The acknowledgment and legislative commitment shown by California puts it in league with only two other states, Minnesota and Montana, as states that provide diabetes prevention programs as a Medicaid benefit. Daniel Zingale, senior vice president at the California Endowment, said, “What’s revolutionary about this change is that it finally starts to recognize that by investing modest amounts on the front end on prevention, we can save enormous amounts in the long term”. This change helps Skinny Gene to continue doing what we have been doing, and will allow roughly 25,000 prediabetics to receive DPP care every year through their insurance. The only requirements to benefit from this bill is to be overweight and have high blood sugar levels, so that the ones who receive care are those who need it most.

Designs By: Courteney Lisowski

     Before the DPP, Frieda had very little awareness of the nutrition and impact that it had on her body. She had no energy, didn’t exercise, had joint pains, had consistent mood swings, and “felt quite hopeless about losing weight”. Despite the rough position Frieda was in, she took it upon herself to sign up for one of our DPP classes and soon started seeing a difference. One of the key differences that Frieda saw with the DPP compared to other ways that she had tried to change her unhealthy lifestyle was the commitment. Her prevention experience was an entire year long, with meetings going from weekly to monthly as the program progressed. This reliable, safe place allowed Frieda to find her own success.

“Lifestyle changes just don’t happen overnight, weight doesn’t come off in a flash, and exercise habits take a long time to establish.  Being able to have a framework for a year meant the stage was set for me to succeed.”

     The DPP was also something that Frieda genuinely enjoyed, and that is due to the instructors and impressive group support provided. Frieda’s instructor would email her between classes and go over plans before trips out of town, which really gave her the support and extra push she needed to change her habits. The group in which Frieda worked with was incredibly diverse, with some fitness nuts, others who hated running, as well as people who were short, tall, fat, or skinny. This environment allowed the DPP meetings to become an enjoyable social gathering, creating a place where sticking to a meal or exercise regimen much easier with the support of colleagues going through the same thing right along with you. We are proud to congratulate Frieda on not only reaching the 5% goal, but reaching all the way to 10% below her initial starting weight! Her commitment took her to a much healthier place, and SGP could not be more proud. Just like Frieda felt in the beginning, you may feel discouraged and hopeless, but take her advice and give the DPP a shot, chances are you could change your life and meet some great people in the process.

Designs By: Courteney Lisowski

One of the most optimistic viewpoints on coconut oil comes from some recent studies that have concluded that saturated fat, the main health hazard in coconut oil, is mostly harmless. Several studies since 2015 have eliminated the connection between saturated fat and heart disease, although they are too preliminary for major organizations like the American Diabetes Association to pick up. On top of that, the saturated fat that is in coconut oil is a medium length triglyceride, meaning it is metabolized differently from more common, longer length fats. This different length is the cause of coconut oil’s therapeutic effects on several brain disorders. Its specific length allows coconut oil to have even more benefits, such as helping you burn more fat and calories, as well as curbing your appetite and even lowering blood cholesterol levels.

Coconut oil has a lot of potential, but the most important obstacle in its way is the lack of real research done about it. Without the time and numbers behind consumption of coconut oil, doctors recommend that you limit yourself to about a tablespoon a day before more studies are done to legitimize it as a true healthy food. While this oil may find its way into many households nowadays, stay informed, limit your consumption, and know the real risks and benefits here with us at Skinny Gene.

Designs by: Courteney Lisowski

If I was to eat a serving, and we all know that NO ONE eats just one serving, I would be more than halfway through my daily allotment. This indicates to me that this product is too high in added sugars, to be considered a healthy snack. Into the garbage pail it goes.

Is this wasteful? No, if it stays around I will be tempted to eat some, probably more than a handful even.  They have nothing of value to offer me except a blood sugar spike and a queasy stomach.

VS.

Here is a challenge for you: Practice at a sugar purge. Go in your cupboard and find a food with about the same amount of added sugar as my yogurt covered pretzels and toss it mercilessly.  Practice regularly until you feel you are ready to do a complete kitchen sugar purge. If you feel inspired to do the whole thing now, you have my blessing. Whatever you choose to do let me know about it. I want all the details. What food was it? How many grams of sugar? Was it a full purge or a trial run?

