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Question of the Week | June 4th 2019

Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

The Question of the Week – June 4th 2019

Join us for the new Boot Camp Series, beginning July 1st, 2019 to include changes to CDCES content outline.

The Diabetes Educator Online Boot Camp offers eight courses, plus a bonus course, “The Big Finish” Test Taking Boot Camp, for a total of 12.75 CEs.

You can also download our free CDCES Coach App!


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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Free Resource Friday | Preparing for the CDCES Exam Webinar!

Join us for free on June 5th @ 11:30 a.m. PST

Join us to get ready to succeed a the CDCES Exam. This course will transform your test anxiety into calm self-confidence and test-taking readiness.

Topics covered include:

  • Changes in requirements for 2019
  • Exam eligibility and test format
  • Strategies to succeed
  • Review of study tips and test taking tactics.

We will review sample test questions and the reasoning behind choosing the right answers.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Intended Audience: This FREE webinar is designed for individual or groups of diabetes educators, including RNs, RDs, Pharmacists, Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Physician Assistants and other health care providers interested in achieving excellence in diabetes care and becoming Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists®.

Instructor: Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM is a working educator who has passed her CDCES Exam 6 times. She is a nationally recognized diabetes expert for over 25 years.

See our Preparing for CDCES Resource Page >>


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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Sunlight exposure decreases risk of type 2 diabetes?

According to research conducted by the The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, exposure to sunlight may play a role in decreasing insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

In previous Diabetes Blog Bytes, we have highlighted the health benefits of spending time in the sun. Now, more data to support sun therapy. “Increased bright sunlight exposure may be associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease by lowering blood insulin and lipid levels,” stated Constantinos Christodoulides, MD, PhD, a university research lecturer and honorary consultant in diabetes and endocrinology at the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

This study analyzed over 8,000 healthy participants. The scientist gathered data from body measurements and fasting blood sugar levels. They then juxtaposed this data next to weather measurements in the areas where participants lived.

“Researchers found that each additional 1-hour increase in bright sunlight during the 7 days before blood sampling was associated with a –1.05% decrease in insulin resistance and a –0.54% improvement in beta-cell function .”

Longer exposure to sunlight days prior to blood sampling was also associated with lower LDL cholesterol.

The researchers believe that additional studies should be conducted in order to better understand the correlation.

To learn more: Bright sunlight exposure may decrease risk for type 2 diabetes, CVD – Healio


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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Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference – Using Creativity to Combat the Diabetes Pandemic | Keynote Presentation

If you couldn’t make the Women Leaders in Diabetes Conference (which was completely magical), we have great news. Each Wednesday, we will highlight our keynote speakers and their message. First up, is the amazing Theresa Garnero and Conference Co-Chair.

How many more people could you reach by tapping into your creativity? Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDCES, founder of theSweet People Club, kicked off our Women Leaders Conference with a TED-style presentation and this question. She inspired the audience to incorporate more creativity into their diabetes education approaches. To get the creativity ball rolling, she shared strategies that she uses to provide interactive and fun approaches to diabetes education.

Theresa is a creativity expert. In addition to her numerous degrees and certifications, she is a talented artist, humorist, and cartoonist. She reaches people with prediabetes and diabetes by using creativity as a bridge to build rapport and trust.

Theresa also promotes imaginative expression through movement. As the founder of “Dance Out Diabetes,”  Theresa made a lasting impression on the hundreds of community members who walked through her door. Dance Out Diabetes was a fun dance community made up of all ages, abilities, people with and without diabetes, friends, families, volunteers, and certified diabetes educators. Regular dance programs included ongoing health screenings, a 45-minute dance lesson, and different genres of music. Participants had an opportunity to socialize with peers facing similar challenges in a relaxed and informal setting. Plus, they had improved outcomes.

In 2019 Theresa once again leveraged creativity, combined it with technology and founded theSweet People Club.  This easy-to-navigate and upbeat website invites people with prediabetes to meet weekly and enjoy a modernized CDC curriculum that includes fun, brief informational videos.

The Sweet People Club is perfect for people on the go or who can’t afford the time to come in for multiple appointments. The Sweet People Club houses over eighty videos by Theresa and a team of experts, so people with prediabetes can design an individualized program that best matches their needs and interests.

From cartoons to dancing and technology, there are so many ways to build creativity into our diabetes education programs.  Given the diabetes pandemic, incorporating creativity to keep participants engaged is more important now than ever.

