Let Lenny help you learn carb counting in a fun and easy way!

Carb Counting with Lenny has two main sections:

LENNY’S FOOD GUIDE:
Lenny’s Food Guide helps you learn carb values for many food items across the basic food groups. You can also customize the food guide by adding in your own favorite foods!

LENNY’S CARB GAMES:
Think you have mastered carb counting? Then take the Lenny challenge and test your knowledge with four interactive games. Be careful- games are timed and get progressively more challenging. You can also play against other users and enter competitions to win prizes.

More information can be found on: www.medtronicdiabetes.com

Let Lenny help you learn carb counting and manage your diabetes the fun way.

FEATURES
• Learn carb values for many basic foods
• Customize the Food Guide by adding your own foods
• Test your carb knowledge using Lenny’s fun, interactive games
Compete for game high scores against players across the nation.

Check out the Iphone and Ipod touch app • Ipad app

You can also win a $25 gift card if you beat Lenny’s score! Click here for the details of the Contest

Source: Medtronic Diabetes, ©2010 Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. All rights reserved.

Note: Apple, Inc. is not a sponsor of this application nor any contests, promotions, or similar programs that may be offered by Medtronic.

Here is the TDR exclusive video interview

TDR: What are you ultimately looking to accomplish with the program?
Dr. Ian: The 50 Million Pound Challenge has been around for a few years and our goal has been to help America collectively lose 50 million pounds, but beyond that we want them to become more health conscious. That is, think about what they are putting in their bodies and whether or not their bodies are exercising correctly. One of the complications of course of being overweight is Type2 diabetes. With this great new partnership with CVS/pharmacy we are now going to be offer the challengers not just great weight loss features, which are all available on the website, but also offer them great diabetes information and education along with management strategies, ways to handle the disease and understand exactly what’s going on. We are so excited about this new partnership with CVS/pharmacy because this means our impact will now be multiplied by so many.

Will someone explain to patients that glucose testing at least 4x per day is also important in conjunction with a1c home testing kits? as well as eating healthy and exercising?
Dr. Ian: Well, a hemoglobin A1C test is very important for people with diabetes because what that does is it gives you an idea of how well or how poorly you have managed your disease the last few months. It’s really a good barometer to see how you have been doing as far as controlling your blood glucose levels. The other part of it is testing yourself on a daily basis, which is also important because throughout the day your blood sugar levels fluctuate sometimes extremely dramatically so you have to be aware of what your blood sugar levels are and what you have to do about them. If you are on medication, that matters. When you take your blood sugar levels that also matters. Regular testing throughout the day for a diabetic, a known diabetic, is extremely important for the proper control of the blood sugar levels.

People with all types of diabetes can live a very full life despite diagnosis we all know this but, I know firsthand living with a chronic disease,  is not always that easy. How do you talk to people living with diabetes that find it to be a death sentence and don’t take care of themselves because of it?
Dr. Ian: Sure, well you are right a chronic illness is not always easy. It’s easy to say that it’s easy, but it’s not. Knowing that you have a particular disease, knowing that you have to restrict yourself in some fashion, knowing that you have to pay attention to what you are eating, making sure you are exercising correctly. These things can be problematic for some people. The idea is quite simple, the good news and the silver lining in the cloud when it comes to diabetes is that you can control and manage your disease. The hard part of course is just doing it. What we are hoping with this new partnership with CVS/pharmacy and the 50 Million Pound Challenge is that we will encourage and inspire people in a great community of support to do these things they need to do to better manage their disease. It’s not easy, it’s not always going to be easy, but it’s much better than the alternative and there are thousands and hundreds of thousands of people who have Type 2 diabetes who are living happy, health lives who have life expectancies as long as everybody else, but it requires paying attention to what you eat, paying attention to your medication and making sure you are checking your blood sugar levels quite frequently.

