We understand the important work you all do every day to support individuals living with and managing diabetes and prediabetes.

We are so thankful for the differences you all make in the world as you address disparities and improve the health of communities locally and across the nation.

We have been so inspired by our students and are so proud of each achievement. If you have a moment, stop by our CDCES Success Stories page to read about the incredible journeys students have taken to become diabetes educators and advocates.

At Diabetes Ed Services, we work diligently every day to provide diabetes information that is relevant, compassionate and cutting edge. We believe in the potential of all students, from people living with diabetes to health care professionals striving to enhance their knowledge. Thank you for being a part of our lives and community.

We will be closing shop starting today for the holidays. We will open our doors at 7am on Monday, well rested, a few pounds heavier and ready for our Cyber Monday Sale.

On behalf of the entire Diabetes Education Services Team, Happy Thanksgiving!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

To recognize Native American Heritage Month, we are honored to share a treasured poem by one of my favorite poets and writers, Joy Harjo. Plus, we also share an interactive map of Indigenous Lands (credit to NPR).

In 2019, Joy Harjo was recognized as the United States poet laureate and served three terms. Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is the author of nine books of poetry, including the highly acclaimed An American Sunrise, several plays and children’s books, and two memoirs, Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior. Her many honors include the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, two NEA fellowships, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. 

You can learn more about Joy Harjo on her webpage, www.joyharjo.com.

Remember

Joy Harjo

Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.

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Which Indigenous lands are you on? This map will show you.

From NPR

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a time of reflection, recognition and celebration of the role Native people have played in U.S. history. One way to mark the day — and to learn about Indigenous history year-round — is to learn which Native lands you live on.

Happy September

We also invite you to join three FREE webinars we are offering in September. You can pop in for our CDCES or BC-ADM Prep webinars, which Coach Beverly will be broadcasting from her international office in France.

Next, we feature Dr. Diana Isaacs discussing the proposed Medicare (CMS) drug price negotiations designed to make commonly used and expensive medications more affordable. Four of the ten medications outlined are used to treat people with diabetes. You can learn more about this proposal and view a podcast where Dr. Isaacs and Dr. Bellini provide more details in our featured article.

Eating more fruits and vegetables as part of a prescription program improved the health of study participants at over twelve different sites. The goal is to create sustainable, community-based programs that will enhance access to these healing foods for the long term.

After working at Diabetes Education Services for over a decade, my son, Jackson, is kicking off his chemistry studies at UC Berkeley. We sure miss him, but we are excited to cheer him on as he enters this next phase of life. Thank you, Jackson, for your contributions and for recommending Ginger Nichols to continue your legacy.

We invite you to challenge yourself with our question and rationale of the week. We hope you can join our three-day live conference and 25-Year celebration party, cupcakes and swag included, in San Diego.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Coach Beverly and Bryanna

Featured Articles

• Revitalize You Diabetes Program & Business – Sept. 28th
• Diabetes Drugs & Medicare Negotiations
• Fruit & Veggie RX Improves Health
• Jackson Heads to College
• Question of the Week
• Rationale of the Week
• DiabetesEd Training October 11-13, San Diego

FREE Webinars & Resources

• Prep for CDCES FREE Webinar on Sept. 12th
• Prep for BC-ADM Exam FREE Webinar Sept. 14th
• Revitalize Diabetes Program Webinar with Coach Bev, Sept 28th
• New: ADCES Review Guide Book

Upcoming Events – See the complete calendar listing

Free Resource Catalog

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Join us LIVE in San Diego for our DiabetesEd Training Conference with 4 Hours of Medical Nutrition Therapy
October 11-13th, 2023

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Join Coach Beverly and Team for two and a half days of knowledge-sharing, fun, networking, games with prizes, and “aha” moments in beautiful San Diego. 

You don’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind learning opportunity. Get away from all those daily responsibilities and immerse yourself in a fun and intensive conference with plenty of networking opportunities.    

Attendees will leave this conference with new tools and a more complete understanding of the latest advances in diabetes care, from medications to technology to Medical Nutrition Therapy! 