Photography by: Samantha Combs

As a self-proclaimed “date driven person”, Dr. Ivanic uses marketing analytics, statistics and experimental research to come to a general understanding of what influences an individual’s nutritional choices. In her line of research, Dr. Ivanic wants to understand “through a marketing lens, what can firms do in order to help people make better food choices”, while understanding the nuances of race and ethnicity and how they affect those choices.

Her work undermines misconceptions about marketing as simply a creative and ad driven field, stressing the importance of data and numbers for successful marketing projects.

At the very heart of Dr. Ivanic’s research is the concept of empowerment. She says that “when people feel empowered, they tend to make good decisions”. Her aim is to understand how marketers can empower people to make better nutritional choices by instilling affirmation and confidence. In her experimental research she asks subjects to reflect on their race and ethnicity in order to come to an understanding of whether or not they feel empowered with the necessary tools to make these decisions or not. She also gauges “nutritional literacy” in these groups in order to understand where there is a lack of knowledge and information about nutrition which could ultimately empower or disempower specific subgroups of individuals.

Dr. Ivanic chose to become a board member at the Skinny Gene Project because her professional and personal goal of empowerment aligns with the organization’s. Both the Skinny Gene Project’s work and Dr. Ivanic’s research take into consideration how race and ethnicity are two imperative factors for making sweeping changes in nutrition, health and diabetes.

Dr. Ivanic was recently tenured at USD, and hopes that this opportunity will give her time to work even harder on her research and projects. In the near future she hopes to focus her research on epilepsy and stigma, ultimately hoping to understand how social issues and disease are intertwined.

Photography by: Samantha Combs

“97% of people with prediabetes are unaware they have this condition. By partnering with Freedom Meditech, our goal is to change this statistic.” – Marlayna Bolinger, Executive Director of the Skinny Gene Project

Screening for Prediabetes

Currently, 79 million Americans have a condition known as prediabetes, which generally precedes type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. They are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, including heart disease, and stroke. Without lifestyle changes to improve their health, people with prediabetes will most likely develop full-blown type 2 diabetes within 5 – 7 years.

Since prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have no noticeable symptoms,  the disease is  commonly only diagnosed several years after its onset, when complications are already present.  The Clearpath DS-120 has the ability to detect prediabetes and early diabetes up to 7 years before complications begin.  Once a person’s risk has been determined, they can go to their primary care provider for a formal diagnosis. This information gives a person the opportunity to take the necessary actions to prevent the further development of type 2 diabetes and begin to restore their health.

The Clearpath DS-120 is revolutionizing prediabetes and early diabetes screenings, because with a 6 second, painless scan of the eye, a person will be able to understand their risk. Then, they have options on how to proceed. That’s putting the power of prevention back into the hands of the people.

Through the partnership, the Skinny Gene Project and Freedom Meditech are providing pre and post-screening education materials to be distributed to patients, including a “Next Steps” brochure to direct those at-risk to the appropriate professionals.  In San Diego, CA, the two organizations work together to provide prediabetes screenings in low-income communities that have an increased risk for diabetes.

Detecting Prediabetes

How does it work? The Clearpath DS-120 detects prediabetes by scanning the crystalline lens of the eye with a blue light to measure autofluorescence. Studies have shown that elevated autofluorescence measurements can be an indicator of glucose control, the body’s aging process and the presence of systemic disease.

Being able to identify risks of diabetes 7 years prior to complications is crucial in helping to detect and treat diabetes before it can affect an individual’s quality of life. Together, Skinny Gene Project and Freedom Meditech want to inform the public about the benefits of the Clearpath DS-120 and how its use will aid in diagnosing  undetected prediabetes and diabetes early on.

Since the first symptoms of diabetes to appear are usually related to the eye, the Clearpath DS-120 will be useful as part of a yearly check up at the eye doctor. The device could easily be implemented under a professional’s care during each visit, in addition to screenings for glaucoma and retinopathy.

By including the Clearpath DS-120 in Optometrist and Ophthalmologist offices, where patients receive an annual eye exam, we are not just increasing early detection screenings; we’re increasing the opportunity to prevent diabetes.

For more information about Freedom Meditech and their mission you can visit their website at: www.freedom-meditech.com.

About Skinny Gene Project

The Skinny Gene Project (a division of the J.Moss Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preventing diabetes. We help educate those who are at-risk; empower them with the resources, tools, and support needed to make healthy lifestyle changes; and teach them how to make the long-term social, environment, and behavioral changes needed to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

If you at-risk for diabetes, please contact us today to see how we can help!