People with type 2 diabetes tend to be older individuals and “stuck in their ways” so to speak how will you talk to these people and encourage them to take better care of themselves without using scare tactics.
Dr. Ian: Well, the idea is to inspire people and show people and demonstrate to them what the positive outcomes can be for them. Diabetes is not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination and showing people who are 70, 80, 90 years old who have been diabetics for fifty or sixty years can make a big difference, but also demonstrating what minor changes can be made to have such a large impact. People think that if you are diabetic all of a sudden your life is upside down and that’s really not true. It’s really about tweaking and modifying some of your behavioral decisions and that in turn can lead to much better outcomes.

What is your take on type 2 diabetes reaching our youth?
Dr. Ian: Well I think it’s of epidemic proportions, I mean we used to call Type 2 diabetes adult onset diabetes we don’t do that anymore because now our youth at younger ages are experiencing and developing Type 2 diabetes. I think it’s a National concern as diabetes of course can lead to all kinds of complications including kidney disease, blindness, amputation and sometimes even stroke. We need to get a grasp on this right away when it comes to youth because if they are getting it younger, that means those complications could potentially strike them younger and then we have a major problem on our hands.

Are you also looking to increase membership on your 50 Million Pound Challenge website through the CVS partnership? Is there an age limit on the 50 million pound challenge website? Is your website going to be used to help motivate people with all types of diabetes (type 1, 2, Gestational) as well as other chronic diseases and conditions? and what are they?
Dr. Ian: To join the 50 Million Pound Challenge you have to be 18 years or older, but it is completely free and our website is 50millionpounds.com, but you can also get information at cvs.com/diabetes. Both websites provide a great number of resources that are free, accessible, quite easy to understand and implement in your everyday life.

Most websites such as yours usually have a fee to join, what inspired you to make it a free website?
Dr. Ian: Well, because so many people can’t afford paying fees. The country is in a tough time and people are paying for things already that I don’t think they should be paying for. Information that can save lives, make you feel better, allow you to live the best you can, they should be for free. This is information that is not patented or territorial, this is information that we all share. I wanted to provide this information for everyone since it’s not about making money, it’s about getting people healthier and giving people hope at this thing we call life.

I checked out your 30 day meal plan, (which is fantastic by the way) As a person living with type 1 diabetes and knowing that some type 2 diabetes patients take insulin for the amount of carbs they eat, did you ever think about putting carb counts next to the food choices?
Dr. Ian: We have been asked that and we have considered it. The idea behind the 30-day meal plan was that it was kind of a warm up for a lot of the people who are doing my program called the 4-day diet and so they could go on the website, do the 30-day meal plan for free, get themselves in tune and then graduate and do the 4-day diet. But, websites are a work in progress and we take advice, we work on it and that is something that we are considering as we do a re-vamp of the entire website.

Around how many calories are in each day of the plan?
Dr. Ian: It all depends on the day of course, but there are between 1,400 and 1,800 calories and my belief is that the calories between different days should not be consistent, they should be up and down because if you can allow your calorie count to fluctuate, then you can never allow your body to become acclimated to eating the same number of calories each day.

Did certified diabetes educators and nutritionists help to make the meal plan with you?
Dr. Ian: Sure, we have a lot of resources. We have nutritionists who contribute to helping the meal plan to make sure the calories fall in the right place, make sure we have the proper amount of fiber in the diet. It really becomes a collective effort to make sure that number one, the calorie count  is where it is supposed to be, but equally important that people are getting all the food groups they need to be healthy.

How many pounds does the average person lose on this diet?
Dr. Ian: The average person should lose approximately two pounds a week, which is really good. If someone lost on average even one pound a week that would be great. Unfortunately people look at TV shows and see people losing 10-15 pounds a week and they have to realize that is so outside of the normal range. Slow and steady weight loss of course is the most ideal because it is sustainable.

Do you recommend Type 1 diabetes patients to go on the 50 Million Pound Challenge?
Dr. Ian: I recommend everyone to go on the 50 Million Pound Challenge, but diabetes is a very idiosyncratic disease which means that what works for some might not work for someone else with the same disease. Each diabetic knows their triggers, they know their blood sugar levels, so they have to make substitutions that they deem are necessary to follow the program, but definitely modify it per preferences and per medical restrictions.

