For the past twelve years at our Divabetic live events, on our podcasts and inner blog we’ve been promoting  a ‘New Attitude’ about living with diabetes to help you ‘Keep Your House A Home’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication from occurring.  Now we’re sharing our decade’s worth of our ‘diva brand of diabetes outreach’ advice, recipes and games with you so that you won’t have to avoid the holidays like the Fourth of July in order to take charge of our diabetes.

Typical July weather is hot, hot, hot! If you’re living with diabetes make sure you stay hydrated. Dehydration, or the loss of body fluids, can happen on these very hot summer days whether you have diabetes or not. If you have diabetes, dehydration also can occur when blood glucose is not under control. When blood glucose is elevated, this can lead to an increase in the body’s excretion of urine.

“People with chronic diseases like diabetes as well as people taking certain medications, including heart disease medications and diuretics, which are often used to treat complications of diabetes, are at increased risk of experiencing difficulties in the heat, even though they may not be aware of it,” says Catherine Carver, M.S., A.N.P., C.D.E, Director of Educational Services at Joslin Clinic. 

Tart with strawberries and whipped cream decorated with mint leaves

Our good friend, Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ who loves to bake shares this delicious dessert recipe featuring one of our favorite fruit, strawberries!!!

Sugar-Free Strawberry Tart by the Diabetic Pastry Chef 

1- 8 or 9″ baked pie shell

Filling

1-8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 cup Swerve sugar-free confectioner’s sugar or other equivalent

Strawberry Topping

1/2 cup Marzetti sugar-free strawberry glaze

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

mint leaves for decoration

whipped cream, optional

Beat together the cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar substitute. Spread in bottom of baked pie shell.

Gently combine the strawberry glaze with the fresh strawberries, and arrange on top of the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until set approximately one hour. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ loves to bake! While she was attending cooking school she began creating  diabetic-friendly recipes for breads, cakes and other desserts by swapping out the sugar, blending the flour and cutting the milk carbohydrates after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes READ MORE

DIVABETIC TIP: If you have diabetes, the key to maintaining your blood sugar is to use portion control. Thanks to the low-carbohydrate density of strawberries, you can safely enjoy a 1¼-cup serving. The diabetic exchange for blueberries is 3/4 cup.

When it comes to reducing your risk for diabetes, knowledge is key. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about type 2 diabetes! (Answer at bottom of post) 

DIVABETIC TIP:  Watch for Signs of Heat Exhaustion, especially if you are working or exercising outdoors. People with diabetes and other chronic diseases like heart disease are more susceptible to overheating. Symptoms include: feeling dizzy or fainting; sweating excessively; muscle cramps; skin that is cold or clammy; headaches; rapid heartbeat and/or nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, move to a cooler environment, drink fluids like water, juice or sports drinks (based on your healthcare provider’s instructions) and seek medical attention.

HOT TOPIC: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is troubled by the proposed changes to Medicaid and the negative impact of these changes on low-income Americans, who are disproportionately affected by diabetes. In states that expanded their Medicaid programs, more individuals are being screened for diabetes than non-expansion states. Cuts to Medicaid would leave the most vulnerable individuals with or at risk for diabetes without the health coverage they need to be diagnosed and treated for the disease as early as possible.

As currently drafted, the Association cannot support this legislation. It falls far short of the minimum standards for replacing the important safeguards and coverage provided by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which the Association has outlined. We urge all Senators to vote no on this bill and to work toward meaningful legislation that will protect access to affordable and adequate health care coverage for people with diabetes. READ MORE

ANSWER: Men are more likely than women to have undiagnosed diabetes. One of the big reasons is that men are less likely to go to their doctor regularly. One out of every four people with diabetes doesn’t know it, and a simple blood test can determine if you’re at risk for the disease or already have it. READ MORE