Battling For Health

The dairy cow knows the value of Vitamin D.

And now so do researchers.

Study participants were given Vitamin D supplements (typical infant multivitamins) from birth on and after a tracking period of 15 to 30 years it was found that they were 29% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes than those infants who did not receive the supplemental Vitamin D. (Archives of Disease in Childhood) You can read the entire story here.

Low levels of Vitamin D apparently leads to insulin resistance.

Sources of Vitamin D:

• Vitamin D is synthesized in the human skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet light
• Fortified milk
• Swiss Cheese
• Beef Liver
• Fish (mackerel, tuna, sardines)
• Eggs
• Cod liver oil

And according to this associated article from USA Today News: June 14, 2008, Vitamin D Tests Soar As Deficiency, Diseases Linked—more doctors are testing for Vitamin D deficiency related diseases than ever before as more than 35% of adult Americans are found to have low levels.

How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?

Per the Mayo Clinic:

“You’re unlikely to get too much vitamin D from the food you eat, and prolonged sun exposure doesn’t seem to cause vitamin D toxicity. Over time, however, megadoses of vitamin D supplements can cause

nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss. More seriously, excessive doses of vitamin D can raise the level of calcium in your blood — which can cause confusion and changes in heart rhythm. Generally, the upper limit for vitamin D is 2,000 IU a day.”

Recipes to Enrich the Vitamin D in Your Diet:

• From Cooking Light: Vitamin D Friendly Recipes including Espresso Soy Milk Shake and Cajun Salmon Cakes.

• Sautéed Chard and Salmon recipe from Whole Foods.

• Egg Casserole from dLife

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Put this on your calendar!

The stars will be out Friday, September 5, at 8pm Eastern time in a joint network special. The ABC/NBC/CBS  networks will donate one hour of primetime for a history-making interactive television special, uniting the nation as we Stand Up To Cancer. This network special will feature all three evening news anchors, and will air commercial free.

Are you ready for this line up of stars?

Casey Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Christina Applegate, Lance Armstrong, Josh Brolin, David Cook, Dana Delany, Fran Drescher, Kirsten Dunst, Elizabeth Edwards, Jon Favreau, America Ferrera, Neil Patrick Harris, Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Masi Oka, Danica Patrick, Christina Ricci, Robin Roberts, Commissioner Allan H. Bud Selig, Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Meryl Streep, Hilary Swank, Charlize Theron, Goran Visnjic, and Forest Whitaker–AND, Jessica Alba, Charles Barkley, Halle Berry, Jack Black, Abigail Breslin, Kate Bosworth, Sheryl Crow, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmy Fallon, Jennifer Garner, Brad Garrett, Angie Harmon, Tony Hawk, Marg Helgenberger, Diane Keaton, Rob Lowe, Mandy Moore, Don Newcombe, Sharon Osbourne, Josh Peck, Mekhi Phifer, Keanu Reeves, Jimmy Smits, David Spade and Carrie Underwood.

It doesn’t stop there…

Check this out!

Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes, and Carrie Underwood –  have joined together for “Just Stand Up,” a charity single.

The single will be available exclusively at the iTunes Store September 2.   “Just Stand Up” produced by Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds and Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid
Segments on cutting-edge research will include interviews and discussions with the renowned scientists who are making the big, potentially life-saving discoveries.

 This historical program is designed to educate, inspire and entertain.

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and was established by a group of media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders, whose lives have all been affected by cancer in significant ways. The SU2C leadership team includes Katie Couric; the Entertainment Industry Foundation, represented by Board of Directors Chairperson Sherry Lansing (who is Founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation) and CEO Lisa Paulsen; Laura Ziskin; the Noreen Fraser Foundation and its executives Noreen Fraser (who is also a cancer survivor), Woody Fraser, Rusty Robertson and Sue Schwartz; and nonprofit executive Ellen Ziffren.

 Check out the Battling Cancer archives for more on SU2C.

You can help by launching your own star!  Make a donation of $1 or more to launch a personalized star in honor of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.

SU2C—> This is where the end begins!

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I hope you’re having a great weekend, where ever you are in the world. Here in Denver, we are now post Democratic National Convention. There is a nice breeze in the foothills and we have a three-day holiday weekend.

Diabetes Events From Around the World and Coast to Coast:

Enter the Walk in Nick’s Shoes Sweepstakes-Nick Jonas and The Bayer Diabetes W.I.N.S Sweepstakes

Meet Nick in Los Angeles on November 1st

Winners get to meet Nick in L.A. Flights and hotel included. And the opportunity to be part of Team Jonas at the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Plus, you’ll receive your own personal diabetes coach for 1 year who will help you simplify your life with diabetes through one-to-one support.

National Prostate Cancer Awareness Week is September 19-25. During Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, the Canadian Cancer Society is encouraging men to take control of their health and learn how they can reduce their risk for all types of cancer.

Diabetes Buzz Day is almost here!! Buy a Bee. Help Take the Sting out of Diabetes.