Where else can folks go to get more information?
Dr. Ian: Great, just go to cvs.com/diabetes and go to 50millionpounds.com.

Dr. Ian is a diet expert on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club and author of the New York Times #1 best-sellers 4 Day Diet, Fat Smash Diet and Extreme Fat Smash Diet, and HAPPY: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life, as well as other works of fiction and non-fiction. He hosts his own TV and radio shows, BET’s Meet the Faith and HealthWatch on American Urban Radio Network. Dr. Ian is a contributor to The View and Men’s Health Magazine. He has filed reports and written for NBC Nightly News, Today Show, Essence, Ebony, People, Cosmopolitan and University of Chicago’s Medicine on the Midway.

Thursday 5/13 – To carb or not to carb. Today let’s blog about what we eat. And perhaps what we don’t eat. Some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for. Which side of the fence do you fall on? What kind of things do you eat for meals and snacks? What foods do you deem bolus-worthy? What other foodie wisdom would you like to share?

I’m half Italian. Italian’s eat pasta and pizza. I eat pasta and pizza. If someone said, “Landileigh, you can no longer eat pasta and pizza”. Welllllll, I would have to tell them to <insert bad words>. hahaha! I ain’t giving them up, no way, no how, no sir. Just had to learn how to deal. So I’ve learned that it’s an awful lot of insulin for my pasta and pizza. But I am also VERY lucky in this case for the gastroparesis. Usually a small bolus and an increase of of my basal for a few hours does the trick. I’m very lucky I am not a huge sweet eater. I can go without ice cream, candy, cake, etc. I can go without potatoes and rice. But not pasta and pizza. Diabetes just has to take a backseat for me with those foods. Every single day I usually have one or the other. It is my heritage, my life. They might as well take me away to the rubber room if I have to give those up!

Wednesday 5/12 – Your Biggest Supporter. Sure, our diabetes care is ultimately up to us and us alone. But it’s important to have someone around to encourage you, cheer you, and even help you when you need it. Today it’s time to gush and brag about your biggest supporter. Is it your spouse or significant other? Your best friend, sibling, parent or child? Maybe it’s your endo or a great CDE? Or perhaps it’s another member of the D-OC who is always there for you? Go ahead, tell them just how much they mean to you! Check out the other participants!

I have been thinking about this one the entire day. I could say my husband, but other than noticing the empty insulin boxes on the counter and asking if I need to go to the pharmacy, he has no clue about carbs or basal testing or how my pump works. I could say my daughter, but she only notices when my pump is beeping and wants me to shut it off because it is annoying to her. I could say my family, but I only see my Dad about once a year. Our life consists of monthly phone calls that ask “how are you?”"blah, blah, blah”. My husband’s family just looks at me as if it is my problem, and really have no idea.

This comes to my friends, my two best friends that live close to me really just figure it is something I take care of, and that if I needed them, they would do what they could to help.

This leaves me to my closest friend. She lives far away (all the way across the country). A T1 herself, she asks all the time. She would know what to do, but she lives far away. Not like I can count on her to get me juice when I’m low, or sit up with me at night drinking water to get a high down. But at least she knows me on a daily basis and has an idea of what my A1c is (she’s the only one who actually knows what an A1c is!

Tuesday 5/11 – Making the low go. Tell us about your favorite way to treat a low. Juice? Glucose tabs? Secret candy stash? What’s your favorite thing to indulge in when you are low? What do you find brings your blood sugar up fast without spiking it too high? Check out the other participants!

There are many ways I’ll treat a low during the day time hours, but one of them is not with any kind of glucose product. I cannot stand the taste of tabs, glucoshots, spray or any of those pharmacy “aids”. Smarties, starburst, 7up those are my items of choice.

My problem is this: I never had lows in my sleep before 3 months ago, and now I’ve had two. the first one I was able to get up and get some 7up. This last time was on Saturday night. Luckily my husband heard me as I felt flat on the floor in the middle of the hallway with a 37. Scared the crap outta him at the time, and once I was able to be coherent it has scared me. Now I have all sorts of “fast sugars” on my bedside table. I have no idea what will happen the next time. My husband doesn’t want there to be a next time. We have started talking about a dog, as it would wake him up. But at the moment, we’re still talking.

