Divabetic – Page 100 – Wellness with a Wow

04/07/201904/07/2019

One Cocktail A Day Could Cause High Blood Pressure

A recent study reports that as little as one cocktail a day may contribute significantly to high blood pressure (hypertension) according to an article on Everyday Health.

“If you only drink a moderate amount of alcohol ( 7 to 13 drinks per week), ask your provider to check your blood pressure at each visit,” said Amer Aladin, MD, lead author of the study and a cardiology fellow at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “If your blood pressure is elevated you should take appropriate measures to reduce it, which possibly means reducing your alcohol consumption.”

Why Does Alcohol Stress the Heart?

People who drink alcohol may be more likely to eat unhealthy foods and exercise less. Alcohol consumption may also increase inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which may have a negative effect on heart health.

“The takeaway is that if you are suffering from high blood pressure, take a look at your alcohol consumption,” says Sarah Samaan, MD, a cardiologist with Baylor Scott & White Legacy Heart Center in Plano, Texas,. “If you drink regularly, cutting back to just a few times per week may make a significant difference.”

Tune in to April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast to hear more about diabetes and heart health with musical inspiraion from Luther Vandross on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 6 PM, EST

CLICK TO LISTEN

Guests include FANDROSS CEO Seveda Williams, Keith Anthony Fluitt, Diabetes Advocate Dan Houdeshell, Pam Henry MEd, Luther Vandross Historian Leon Petrossian, Zhacary Smith, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Luther Vandross’s “Forever, For Always, For Love” album courtesy of SONY Music.

Did you miss Divabetic’s new outreach program, Clued Inn: Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, on Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in New York City? Don’t worry, you can still enjoy plenty of great information about diabetes and heart health at: Know Diabetes By Heart

04/05/201904/05/2019

Clued Inn 2019 Highlights

Divabetic’s Clued Inn Escape Rooms is an innovative, fun approach, to reach people at risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease before they experience health-related complications.

Easy Booking

Quick and easy Individual and Group online reservations start at CluedInn.org with the Diabetes Risk Test or the Heart IQ Quiz.

Escape Rooms

Three interactive themed escape room challenges are filled with brainteasers to sharpen problem-solving skills with the power of communication and teamwork.

“I think it was really great that you organized an escape room with the goal of reaching more folks about diabetes.”

Table Talks

Certified Diabetes Educators (Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN FAADE and Rachel Stahl, MS, RD, CDN, CDE) host discussions for people at risk for and living with diabetes and others to gather and learn together about diabetes and heart health.

“Even if you have diabetes you can lead a fun and productive life”

Clued Inn Tote Bags

Take-home resources include Know Diabetes By Heart information materials, Divabetic diabetes information and Metakura local health program calendars.

“I walked away with a lot of information I had not previously known about diabetes.”

Prize Wheel

An amazing assortment of prize giveaways are courtesy of Sweet Defeat, Glucose SOS, Hint Water, plus ‘My Sweet Life’ books by Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE.

Volunteers

Orientation features diabetes/heart health primer, patient testimonials and overview of program goals to empower and educate.

“We had a great time and the event was wonderful! Looking forward to future events!”

Divabetic’s Clued Inn Escape Rooms was presented on Diabetes Alert Day, March 26, 2019 sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim in New York City, NY.

Divabetic® is a national nonprofit diabetes outreach organization committed to changing attitudes in people at risk, affected by and living with diabetes. We strive to encourage prevention, early action and above all, education.

Divabetic® was inspired by the late R & B legend, Luther Vandross, and created and founded by his long-time assistant, Max Szadek. Divabetic®, a combination of the word ‘diabetic’ with the letter ‘V’ inserted for Vandross, evokes feelings of power and the positive attitude associated with the great DIVAS Luther loved like Patti LaBelle.

04/02/201904/02/2019

Divabetic Remembers Frankie Knuckles

Rolling Stone magazine credits Frankie Knuckles as being one of the most important DJs of all time. Unfortunately the ‘Godfather of House Music’ as Frankie Knuckles was commonly known died of diabetes complications at the age of 59 in 2014.

Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1955, Knuckles started his career as a DJ in the early 1970s. of the Eighties and Nineties’ He quickly became one of the most prolific house music producers and remixers in the 80’s and 90’s.

At his Chicago clubs the Warehouse (1977-82) and Power Plant (1983-85), Knuckles’ marathon sets, typically featuring his own extended edits of a wide selection of tracks from disco to post-punk, R&B to synth-heavy Eurodisco, laid the groundwork for electronic dance music culture— are widely attributed to the birth of the term “house” music (an abbreviation of ‘Warehouse’).