All month long, we will be debunking myths and sharing a few of our favorite tidbits on our blog, Facebook, and Twitter. We will be adding more tidbits to our list throughout the month, so check back frequently to see the next Diabetes Awareness fact.

We need your help to spread the word! So please feel free to share these tidbits with your family and friends.

Happy Diabetes Awareness Month,

From our Skinny Gene Family to yours!

Diabetes Awareness Month Facts

Tidbit #1: 

Did you know the term ‘juvenile diabetes’ is a dated and misleading term since children, teens, and ADULTS can get type 1 diabetes? The proper term is ‘type 1 diabetes’.

From American Institute for Cancer Research

Several studies have previously linked diabetes to an increased risk in colon, stomach and pancreatic cancers. But until recently, the link between type 2 diabetes and blood cancers hadn’t been established. This is, until now!

News Story: Preventing Diabetes, Preventing Cancer

“If we can prevent diabetes, maybe we  can prevent the onset of these other cancers.”

Dr. Jorge Castillo is a doctor at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

He specializes in treating blood cancers.

“The link between cancer is an evolving matter,” he says.

Castillo says previous studies have linked diabetes to an increased risk in colon, stomach and pancreatic cancers.

He was interested in the link between diabetes and blood cancers, so Castillo and some colleagues analyzed 26 previously published research articles.

“Our study was based on 17,000 cases, which is a large study, and basically shows that patients with diabetes and we focused specifically on diabetes, type 2, which is the most common type of diabetes. Probably 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes are type 2 and we saw that by having that diagnosis of diabetes that the risk of having blood cancers increased by approximately 20 to 25 percent,” Castillo says.

Castillo found the study included all blood cancers except Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Castillo’s findings are published online in the American Hematology Journal.

While more research is needed, he said, by taking steps to prevent type 2 diabetes could translate into 7,000 fewer blood cancer cases.

Castillo says about 150,000 people are diagnosed with leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia each year.

Thanks to new targeted therapies, more patients are living longer or being cured.

By Marlayna Bollinger, Excutive Director

-A mom on a mission to prevent type 2 diabetes and staunch believer that one person can make difference. 

“A little touch of sugar”, yeah right! I’m not sure how this term for diabetes ever came into existence, but I wish it would go away. The fact of the matter is that diabetes is anything but little. Misunderstood, yes!  I think that if we took the time to understand what diabetes really is and isn’t, we’d be better equipped to fight it. To begin, let’s look at the real “big picture” of what some are treating as a “little problem”.

SEEING THE BIG PICTURE 

As of 2012, 105 million people in the U.S  have or are at risk of developing diabetes. To put that in perspective, that is more than the population of  New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Arkansas combined.  It’s projected that in the near future, 600 million people worldwide will have diabetes.

So, I think it’s pretty safe to say that everyone knows somebody with diabetes, it’s just that you, or they for that matter, may not know it yet.

Diabetes is the disease that connects us all, but if we don’t do something about it, it can also cause our downfall.  

From generation to generation, the hope is that we can leave a better and brighter future for our children than we had.  Now, normally that vision includes a great job, family, and an enhanced quality of life. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that my vision needs to include something that I’d normally take for granted- a health care system.

Our health is truly our greatest possession, so it is essential to have a system in place to preserve it. Right now, diabetes and prediabetes cost our country more than $214 billion a year. Yep, a year! That is more than we spend on AIDS and all forms of cancer combined.  This price tag is now threatening to bankrupt our entire healthcare system.

 Dr. Oz said it best when he said, ” I don’t care what system you happen to prefer. I don’t care what party you are.  If we don’t fix the problem of diabetes in the country, we will bankrupt our future ability to pay for healthcare in the nation. Period. “

One of the questions I most commonly receive is, “Why does diabetes cost so much? I mean, we’re just talking some blood sugar strips, meters, and insulin. Right?”  Ummm, not so much. For some, that is just the beginning. If diabetes is not controlled, it can wreck havoc in the body.

PEEK INSIDE

The picture below links to a video that Dr. Oz did, back in 2010, to explain diabetes and how it affects the body. Although a few of the stats are outdated, the video  does a wonderful job of showing the connection between food, insulin, diabetes, and heart attacks. It’s one of the best videos I’ve seen that really gives you inside look at diabetes.

Click to watch the video

MISUNDERSTOOD

I think if diabetes were to have any label, it should be –  misunderstood.