Bring your colleagues and enjoy our friend discount.

Our team expertly translates the complex science of diabetes into understandable terms while keeping it real, practical, and fun. 

Team of expert faculty includes:

• Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BCPS, BC-ADM, BCACP, CDCES – Educator of the Year, 2020
• Coach Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM
• Ashley LaBrier, MS, RD, CDCES, Diabetes Program Coordinator 

All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

You passed the CDCES Exam (yay)! Now five years have flown by, you are up for renewal. How do you maintain this hard-earned certification?

This year, the CBDCE published new rules to renew certification which you might have missed. To make sure there are no surprises during your renewal process, here are key considerations from the CBDCE Website that we hope you find helpful!

2025 CDCES Renewal Updates

To promote quality and inclusive diabetes care and education, the CBDCE Board changed the continuing education (CE) content requirements. Certificants will still need to complete 75 CE units over a five-year period. However, to make sure CDCES’s stay abreast of the latest standards and promote inclusive care, the Board is now requiring participation in CE courses that provide updates on the ADA Standards of Care at least twice during the individual’s renewal cycle.

This means that starting in 2023, certificants will need to start acquiring these more specific CEs in preparation for 2025 renewal.

1. Required CE Activities now include ADA Standards Update

According to the CBDCE, to successfully renew their CDCES, applicants must participate in CE activities that are focused on the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care for Diabetes* two separate times during your renewal cycle.

2. In addition, the following CE Activities are encouraged:

If you are renewing your CDCES in 2025 or later by completing 75 CE units over the five-year period, the CBDCE requires that you demonstrate completion of the following type of CE Activities (you can immediately start accumulating these needed CEs). The CBDCE encourages the following CE activities at least once during your renewal cycle:

• education principals/teaching strategies
• diabetes-related technology;
• leadership/strategy (e.g., CQI, change agent, program development);
• population health; or
• diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (e.g., social determinants of health, cultural competency).

Diabetes Education Services Online University is Here to Help

*Since Diabetes Education Services is Accredited by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), all of our courses can be applied toward your CDCES Renewal.

Our content incorporates the ADA Standards and Content Requirements
Our Level 2 ADA Standards of Care series, CDCES Basic Prep Bundle, and our new “Everything” Bundle are perfect options for those working toward CDCES renewal requirements. Plus, we update our entire library of content yearly to reflect the latest ADA Guidelines.

In addition, our DiabetesEd Training Programs cover the ADA Standards of Care with clarity and intention by a trio of experts, including Diana Issacs, PharmD, BC-ADM, CDCES, and FADCES a contributing author to the ADA Standards.

Plus, all of our content incorporates education principles and teaching strategies, with a special emphasis on population health, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

We are here to help you succeed. Whether you are starting your journey or working toward recertification, our Standards of Care Intensive, CDCES Basic Prep Bundle, and our new “Everything” Bundle or DiabetesEd Training Conferences are perfect options to meet your goals.

For more information, visit CBDCE Renewal Webpage and/or the current Renewal Handbook for details on the requirements.

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Is it Worth all this Work? – YES!

Achieving my CDCES is one of the best and most meaningful investments in professional career! ~ Coach Beverly

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the diabetes certification exams. CBDCE & ADCES does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the certification exams, except for those published by CBDCE & ADCES.

**To satisfy the requirement for renewal of certification by continuing education for the Certification Board for Diabetes Care & Education (CBDCE), continuing education activities must be applicable to diabetes and approved by a provider on the CBDCE List of Recognized Providers (www.ncbde.org). CBDCE does not approve continuing education. Diabetes Education Services is accredited/approved by the Commission of Dietetic Registration which is on the list of CBDCE Recognized Providers.

Happy May

Last week, a disheartened individual arrived for their initial diabetes appointment. With slumped shoulders, they shared how a provider had lectured them about their elevated A1C and insisted they add an additional diabetes medication.

This person described how they had made significant progress in healthy eating and moving more, but that didn’t seem to matter to the provider. Worse, this individual just felt like giving up.

The good news is that this heartbreaking story inspired me to take action.