Frankie Knuckles created numerous dance classics, including early Jamie Principle collaborations “Your Love”(1986) and “Baby Wants to Ride”(1987); “Tears”(1989), with Satoshi Tomiiee and Robert Owens; “The Whistle Song”(1991); and his remixes of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody”(1989), Sounds of Blackness’s “The Pressure” (1992), and Hercules and Love Affair’s “Blind” (2008). As his star rose so did the status of his collaborators which included Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

“[When] you’ve got someone as big as Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson sitting there saying, ‘Whatever you want, however you want it, I’ll stay here as long as you need me,’ that’s the reward right there,” Frankie Knuckles said in 2011. He went on to win a Grammy Award for ‘Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical’ in 1997.

The award-winning DJ’s death was due to Frankie Knuckles began to develop diabetes health-related complications in the early-2000s reported the Chicago Tribute.

In July 2008 he had his right foot amputated: He’d broken it during a 2000 snowboarding accident in Switzerland, leading to a bone disease exacerbated by late-breaking diabetes.

“When I saw it was gone I had a good cry, but when I woke up the next morning I felt 1,000% better,” Frankie Knuckles told the Guardian in 2011. “I didn’t realize how much pain I’d been in until it was gone. It was like all of a sudden the sun came out.”

Diabetes health-related complications can include nerve damage and poor blood circulation. These problems make the feet vulnerable to skin sores (ulcers) that can worsen quickly.

More than 80 percent of amputations begin with foot ulcers. A non-healing ulcer that causes severe damage to tissues and bone may require surgical removal (amputation) of a toe, foot or part of a leg.

The good news is that proper diabetes management and careful foot care can help prevent foot ulcers. In fact, better diabetes care is probably why the rates of lower limb amputations have gone down by more than 50 percent in the past 20 years.

“We lost Frankie way too soon,” said Frankie Knuckles Foundation (FKF) committee member Robin Robinson. “He was always ahead of his time. He recognized the power to unite people who had never partied together before. Gay and straight, black and white, young and old, rich and poor, they all came together to crush the traditional social divisions in their mutual love of his DJ-created music that was made for dancing together.”

The Frankie Knuckles Foundation (FKF) is a not for profit educational, and cultural organization dedicated to the advancement of Frankie Knuckles’ mission as the global ambassador of house music through media, conservation and public events continuing and supporting the causes he advocated.

The FKF is a recognized 501c3 and focused on these initiatives: music in schools, LGBTQ youth homelessness, AIDS research / prevention & diabetes research / education.

03/30/201904/16/2019

How Much Do You Know About Your Kidneys?

Correct Answer: E

Knowing the signs can help a doctor quickly intervene and find a treatment. However, many people suffer from early stages of CKD without experiencing any symptoms, which is why regular screenings are vital. Source:

Source Credit:
https://zerocater.com/blog/2018/02/09/keep-your-heart-healthy-at-the-office/

Correct Answer: D

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people of certain ethnicities – Black, Hispanic, or Native American – experience higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, which are risk factors for CKD. Source: Fresenius Kidney Care

Kidney disease is diagnosed through a simple urine and blood test. Kidney function is calculated by determining an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which is calculated using age, weight, body size, ethnicity and which other factor?

A. heart rate

B. gender

C. blood pressure

d. none of the above

Correct Answer: B

Gender factors into the eGFR. Doctors will also perform other tests before determining a kidney disease diagnosis. Each stage of kidney disease corresponds with an eGFR range, which you can use to make informed decisions about your kidneys’ health and care. Using serum blood test results, you can calculate your own eGFR with this calculator.
Source Credit:
https://zerocater.com/blog/2018/02/09/keep-your-heart-healthy-at-the-office/

Correct Answer: A

ESRD is a chronic disease that cannot be cured. While progression of CKD can be slowed, when patients reach stage 5, or ESRD, they will need kidney transplant or dialysis to survive. Dialysis can be performed either in a center or at home. Among the benefits of home dialysis are freedom from the fixed schedule at a dialysis center, fewer transportation challenges and increased engagement in one’s own care.
Source Credit:
https://zerocater.com/blog/2018/02/09/keep-your-heart-healthy-at-the-office/

Correct Answer: D

The changes above, in addition to managing your weight by eating a kidney-friendly diet (e.g. lower protein and/or lower salt) and increasing your exercise, may reduce the disease’s progression. Check in with your doctor before undertaking any major changes. Source Credit:
https://zerocater.com/blog/2018/02/09/keep-your-heart-healthy-at-the-office/

Diabetes is both the leading cause of CKD, and is responsible for 36% of CKD cases, and also the number-one cause of kidney failure in the United States. And, according to the most recent annual report from the United States Renal Data System, only 15% of individuals with diabetes and hypertension were aware of their kidney disease – a figure that reinforces the silent nature of the disease before it becomes extremely dangerous.