I’d love to make the Low Go. never wanted it here in the first place!

Monday 5/10 – A day in the life . . . with diabetes. Take us through a quick rundown of an average day and all the ways in which diabetes touches it. Blood tests, site changes, high and low blood sugars, meal planning, anything that comes along. This can be a log of an actual day, or a fictional compilation of pieces from many days.
Normally, I’d post on my old blog “Landileigh’s Little World”, but as Vice-President, I thought this was the greatest place to blog!

My day with Diabetes:

6:00am – Wake up, head to the bathroom, and check blood sugar while waking up and on the toilet. Thank goodness I have an Animas pump, so I can see the screen without needing my glasses! Then wake up daughter to get her on the move towards getting ready for Culinary School. Did ya know she was going for her Baking and Pastry Certification to eventually create Sugar less desserts? Then it is heading for the kitchen for coffee and bolusing.

7:00am – On the road to school – BS check before driving

7:44am – back home, finish coffee, answer emails, plan day

9:00am – Nap time

11:30am – wake up and check BS – bolus accordingly – start real day of laundry/cleaning/email/maintenance of web site – try to get some lunch during this time and keep BS in check while eating/working

5:00pm – pick up Holly from Bus Stop – check BS before driving

7:00pm – DINNER TIME! – usually chicken or hamburger something or other. watch TV with family until 10:00pm

10:00pm – my quiet time and to make sure i’m well in range before going to bed. if i’m high…. bolus… if low… goodie time!

midnight – bedtime!

Check out the other participants of this fun blog posting week! ESPECIALLY our President – Gina Capone!

I used the Zipp case when I went to the gym, and loved that while I was on the treadmill or elliptical machines it wasn’t bouncing off my pants and falling onto the floor. The case goes around your waist and has an adjustable strap for different body types and dual zippers so that you can open the case from any direction.

Another cool feature is that it is multi-functional. The zip case expands so that you can also carry glucose tabs, pdm’s, insulin pens or even your ipod or phones, while still looking really cool!! The case isn’t bulky and fits snug to your body, so you can put a shirt right over it.

Another thing this case has that most insulin pump cases don’t, is a back button hole allowing you to enter insulin vials from behind the case so the tubing doesn’t show!

In my personal opinion I think that this case is great for anyone that uses any kind of insulin pump or multiple daily injections. The Zipps are great for when you travel, if you are into sports or even if you don’t feel like carrying a bag.

Check out the Zipp cases by clicking here: http://www.pumpwearinc.com/pumpshop/index.php?l=product_list&c=132

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Pumpwear Inc has given us two Zipp cases to giveway to 2 lucky winners!

A black Zipp case for a man or little Boy

Black Zipps insulin pump case

and  a Zipps Softy Pink Cheetah Case for a woman or a little girl

Zipps Pink Cheetah insulin pump case

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this post. Be sure to tell your friends!

Winners will be determined by Random.org

Deadline to enter is May 31, 2010. We’ll be contacting the winner on Tuesday, June 1.
So please provide a valid email. Only 2 winners  will be chosen at random and announced sometime on June 1 on this post.

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Congratulations to our winners!!!

Risa who was lucky #13 on Random.org

And JoAnna Silver #24

Thank you to all who entered!

Stay tuned for the next review/giveway coming soon…

Recently, I was sent a bag from Myabetic.com, a new company that just launched its first line of fashionable diabetes cases. Fashionable is an understatement, the bag they sent me is more like FAB-U-LOUS.

When I opened the box, the bag was all wrapped up in white tissue paper. I ripped it off ASAP because I couldn’t wait to see my new stylish meter case! WOW! To be honest it looked like it could be a Coach bag. It even had a canvas bag to store it in so it doesn’t get dirty! WHOA.