I penned an article on Person-Centered Coaching and then created a PDF Cheat Sheet that you can reference and share with your colleagues.

My hope is that we can all be a part of lifting people up and acknowledging even those tiny lifestyle changes that are so difficult to initiate and sustain. Through careful listening, reflection, and collaboration, we can make meaningful connections that support change in the long run and improve well-being.

We also reflect on one year of action in celebration of Earth Day. Our family is committed to making ten changes in our daily lives to give back to this incredible planet we get to inhabit. In addition, the crew at Diabetes Education Services decided to highlight the benefits of our domestic pets. They not only enhance our work day but also improve the health outcomes of people with diabetes.

Lastly, we are excited to share that people with diabetes can lower their blood sugars by changing the order of the foods consumed. You can read more about these exciting topics below, plus take a stab at our Question and Rationales of the Week.

Thanks for helping to lift people up,

Coach Beverly and Bryanna

Announcements

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• Conduct a Person-Centered Interview
• 10 Actions for the Earth
• Food Order & Post-Meal Blood Sugar
• 3 Ways Pets Can Support People with Diabetes
• Question of the Week
• Rationale of the Week

Upcoming Webinars

• ReVive 5 Training Program Connect – July 19 & 26th
• Standards of Care Intensive Updates – May 11
• NEW: Tech Data Toolkit – Aug. 30th
• FREE CDCES Exam Prep Webinar – May 23rd
• Upcoming Events – See the complete calendar listing

Free Resource Catalog

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Enroll in our Level 2 | Lower Extremity Assessment | 1.5 CEs

People with diabetes are at increased risk of Lower Extremity Complications. This course reviews the steps involved in performing a detailed assessment of the lower extremities, including how to use a monofilament and tuning fork to detect neuropathy. We also discuss the significance of the Ankle Brachial Index and strategies to prevent lower extremity complications.

Objectives:

1. Describe the risk factors for lower extremity complications.
2. Discuss prevention strategies.
3. Demonstrate steps involved in a lower extremity assessment.

Intended Audience: This is a great course for healthcare professionals who want to learn the steps involved in providing a thorough lower extremity assessment.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it live. Your registration guarantees access to the recorded version in the Online University.

All hours earned count toward your CDCES Accreditation Information

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

Last year, we came up with a list of 10 Simple Steps to improve planetary health. Me and my family committed to making all 10 of these changes and I wanted to report on how we fared for the year. We weren’t perfect, but we definitely made some good progress! Check out our report below!

10 Earth Actions We Took

1. Grow plants native to our area.

We are transforming our yard, plant by plant, with native species. The effort is paying off. The diversity of our bird and butterfly population has dramatically increased, along with a new host of amphibious friends.
By choosing plants that originated from your geographic area, you help support your regional ecosystem and offer pollinators, birds, butterflies, and other healthy critters needed food, pollen, and building materials for their survival.

Read more on our blog, Earth Day Secrets to Improving Planet Health

2. Compost kitchen scraps and cut down on waste

This year, we purchased a Lomi Composter from Pela Earth, and we love it. All of our food scraps go into the Lomi and from this food waste, nutrient-rich compost is created, and serves as the BEST fertilizer, ever. My house and outdoor plants have never looked so good!

3. Eat more sustainable veggies, fruits, and grains and less meat, and processed foods.

My husband, a committed meat eater, recently discovered that his cholesterol was elevated. Overnight, he reached back in time and started cooking the vegetarian dishes of his Armenian grandparents. My kitchen has never smelled so good and the flavors coupled with joy, make each dish extra special. Plus, our fiber intake has dramatically increased and we are all learning more about traditional Armenian foods (so delicious).

4. Drive less and walk more, especially in nature

In addition to walking out day outside with our furry friends, we needed a new car and decided to go completely electric. I can’t tell you how GREAT it feels to drive without creating emissions (and it’s so quiet). In addition, we have enough solar panels to charge our cars and rarely need to go to a charging station.

5. Think of 3 ways to use less water

My husband and I have decreased our frequency of showering and have replaced the emitters in our yard to prevent water waste. Most of our plants are drought-tolerant too.