03/28/201903/28/2019

Getting ‘Clued Inn’ on Diabetes Alert Day

Divabetic’s newest outreach program, Clued Inn combines the fun and excitement of ‘Escape Room’ game challenges with personalized group discussions about diabetes and heart health lead by certified diabetes educators in New York City on Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

According to a 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30.3 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, but nearly a quarter of them (7.2 million) are undiagnosed.

The CDC also notes that people with type 2 diabetes face twice the risk of heart disease and stroke. Clued Inn is an innovative, fun approach, to reach people at risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease before they experience health-related complications. The problem-solving skills and collaborative team effort needed to escape the room are essential behaviors for successfully managing type 2 diabetes health to avoid stroke, and heart disease.

Clued Inn’s online room reservations process includes screening for type 2 diabetes and/or heart health quiz. The program is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.

03/21/201903/25/2019

Generation Matters: Type 2 Diabetes and You by Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN FAADE

Have you ever scrolled through Instagram and Facebook posts of endless carefree moments and wondered, “is this every-day life”? The truth is that balancing home, work and relationships can be challenging! Add in a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and you may feel overwhelmed by the daily demands of diabetes management. Every person with diabetes is unique and has his or her own feelings, thoughts and perspectives about life with type 2 diabetes. Some folks view a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as a nudge to prepare healthier meals and add in more physical activity into daily routines. Others may feel more anxious about the cost of managing the disease and feel overwhelmed with the prospect of following-up with their doctor or health-care provider.

As we get older, we may have different thoughts about our health and everyday lives. A 25-year-old woman may have different concerns about her type 2 diabetes diagnosis then she will in her 60’s. Financial issues, romantic relationships and schedules obviously change as we age and must be addressed. In order to tackle this important issue, healthline.com conducted a survey of 1500 people with type 2 diabetes across generations to explore their feelings, concerns and insights. https://www.healthline.com/health/state-of-type-2-diabetes The survey explored feedback from Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. As one of the medical reviewers for this important survey, I was intrigued by the varied perspectives across generations.

I was very interested in how people of varying ages felt about their type 2 diabetes diagnosis. About half of Millennials surveyed and about a third of Gen Xers stated that they often hide their condition from others (which may include friends, family and co-workers), because they are worried about what others might think. Additionally, younger respondents were very concerned about the cost of managing their disease, which lead to a reduction in following health care provider treatment guidelines. The cost of healthcare is huge factor associated with proper medical care and can compound fears about potential long-term complications associated with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

As I read the survey results, I was struck by the feelings of judgment, embarrassment and guilt younger people feel when they follow up with their doctor or health care provider. There are many challenges associated with being overweight and type 2 diabetes. The stigma of type 2 diabetes referred to as an “older persons” or “lifestyle” disease may cause younger people to feel embarrassed. Many survey respondents felt their diabetes diagnosis was perceived as a result of lack of self-control behaviors. This perception may lead to less than optimal outcomes, and needs to be addressed with the health care community as well as the general public. More education about type 2 diabetes is essential!

While non-judgmental diabetes language wasn’t specifically addressed in the survey, I believe it should be at the forefront of this conversation. What we say, and how we say it can make a significant difference for a person managing the complexities of diabetes. A task force with representatives from the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association developed a fabulous language guideline paper insightful tips around language use as it applies to addressing issues of with diabetes. https://www.diabeteseducator.org/practice/educator-tools/educator-guidance/diabetes-language-paper

Simple language swaps such as “checking blood sugar” instead of “testing blood sugar” may put a person at ease. Blood sugar is not a pass-fail grade. A person with type 2 diabetes may feel extremely guilty when they see their doctor, and therefore may not return for a follow-up appointment.