Countless myths about diabetes spread like vicious rumors in our society. These inaccuracies just perpetuate the problem, by instilling shame and embarrassment among those at-risk and living with diabetes. Somehow diabetes has been mislabeled as being a disease for fat, lazy, sugarholics.

Sadly, these negative stereotypes have caused a rift in the diabetes community, mainly because nobody wants to be labeled as having deserved their disease. First of all, nobody deserves diabetes. Secondly, ostracizing a person for something that scientists still don’t completely understand, is not only counterproductive, it’s also hurtful.

Somehow, the fact that diabetes is 90% preventable, has been twisted from being great news, which instills hope among those ready to fend off diabetes, to becoming justification for wagging a finger and pointing blame for a person’s lifestyle choices.

If we want to make a difference, and create a better future for our children, we should stop pointing fingers and start extending a helping hand.

I believe, that when it comes to preventing diabetes, pills are like temporary band aids for a problem that really needs a PERSONal solution. Yes, diabetes is BIG problem, but we can all be a part of the solution by being compassionate, providing encouragement and support to those trying to make positive changes, and creating a community that supports living a healthy lifestyle.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

There are a few things I wish everybody knew about diabetes and diabetes prevention.

1) Type 2 diabetes is preventable, but that doesn’t mean you did something wrong if you ended up getting diabetes. In fact, 90% of the 79 million people with  prediabetes don’t even know they are at-risk.  It’s hard to fight something you don’t know you have. Even if a person did know they were at-risk, they may not have the resources needed to help them prevent diabetes.

2)  Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have different causes. Yet two factors are important in both. You inherit a predisposition to the disease then something in your environment triggers it. Genes alone are not enough.

The environmental triggers for type 1 may include weather, a virus, and early diet.  Type 1 diabetes is less common in people who were breastfed and in those who first ate solid foods at later ages.

We usually hear a lot about genetics in reference to type 1 diabetes, but believe it or not, type 2 diabetes has a stronger link to family history and lineage than type 1.

If a type 2 diabetic  has a family history of type 2 diabetes, it may be difficult to figure out whether their diabetes is due to lifestyle factors or genetic susceptibility.  Just like with type 1, genes are not enough.  Type 2 diabetes is triggered by lifestyle choices. {Learn more about diabetes and genetics.}

Please keep in mind that these lifestyle choices can also be triggered by a person’s environment. Consider this, stress, grief, depression, some medical conditions, and homelessness are just some of the things that can lead to weight gain and increase a person’s risk for type 2 diabetes.  Weight is often just a symptom of a much greater problem, so we should show less judgement and more compassion for those struggling to maintain their health.

3) There are a lot of differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but there are also quite a few similarities. You can get both types of diabetes as a child, or as an adult. Some  people with type 2, and all with type 1, will use insulin. Not only can people with type 1 and type 2 eat sugar, but their recommended “diet” is the same healthy plan that is recommended for all people.

I could go on and on about the myths about type 1 and type 2 diabetes,  but I’d rather hear from you. What other myths would you like to see dispelled? Please tell us in the comments below!

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

Our non-profit organization is dedicated to helping others prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, or feel that you may be at-risk, we’d like to help. Whether you have specific questions, are looking for a little guidance, or are in need of ongoing nutrition counseling and support,  we can provide you with what you need to fend off diabetes.  

Just submit a comment below (it will NOT be visible to the public) and somebody will contact you shortly to schedule  your appointment to speak with a nutrition counselor (free).

 By Emily Barr, MS,RD,CNSC –

Life is too short to waste time and money on fad dieting!

The truth hurts.  The honest truth is, as a whole, we (Americans) have weight to lose, and losing weight is time intensive, hard work.  That’s where the fad diets come sweeping to our rescue, like a knight in shining armor, giving us hope to drop 7-11 pounds in one  week!

They proceed to sweet talk us with some trendy words to convince us that we need to detox our body, or melt our belly fat, to help us drop those stubborn pounds.  Then they give us hope, telling us why this is the solution that is going to be the one diet that works for us.

It sounds like a sneaky business ploy, but let’s face it…we seem to fall for it every time!

Fad diets get a bunch of things majorly wrong!

They promising rapid weight loss over the course of a few days or weeks.  It is a well known fact that rapid weight loss of this kind is not true weight loss, but actually more of the dehydrating kind.  We also know that rapid weight loss is not sustainable; the weight is often regained as quickly as it is lost.