Question of the Week | May 28th, 2019

Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

The Question of the Week – May 28th, 2019

Sign Up for Diabetes Blog Bytes Today

Do you know the best way to prepare for the CDCES exam? Want more questions like this? Really test your knowledge and prepare with our 1-Year Subscription, with over 36 online courses and 50+ CEs.

You can also download our free CDCES Coach App!


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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Free Resource Friday | Preparing for the BC-ADM Webinar – May 29th!

Preparing for the BC-ADM Exam – What you need to know

May 29th @ 11:30 am – 12:40 pm PST

May 29th, 2019 – 11:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. PST

Preparing for the BC-ADM Exam – What you need to know 
Join us for this live webinar 

Becoming BC-ADM is a great achievement for diabetes educators with an advanced degree in their field and a professional license as an advanced practice nurse, registered dietitian, or registered pharmacist. The scope of advanced diabetes practice includes patient management skills such as medication adjustment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise planning, counseling for behavior management and psychosocial issues.

Attaining optimal metabolic control in the diabetic client may include treatment and monitoring of acute and chronic complications. This webinar will review changes in requirements for 2019, exam eligibility and test format, strategies to succeed along with a review of study tips and test-taking tactics. We will review sample test questions and the reasoning behind choosing the right answers. We hope you can join us for this webinar.  Click here for a bunch of free resources, a reading list and to register for FREE Webinar.


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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Question of the Week | May 21st, 2019

Our Diabetes Detective Team scans the diabetes news to discover the most relevant info that Diabetes Educators need in their daily practice. 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!

The Question of the Week – May 21st, 2019

Sign Up for Diabetes Blog Bytes Today

Do you know the best way to prepare for the CDCES exam? Want more questions like this? Really test your knowledge and prepare with our 1-Year Subscription, with over 36 online courses and 50+ CEs.

You can also download our free CDCES Coach App!


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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Nutrition Recommendations in Bite Size Pieces

Registered Dietitians are rock stars.

MNT interventions provided by RDs, dramatically lower A1cs. The results say it all. Within 3-6 months of meeting with an RD, people with diabetes can expect an:
A1c drop of up to 2.0% with Type 2 Diabetes
A1c drop of up to 1.9% with Type 1 Diabetes

Fiber is a BIG deal

Regular fiber intake decreases the risk of death in people with diabetes.

Yet most Americans don’t get enough roughage in their daily diet. Recommended daily intake of fiber is 14 grams per 1000 calories or about 28 grams per day.

Encourage half of fiber intake to come from whole intact grains. Whole grains still have all three of these parts intact: the bran (the nutritious outer layer), the germ (the seed’s nutrient-rich embryo) and the endosperm (the germ’s food supply, which is high in starchy carbs). They’re typically high in iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, B vitamins and dietary fiber.

50 percent of fiber from whole grainsExamples per 100gm include:

  • Barley (hulled) 17.3 grams /per 100gm
  • Brown rice (medium grain) 3.4 gms
  • Bulgur 12.5 gms
  • Corn (yellow) 7.3 gms
  • Oats 10.6 gms
  • Rye 15.1 gms
  • Sorghum (white) 6.7 gms
  • Wheat (hard, white) 12.2 gms
  • Wild rice 6.2 gms

50% of fiber from foods naturally high in fiber. Here are a few examples.

  • 1 large pear with skin (7 grams)
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries (8 grams)
  • ½ medium avocado (5 grams)
  • 1-ounce almonds (3.5 grams)
  • ½ cup cooked black beans (7.5 grams)
  • 3 cups air-popped popcorn (3.6 grams)
  • 1 cup cooked pearled barley (6 grams)

When it comes to finding foods with fiber, the packaging can be misleading. Food labels provide the most accurate information. Foods that are a good source of fiber have 3 grams per serving and foods that are an excellent source of fiber contain 5 grams per serving.

More weight loss improves outcomes

Prediabetes – For overweight people with prediabetes, new evidence supports losing 7-10% of current weight to reduce diabetes incident by 79%. Adding regular physical activity, including both aerobic and resistance exercise, also contributes to the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes – If a person is overweight or obese with diabetes, the most effective weight loss target is 15% or greater to improve outcomes. The previous recommendations of a weight loss of 5-7% are based on the threshold for therapeutic effects. When it comes to weight loss, the greater the weight loss, the greater the benefits.

Eating Patterns – What is best?

There is not enough evidence to support one best approach, but for people with diabetes the research supports the following strategies:

  • Emphasize eating more non-starchy vegetables
  • Minimize added sugars and refined grains
  • Choose whole foods over processed foods

Read the Complete Nutrition Therapy for Adults with Diabetes or Prediabetes – A Consensus Report here.