, straight blonde hair an a square-shaped face. Eating the right amount of carbohydrates gives your body the energy and nutrition it needs. But too many carbs can lead to high blood glucose, making your diabetes go out of control.

Counting carbohydrates can be easy when there are a few ingredients to factor in. But what do you do when you're craving a meal with many different ingredients? Cara Walcheck, registered dietitian, offers some quick and easy ways to count carbohydrates in mixed dishes...

Prescription for Success: Are artificial sweeteners safe?

Artificial sweeteners: Good in moderation
Photo: A white sugar bowl sits on a table. A teaspoon full of granular sugar is scooped out. Artificial sweeteners, also called sugar substitutes, flavor food without the calories or carbohydrates of regular sugar. This can help you control your weight and blood glucose.

Despite these advantages, artificial sweeteners have long caused debate. Do they cause cancer, obesity or other health problems?

Preventive Care: Influenza and pneumonia vaccines

Flu and pneumonia shots can help manage diabetes
Photo of someone about to get a vaccination. A medical professional wearing gloves is rubbing the upper arm with a cotton ball, while preparing to administer a shot. Each year, 10,000 to 30,000 people with diabetes in the United States die from complications (problems) from the flu and pneumonia. People with diabetes are also six times more likely to have a hospital stay because of these complications. Getting flu and pneumonia shots is an easy, safe way to protect yourself...

Diabetes in the News

Moderate aerobic exercise lowers diabetics' liver fat
In people with type 2 diabetes, regular aerobic exercise and weightlifting may reduce levels of fat in the liver by as much as 40 percent, according to Johns Hopkins researchers…

Diabetics less likely to lose weight after gastric bypass
People with diabetes and those with larger stomach pouches are less likely than others to have good weight loss after gastric bypass surgery, according to researchers who analyzed data from more than 300 gastric bypass patients…

Tight blood sugar control helps diabetics long-term
Type 2 diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar levels early, even if only for the first 10 years after diagnosis, have reduced risk of heart attack, death and other complications a decade or more later, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine

Under-the-skin blood sugar monitor boosts diabetes control
A device worn under the skin that measures blood sugar 24/7 can benefit people with type 1 diabetes, a new study shows.

"Continuous glucose monitoring" consists of a disposable blood sugar sensor placed under the skin, worn for a few days and then replaced. The device used in the study monitors blood glucose about every five minutes…

Once-weekly diabetes drug boosts blood sugar control
A new once-a-week formulation of the injectable diabetes drug Byetta (exenatide) controls blood sugar better than the older twice-a-day formulation, researchers report in The Lancet. The findings follow less-heartening news about Byetta…

Featured Recipe

Pumpkin cheesecake

Usually high in fat and calories, this dessert favorite has been revamped to be healthier, but just as tasty.

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup SPLENDA® no calorie sweetener, granulated
3 tablespoons light margarine, melted

Filling

16 ounces light cream cheese, softened
16 ounces canned pumpkin
1 ½ cups egg substitute
3 tablespoons molasses
¾ cups SPLENDA® no calorie sweetener, granulated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, Splenda and butter.
  3. Put mixture in 9x2 ½ spring form pan. Press mixture on bottom and sides of pan. Place in freezer until filling is ready.

Filling

  1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer on high speed, until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until blended and smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Pour filling into crust.
  4. Bake cheesecake 55 minutes or until set.
  5. Cool 15 minutes and run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan.
  6. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Nutritional Information
Serving: 1 slice (121 grams)
Servings per recipe: 12
Calories: 170 (80 from fat)
Fat: 9 grams (5 saturated fat, 0 trans fats)
Cholesterol: 21 milligrams
Sodium: 321 milligrams
Total carbohydrate: 15 grams (1 fiber, 5 sugar)
Protein: 7 grams

Source: Allina Medical Clinic - Diabetes Education, Healthy Holiday Tips and Recipes Cookbook



Print out this coupon to get free admission to the Diabetes Expo at the Minneapolis Convention Center on October 11, 2008. Adobe Reader required to view coupon.
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