Another blunder of fad diets is the elimination of entire food groups.  Again, it is also well known that different types of foods provide us with a variety of key nutrients that our body needs to keep our metabolism functioning properly.   A third common problem with fad diets is that they are often so strict that we are unable to follow them for more than a few days or weeks.

Fad diets are often so strict that we are unable to follow them for more than a few days or weeks.

The consensus among the experts on how to achieve successful weight loss is to make lifestyle modifications that you can follow for the long term.

Surprisingly, fad diets occasionally get a few things right!

We can use a few of the fad diet strategies to set our lifestyle modification into action.

1.) COMMITMENT

Fad diets require extreme, dramatic changes to your usual food routine.  By signing up to do each of these regimens, you are affirming your commitment to change.  The idea of rapid weight loss is motivating and may push you to do things you had never done before, like go an entire day eating only chicken and vegetables.  At the end of the day, you realize that when you put your mind to something, you can accomplish things you never thought possible.

Action Plan:  Assert your commitment to success by writing down your specific goals and motivation for weight loss.  For example, you may be motivated to lose weight in order to keep up with your busy toddler.  Now that you have your motivation, try setting an easily obtainable, specific goal that you can expand upon.  Maybe you start off with the goal to avoid snacking on your child’s leftovers when cleaning their plate. Then once you’ve accomplished that goal, you expand it to stop mindless snacking throughout the day when bored, working, or doing household chores.

2.) PREPARATION

  Fad diets usually give you a list of “allowable” foods, and then you proceed to the grocery store to stock up on these items.  Why can’t we do the same thing when not following a fad diet?

Action Plan:  Set some goals for the week, and then outline how you are going to achieve them.  For example if your goal is to boost your metabolism by eating breakfast every morning,  you should first plan out what your healthiest breakfast options are, then place them on your shopping  list. Finally, try scheduling breakfast time into the day, so you have time to eat it.

3.)  FOCUSING ON FOOD CHOICES

By starting a strict fad diet regimen, the  not so healthy stuff you are eating goes straight out the window and is quickly replaced by x, y, z, which is specifically designed by the fad diet to reduce your calorie intake (usually so many servings of fruits and vegetables,  go figure).

Eliminating our favorite cravings, cold turkey, can often times backfire on us, ending in a splurge, and then guilt.  Another approach would be to focus on your fruits and vegetables, and by default, you replace your not so healthy stuff with nutritious stuff! Doing this gives you opportunity (calorie wise) to indulge in the occasional splurge.  Plan your splurges carefully (i.e. once a week or once a month), that way you don’t completely abandon your healthy lifestyle.

Action Plan:  Make a list of all of your favorite fruits and vegetables, and then stock up!  But don’t stock up on foods that tempt you.  Focus on filling your home with healthy foods. In other words, make your home your “safety zone”.  Save those willpower smashing foods for special outings where the serving size is controlled and there aren’t any leftovers (e.g. going out for a scoop of ice cream vs. buying ice cream for the house)!

4.) SET MEALS AND SNACKS

  Fad diets would prefer you to eat smaller portions frequently throughout the day.  Well, they may not get the food choices correct, but the grazing type meals and snacks are right on the money.

Action Plan:  Make a daily meal plan including 3 meals and 1-2 snacks to ensure you eat every 3 hours during the daytime hours.  If you don’t plan ahead, you may find that you have gone hours without eating, which slows down your metabolism!

5.) WATER

Fad diets usually will emphasize water, requiring you to drink a certain amount of water every day.  Again, genius!  Most of us do not drink nearly enough water; therefore increasing our water intake will allow us to enjoy a sense of fullness, thereby reducing our calorie intake.

Action Plan:  Set your daily water goal and stick to it!  One suggestion is to divide your water up into 3 portions – drink 1/3 before noon, 1/3 before 4 PM, and the remainder before 8 PM.  Whether you prefer to count ounces or actual glasses of water, just make sure you drink enough water each day to stay hydrated. Drink. Refill. Repeat.

Considering trying a fad diet to achieve weight loss? We urge you to reconsider it! Fad diets may begin with initial weight loss, but they generally end with added weight gain and frustration. Whether you are interested in weight loss to improve your health or self esteem, please know that learning how to live a healthy lifestyle is the best way.

Need a little guidance? We are here to help!  We offer FREE nutrition advice and guidance. Please click here to learn more!