6. Use cold water to wash, and hang clothes to dry.

Cold water in the washer works as well as warm or hot water for most items. If the weather is bad, we toss wet clothes over chairs and over the headboard. We don’t hang everything to dry, but we are approaching 50%.

7. Turn appliances, lights, and computers off when not in use.

This is an ongoing goal that we keep working on. Our computers are on sleep at night, but we keep forgetting to turn them off.

8. Purchase used items and re-use everything you can. Swap and trade instead of buying new.

As a family, we try to purchase used items and clothes whenever possible. In addition, we work on maintaining our appliances and other household gadgets to extend their life and avoid putting them into landfill.

9. Try to use fewer plastics

Plastic is everywhere and is so hard to avoid. We first committed to no longer buying plastic water bottles and are trying to use refillable soaps, lotions, and other items. When shopping, we bring our reusable bags to the store. The next goal is to avoid buying fresh foods packaged in plastic.

10. Trade out filament light bulbs for new LED bulbs.

We are at 50% of this goal. Since the new LED bulbs last so long, it has decreased the hassle of changing the bulbs and we love the wonderful light color choices too.

Please send us your stories too at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!

For all the earth has given me and I want to give back to this beautiful blue planet. Each intention and action matters.

Each action, no matter how small, matters. We can do this!

With wishes for improved planetary health,

Beverly, Chris, Jackson, Robert and Choochi, and Maverick

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Free Resources Catalog

• Diabetes Cheat Sheets
• Diabetes Blog Bytes
• Medication PocketCards
• 10 Steps to Succeed
• CDCES Coach App
• Free Webinars hosted by Coach Beverly
• Question of the Week
• Free Diabetes Article Library

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.

Happy National Nutrition Month

Join us in celebration of National Nutrition Month with the theme, “Fuel for the Future”.

In this newsletter, we explore food sustainability while providing multiple strategies to address food insecurity. About 20% of people living with diabetes don’t have adequate access to predictable and healthy food. As diabetes care and education specialists, we can take a leadership role in our healthcare communities and on an individual level to make sure people know how to access food and make their dollars stretch when purchasing groceries.

Our first article dives into healthy eating while keeping the environment in mind. We include lots of additional resources to explore and share with your community.

Bryanna, our Director of Operations, details how she helped to create a community refrigerator that offers fresh fruit, veggies, and dairy products for people living with food insecurity. The end result is heartwarming and nourishing.

Coach Beverly provides ideas on maximizing a person’s purchasing power by choosing lower-cost yet super-healthy foods. In addition, this article contains lots of resources on plant-based foods and recipes that are easy to prepare.

We also celebrate Registered Dietitian Nutritionists with a spotlight on our expert Virtual Conference speaker, Ashley LaBrier, MS, RD, CDCES. Did you know that people with diabetes who meet with an RD/RDN have a 0.3 to 2% drop in A1C levels? Dietitians are evidence-based, caring advocates and some of my favorite people.

We hope you enjoy our nutrition-inspired Questions and Rationales of the Week for the entire month of March!

Wishing you a nutritious month,

Coach Beverly and Bryanna

Featured Articles

• National Nutrition Month
• Start a Community Fridge
• Strategies to Address Food Insecurity
• Celebrating Dietitians
• Lilly Insulin Cap of $35
• Question of the Week
• Rationale of the Week

Upcoming Webinars

• Critical Assessment Webinar – March 28th
• Prep CDCES Prep FREE Webinar- March 30th
• Virtual DiabetesEd Training Conference – April 26th
• Upcoming Events – See complete calendar listing

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FREE Resource Catalog

• Diabetes Cheat Sheets
• Diabetes Blog Bytes
• Medication PocketCards
• 10 Steps to Succeed
• CDCES Coach App
• Free Webinars hosted by Coach Beverly
• Question of the Week
• Free Diabetes Article Library

See Full Free Resource Catalog

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Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE!  Sign up below!

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The use of DES products does not guarantee the successful passage of the CDCES exam. CBDCE does not endorse any preparatory or review materials for the CDCES exam, except for those published by CBDCE.