Buzz Day is Diabetes Australia’s annual merchandise fund-raising campaign. Supporting retail outlets and individuals sell merchandise throughout August and September, culminating in our signature, Buzz Day, September 19, where staff actively sell the merchandise at CBD train stations together with a fantastic volunteer force. Visit www.buzzday.com.au to find out how you can get involved.

Feria de Salud is an outdoor community event that is intended to reach thousands of local Latinos/Hispanics with the important message that they may be at risk for diabetes. Feria captures the festive elements of a street fair, but maintains the important aspects of choosing and managing a healthier lifestyle for the entire Latino family. The atmosphere of Feria includes music, dancing, nutritional information, cooking demonstrations, speakers on topics related to diabetes, and a variety of product and service booths. Here’s the September 2008 schedule from the American Diabetes Association:

September 13-New York, NY

September 17-San Antonio, TX

September 21-San Jose, CA

September 27-Dallas, TX

September 27-Miami, FL

Diabetes Headline News:

Science Daily, August 30, 2008. Young Type-2 Diabetic Men Suffer Low Testosterone Levels, Study Shows. ” Young men with type 2 diabetes have significantly low levels of testosterone, endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo have found — a condition that could have a critical effect on their quality of life and on their ability to father children. ”

Beaumont Enterprise, August 27, 2008. Lawsuits claim diabetes drug maker didn’t warn about possible heart complications. Makers of a Avandia, are going to court this week to defend accusations they didn’t do enough to inform patients about cardiac issues related to the drug. “Independent analyses of clinical studies by the Food and Drug Administration also concluded diabetics taking Avandia had a higher risk of heart attack than patients taking other drugs or placebos, the lawsuit states.”

More on Avandia:

Avandia is an oral diabetes medicine that helps regulate glucose blood levels.

It is in the category:

Thiazolidinediones: These drugs reverse insulin resistance.

• Pioglitazone (Actos)

• Rosiglitazone (Avandia)

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The Democratic National Convention has been the news here in Denver this week. I can tell you traffic has been impacted but more importantly; no matter what your party affiliation, we here in the Rockies tasted a piece of history.

Here’s what’s new in cancer news and events around the globe.

Hope on Wheels is a women’s cycling event in Middle Tennessee offering women an opportunity to ride and fundraise in their hope for a cure. Women can ride, train and fundraise throughout the year to prepare for this landmark women’s ride.

100% of participant entry fees are directed to breast cancer research by
the event beneficiary The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation.

An annual one day cycling event for women wishing to find a cure for Breast Cancer, Saturday, September 6, 2008. Register today! Choose 12, 29, 62 or 100 miles!

A Women’s’ Ride to Find A Cure!

Red Sox/Jimmy Fund License Plate

The Jimmy Fund at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute -What is it?

The Jimmy Fund started in 1948 when the Variety Club of New England (now the Variety Children’s Charity of New England) and the Boston Braves baseball team joined forces to help a 12-year-old cancer patient dubbed “Jimmy.” On a national radio broadcast, millions heard the boy visit with his heroes from the Braves as they stood by his hospital bed. Contributions poured in from people everywhere, launching an effort that continues to bring hope to thousands of children and adults facing cancer throughout the world.

If you live in Massachusetts you can get

your official Boston Red Sox/Jimmy Fund license plate.

The funds from these special license plates go directly to supporting research and care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Step up to the plate and fight cancer.

Located in the San Diego area, the Cancer Coping Center is a group of professionals who volunteer their time and expertise in order to relieve the suffering of those afflicted with cancer by providing coping strategies for cancer patients, their family members and caregivers.

Check out their line up of events and if you live in the area, consider volunteering.

Headline Cancer News:

ScienceDaily, August 29, 2008. Growth Factor Predicts Poor Outcome in Breast Cancer. “The response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in breast cancer cells predicts an aggressive tumor that is less likely to respond to treatment, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine.”

FoxNews.Com, August 29, 2008. Australian Tanning Salons Required to Post Cancer Warnings. “In what some in Australia have hailed as a major victory for consumers, the country’s tanning industry has for the first time admitted that tanning salons can damage the skin and cause cancer.”

New York Times Opinion, August 27, 2008. Risks of Cervical Cancer: The View From Merck.

“We believe that your news article minimizes the risks of HPV to American women. The truth is that even 50 years after the advent of Pap testing, 10 women a day are dying of cervical cancer in the United States, as are 500 women around the world. Given these numbers, it is difficult to understand why you did not quote even one cervical cancer survivor, widower or motherless child.”

Telegraph.co.uk, August 27, 2008. Giving Cancer Drugs in the Afternoon Makes Them Twice as Effective. “Giving cancer patients chemotherapy drugs in the afternoon can make them twice as effective at shrinking tumours, new research suggests.”

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I spend a lot of time reading and surfing and hanging out at my library.

