On Thursday, April 4th, we collaborated with Madison B-Cycle to spread awareness of Tour de Cure.  We were able to reach UW-Madison students, staff and visitors by providing extra information, free merchandise and a convenient way to sign up for the race.  Similar events will occur on campus this April, so be sure to check for future dates on our Facebook or Twitter pages.  

Here are a few pictures from our event!    

If you have diabetes, trying to figure what you can and cannot eat may seem like a challenge. There are many myths about what people with diabetes should include (or not include) in their diets and it can be stressful to figure out your meal plan. From this point on, stop worrying! You don’t have to deprive yourself of all your favorite foods.

To start off, many people believe that if you have diabetes, you can’t eat certain foods like sweets, starches and chocolates. This is not completely true. The reality is that people with diabetes can eat what they want—but in moderation. It’s all about maintaining a balanced diet, whether or not you have diabetes.

Change a few of your bad habits and soon enough you will be able to relax and enjoy all sorts of delicious meals and snacks.

Starches: Every healthy diet needs small amounts of foods like whole grains, pasta, rice and vegetables. Many of these carbohydrate-containing foods are a great source of fiber. The key is to watch your portions and avoid overeating these foods at every meal.

Sweets: Dietitians recommend that sweets be saved for special occasions and to make sure your portions are not too large. However, this doesn’t mean they are completely off limits. You have to make sure that if you are consuming sweets or other sugary foods, you are still maintaining a balanced diet and exercising on a regular basis. Don’t stress though, it’s not like you can never enjoy your favorite dessert!  

Aside from the certain foods you have to be careful of and control your intake, the American Diabetes Association has put together a list of 10 Superfoods you can incorporate into your daily diet that are low in glucose and provide essential nutrients.

• Beans 
• Dark green leafy vegetables 
• Citrus fruit 
• Berries 
• Sweet potatoes 
• Tomatoes 
• Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids 
  
• Whole grains 
• Nuts 
• Skim milk yogurt 

The ADA Tour de Cure 2013 Kick-Off Event was a success! Over 40 people attended the event last Sunday at Badger Bowl to learn about Tour de Cure and have some fun. There were stations about the different types of ride routes, website and fundraising, the Red Riders program, team captains, and ADA programs and services.  Afterwards, the Kick-Off teams enjoyed a DJ and bowling!    

Kick-Off team members had a great time while learning a lot at the event! Team members visited different informational stations throughout the event, and one of the stations included a bike demo. Thanks to all who came and supported the Madison Tour de Cure 2013!
 

Pathway to Stop Diabetes to provide funding for innovative diabetes researchers.

With nearly 26 million adults and children in the U.S. living with diabetes, and another 79 million living with prediabetes, diabetes is a physical and financial burden for the health of the nation. To accelerate the research needed to discover solutions and ultimately cure this deadly epidemic, the American Diabetes Association is launching a bold new program, Pathway to Stop Diabetes, an effort to inspire and support a new generation of diabetes researchers. Individuals supported through this program will focus on innovative ideas and transformational approaches that lead to discoveries in diabetes prevention and treatment, and ultimately change the face of diabetes. To learn more, visit diabetes.org/pathway.

Thanks to your advocacy, the Special Diabetes Program reauthorization passed both the Senate and the House and is on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law! Your meetings with Members of Congress, phone calls and emails kept this alive and got us to the finish line!  

The reauthorization renews the Special Diabetes Program for one year at the current funding level of $150 million for the type 1 diabetes program and $150 million for the program focused on diabetes in Native American and Alaska Native communities. This is a major victory for people affected by diabetes.  

Our nation’s most effective federal initiative to Stop Diabetes® and its complications, the Special Diabetes Program has made real advances in diabetes research, treatment and prevention efforts, bringing us closer to a cure for diabetes. 

Because of your help, this renewal will allow for:

• The development of new drug therapies and effective treatments capable of stopping diabetes complications;
• Progress in identifying environmental triggers for type 1 diabetes;
• Prevention, wellness and education programs for communities that are most at-risk of developing type 2 diabetes; and
• Continued research for a cure.

With nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes and 79 million more with prediabetes, curing diabetes and preventing its complications is critical, and this is a huge step in the right direction! This victory couldn’t have happened without you.

Thank you for taking action and giving hope to millions of Americans with diabetes.

Find out more about the American Diabetes Association's advocacy efforts:
2012 Legislative Priorities | 2011 Legislative Victories | Take Action on Federal Alerts | What's Going on in Your State?

Trying to come up with a New Year’s resolution? In a recent study published in the University of Scranton Journal of Psychology, less than 50% of the people surveyed stuck to their New Year’s resolutions for more than six months. However, the most drop-off occurred in the first month, and those who made it to February were far more likely to persevere. 

So how do you make your resolution stick during that pivotal first month? One strategy is to change the way that you think about New Year’s resolutions. “Losing ten pounds” might seem like a reasonable goal, but it can leave you unsure where to begin. Think instead about substituting the donut in the break room with some Greek yogurt or limiting dessert to weekends instead of every day. In the same vein, the ever popular “exercise more” is incredibly vague and easily overlooked during the dreary winter months, and “manage stress” will leave you stressed out about forgetting to manage your stress. 

Instead, vow to begin the day with a fifteen-minute yoga video or take a half-hour to read for pleasure before bed each night. Small changes are much easier to fit into a busy schedule, and they won’t leave you feeling like a failure come February. Eventually, they will be become habit, and, as we all know, old habits die hard.

Want to see what others are resolving to do in 2013? Check out Google’s Zeitgeist 2012 here! You can input your 2013 resolution in the map and see what other people are saying. Remember that little, everyday changes can lead to a healthier lifestyle. 

On Tuesday November 27th, 2012 a team of UW-Madison students involved in Bucky™ PR woke up at the crack of dawn, bundled up for the cool weather, and hammered wooden stakes into the frozen ground. In honor of diabetes month, the signs were created to educate UW students on many health risks faced by those diagnosed with diabetes. Bucky™ PR is a student-run PR firm that provides non-profit public relations to local businesses. The American Diabetes Association in Madison enlisted the help of this talented team to increase participation for their Tour de Cure event in Spring 2013. The Bucky™ PR members crafted an awareness campaign encouraging their fellow badgers to “Stop Diabetes.” Stop signs were placed along the path for students to read as they hiked up the never-ending Bascom Hill. Each stop sign corresponded with a fact about diabetes. For instance, a “Stop Heart Disease” stop sign preceded an informational poster reading “ADULTS WITH DIABETES ARE 2 – 4 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF HEART DISEASE #TOURDECURE.” When the students finally reached the top, they were prompted to visit ADA’s website and become involved in the Tour de Cure event. If you are interested in Madison’s Tour de Cure event and want to get more involved, click here!

You know that walking to classes or work is good for you, but have you ever wondered exactly how it affects your health? 

This infographic shows that even walking just thirty minutes a day can work wonders. For instance, those who aren’t fans of cardio will be happy to hear that walking to the grocery store burns more fat than jogging. With flu season fast approaching, it is also good to know that walking can cut in half your odds of catching a cold. Students and faculty out there will also be glad to know that walking up Bascom Hill once per day, five days a week, thirty weeks a year, for four years is the equivalent of 17.59 times the height of Mount Everest--every little bit counts! Hopping on the bus may seem tempting as temperatures drop, but toss on an extra layer instead and walk towards a healthier lifestyle.