Quickly, I ran upstairs to show my mom and sister because I couldn’t believe my eyes. My mom says ” you bought another bag?” (she obviously knows my shopping problem LOL) I said mom this isn’t just any bag this is a meter case! She looks at me like I have ten heads. “Here, Look!” She takes it and unzips it to the middle where there is storage for all of my meter supplies as well as glucose tabs, batteries, money, lipstick, credit cards and whatever I can possibly shove in… Theresa was impressed! BTW It takes a lot to impress my mom.

I seriously love it so much! I can totally use it with a fancy dress or just to go out with the hubby for dinner. Plus, it matches my new shoes I just bought from Banana Republic. Double score!

The best part of all of this is that the founder of the company Kyrra Richard has diabetes and was diagnosed around the same age as me at 24. (me, 25) She designed the bags to be unique and creative! Which they definitely are! Kudos, girlfriend!! this is the bag we want and need. An all-in-one diabetes bag that is stylish and fun.

Check out the bag I got, it’s called MYSTIQUE and costs $45.41! It looks bigger and better in person. Get one for yourself or someone else. I am positive you and “they” will love it! If not, let me talk to them LOL

Check them out for yourself by visiting myabetic.com. Men’s bags are also available.

A portion of Myabetic’s earnings will be contributed to the American Diabetes Association.

This is not a paid advertisement.

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Enter to win a Myabetic Men’s Xpress Testing Case and a Myabetic Ladies Mystique Bag

We’ll be giving away a 1 Myabetic Men’s Xpress testing case a $24.95 value and 1 Myabetic Ladies Mystique bag a $41.95 value.

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this post. Be sure to tell your friends!

Winners will be determined by Random.org

Deadline to enter is April 30, 2010. We’ll be contacting the winner on May 1.
Only 2 winners  will be chosen at random and announced sometime on May 1 on this post.

Good luck!

OUR CONTEST IS OVER! The Winners are:

Carol N.Melissa

Congratulations! We will be contacting our winners to send out their wonderful Myabetic Diabetes Bags!

I haven’t been able to eat now for about 5 days. I have been having intestinal trouble.

As anyone who has read my bio knows, my diabetes was caused by having acute pancreatitis and having my gallbladder out as I had stones that had gotten stuck in my pancreatic duct and bile duct. This, along with gastroparesis gives me days where I can’t seem to leave the bathroom. On Easter Sunday, I had a bout of intestinal distress that although relieved that evening to some extent, was not totally relieved. A bout of pancreatitis popped up again. I’ve been very lucky in that it did not require hospitalization. But it has put a set back to my DTOUR diet. Until further notice per my doctor, I am on a liquid diet. Not just any liquids, but clear ones. This of course makes for difficulties to keep to this regime.

I’m lucky this time, I can at least have liquids! Last time, I was on a glucose drip with no food what so ever, and a hospital television that got only 4 channels, and one of them was the Food Network! talk about difficulties! All I could think about was food. Now I just want the bloating and bathroom troubles to go away.

I know this isn’t an easy topic, but I hope everyone will learn how to deal with other problems of the pancreas, not just diabetes, as I learn every day.

It is always wonderful to find a GREAT breakfast idea. One that is not only diet friendly, but family friendly. This is the recipe for you!

Baked French Toast
Prep time: 10 minutes — Total time: 25 minutes — Serves 4
Per serving: 136 cals, 9 g protein, 19 g carbs, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 91 mg cholesterol, 167 mg sodium

2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted crisp and cut into 1/2″ wide strips
2 omega-3 enriched eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8″x8″ ovenproof pan with non-fat cooking spray.
2. Place the toast strips in the pan. BEat the eggs and egg whites in a bowl with a fork. Add the evaporated milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir to mix. Pour over the bread. Press the bread down with a fork until it is soaked.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until puffed and set. Serve lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar.

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Check back every Sunday for a new video recipe from the Diabetes DTOUR diet powered by Prevention.

Copyright © 2009 Rodale Inc.  From THE DIABETES DTOUR DIET COOKBOOK:  200 Undeniably Delicious Recipes To Balance Your Blood Sugar And Melt Away Pounds. By Barbara Quinn, MS, RD, CDE, and the editors of Prevention.  To order this book, please order online at www.rodalestore.com