I am plethora of trivial information. If only I could find a way to market all the strange and RANDOM stuff floating around my brain.

Today I’m going to share some of the RANDOM diabetes things I have found on the net with you, thus freeing up my gray matter for other things…

And because this is RANDOM, there is NO particular order.

Feel free to share any RANDOMS you have found.

I got 11 out of 12 on this DIABETES IQ QUIZ. I dare you to beat my score!

Free Wizdom Kit from Diabetes Association

Request a FREE Wizdom Kit from the American Diabetes Association for a child with diabetes. An adult must enter their birthdate to begin the request process.

Check out Granola Gourmet. Low glycemic index granola bars that come in Brownie, Chocolate Espresso, Spiced Orange Cranberry and Very Berry.

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Hats of Hope supports American Diabetes Association

Inside each hat is the following message:

Sorry you missed it…but put it on your calendar for next year.

Not only is Brenda Novak an awesome writer but she is an awesome diabetes fundraiser.

The 4th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research is now closed. Thanks to all who supported my efforts to make a difference to my son and all those battling diabetes. In the first three events, we raised over $250,000. This year we raised more than the three other years combined, coming in at a whopping $252,300.

GLUCOBOY!!!

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This week 18 California hospitals were fined for poor care violations, some which led to deaths.

How can you protect yourself from poor cancer care?

One way is to find out if your hospital has The Joint Commission Accreditation.

“The Joint Commission has been accrediting hospitals for more than 50 years. Its accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates a hospital meets high performance standards. JC accreditation helps hospitals improve their performance, raise the level of patient care, and demonstrate accountability in the rapidly changing health care marketplace.”

The Joint Commission sets national patient safety goals each year and along with accreditation programs has certification programs and awards.

How does your hospital measure up?

Find out how your hospital or health care organization rates per The JC. You can also see if they have won any additional awards. You can also file a complaint here. Additionally you can search for the best health care facility in your area for your particular treatment needs on this site.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services brings you….

Hospital Compare-A quality tool for adults, including people with Medicare

The Hospital Compare tool provides you with information on how well the hospitals care for all their adult patients. This information will help you compare the quality of care hospitals provide.

The tool provides information on the following:

The search provides information on the following:

• Hospital Process of Care Measures
• Hospital Outcome of Care Measures (where available)
• Survey of Patients’ Hospital Experiences

The site also lists your rights as a patient of Medicare.

And be sure to look at the hospital check list. Questions to ask your doctor BEFORE you are admitted to the hospital.

The American Hospital Association site provides information on everything concerning your care, from how to resolve billing issues to HIPAA. Find answers to your questions here.

Finally, The American Cancer Society provides a summary of The Patient’s Bill of Rights.

You have the right to:

• Information Disclosure
• Choice of Providers and Plans
• Access to Emergency Services
• Participation in Treatment Decisions
• Respect and Non-discrimination
• Confidentiality of Health Information
• Complaints and Appeals

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In praise of the tomato.

You already know it’s high in lycopene which helps the fight against, stomach, colon and prostate cancer.

But how else do tomatoes affect your cancer battle?

Per the American Dietetic Association: “Antioxidants are dietary substances including some nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamins C and E and selenium, that can prevent damage to your body cells or repair damage that has been done.”

Basically an antioxidant is capable of counteracting the normal damaging effects of oxidation by neutralizing free radicals in the body. The balance of antioxidants to oxidants is disturbed by poor diet, smoking, disease, normal aging, x-rays and many other things. When an antioxidant neutralizes a free radical, the antioxidant becomes oxidized and the body needs to be resupplied with antioxidants.

From the U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E, help protect healthy cells from damage by free radicals. Normal body functions such as breathing or physical activity, and other lifestyle habits, such as smoking, produce substances called free radicals that weaken healthy cells. Weakened cells are more susceptible to cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.”

But from the Florida Tomato Growers here are some basic tomato facts:

• One medium tomato (148 g) contains only 25 calories
• And supplies 40 percent of the U.S. recommended daily allowance (U.S. RDA) of vitamin C, 20 percent of vitamin A, some of which is in the form of beta-carotene.
• Tomatoes also contain 1g of dietary fiber, about as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.
• Tomatoes provide potassium, iron, phosphorous and some B vitamins.
• They are low in sodium and contain no cholesterol.

Nutritional Value of a Tomato:

• Serving Size — 5.5 ounces (148 grams)
• Calories — 35
• Protein –1 gram
• Carbohydrates — 6 grams
• Fat — 1 gram
• Sodium — 10 milligrams
• Potassium — 360 milligrams
• Dietary Fiber — 1 gram

Tomato Trivia: Did you know a tomato should never be stored below 55 degrees Farenheit?

It kills the flavor enzymes and causes the water inside to expand, producing a mealy taste.

Killer Tomato Recipes:

First check out Martha Stewart’s EveryDay Foods– Garden Goodies: Tomato Fest!

Now how about some Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes from Every Day with Rachael Ray!

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