Body image was viewed differently across generations. More than 50% of Millennials and more than 40% of Gen Xers reported feeling ashamed about their bodies on a daily or weekly basis. In contrast, only 18% of Baby Boomers feel that way! Millennials and Gen Xers had recurrent feelings of guilt, embarrassment, while this was not seen as frequently in older adults. Hiding the condition was more common for younger people, which lead to issues with romantic relationships and feeling of isolation.

Gender divides were also acknowledged in the survey. Women reported more issues with self-care, including weight management. Many of the women felt that as care givers, they often put others needs before their own.

Rather than feeling overwhelming with all the “must-do’s” associated with daily diabetes care, consider taking small steps which will add up to big changes. Please speak to your health care provider, family, friends, certified diabetes educator or others in your peer support community about your concerns. You are not alone!

Please share your thoughts and comments. I would love to hear from you! Contact: Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN FAADE

Join Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN FAADE and two other outstanding certified diabetes educators, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE and Rachel Stahl MS, RD, CDN, CDE’ at Divabetic’s Clued Inn: Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim on Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in New York City. Currently we have over 150 pre-registered for Clued Inn but there’s still room for you and your friends to participate! Register now at CluedInn.org.

Susan Weiner MS RDN CDE CDN FAADE helped us to make carbohydrate counting fun with a series of colorful Carb Kitty videos available on YouTube:

03/18/201903/18/2019

How Kevin’s Law Is Helping Save Lives of People Needing Life Saving Medications Like Insulin

On April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast, Dan Houdeshell will share how his son’s untimely death, Kevin, spurred his family to take action to pass legislation to help save the lives of millions. Tune in to our exclusive interview on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.

Kevin Houdeshell, who was living with type 1 diabetes died at 36 years old because his pharmacy refused to give him insulin after his script had expired.

“He tried three times to call his doctor’s office and, four days later, he passed away from not having his insulin,” his sister, Amy Houdeshell told USA Today.

His parents, Dan and Judy Houdeshell, were stunned to learn what had happened. “In the wee hours of the morning, we are wondering how can your son, or anyone, stand in front of a pharmacy desk and be turned away for a life-sustaining medication,” says Dan.

Kevin’s unawareness about his worsening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may be due to a pervasive lack of information within the community reports Insulin Nation.

“I have been in contact with so many people [with Type 1] since Kevin’s death [who] are not aware of DKA, its symptoms, the results if not rectified, and how fast DKA can kill someone or put them in grave danger,” Dan told Insulin Nation. “Many (others) in the medical profession (including ER hospital settings) are not are not aware of what can happen if someone goes without their insulin for any amount of time.

A year after Kevin died, he appeared with his wife and daughter on local TV and their heart-wrenching interview helped trigger what is now known as Kevin’s Law in Ohio.

Kevin’s Law allows pharmacists to give up to a 30-day supply of even expired prescriptions of life-sustaining drugs.

“I never imagined we would reach so many people with that one little story about my brother,” Houdeshell said.

Currently HB 64 (also known as Kevin’s Law) has been passed in 12 states and allows a pharmacist to dispense an emergency supply of insulin to a patient without a current prescription.

“No one should have to die because of an expired prescription and can’t get hold of your doctor,” said Amy and Kevin’s parents, Dan and Judy Houdeshell.

Dan Houdeshell feels that there is still much work to be done even in states that have passed legislation. “It’s important to note some versions of the law have flaws,” he told Pens & Needles. “Some states allow only one refill, EVER. That is not acceptable.”

Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Luther Vandross

TUNE IN: April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST. Guests include FANDROSS CEO Seveda Williams, Keith Anthony Fluitt, Diabetes Advocate Dan Houdeshell, Pam Henry MEd, Luther Vandross Historian Leon Petrossian, Zhacary Smith, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Luther Vandross’s “Forever, For Always, For Love” album courtesy of SONY Music.

Don’t miss Clued Inn, the first-time ever Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience scheduled for Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in New York City. Register now: https://cluedinn.org/

03/16/201903/18/2019

Why 2 Young Women Died of Heart Trouble

18-year-old Félicité Tomlinson reportedly passed away from a heart attack/cardiac arrest. A person in the apartment called for an ambulance, but paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene after failing to revive her. She was the sister of One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, the oldest of seven siblings.

Her shocking death comes days after former Miss Teenager Universe Lotte van der Zee passed away at 20 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest the day before her birthday.

Why would young women who seemed healthy die that way so suddenly?

According to HollywoodLife, Dr. Reed Wilson, a Beverly Hills GP and cardiologist stated, “a heart attack is caused by a blocked artery to the heart. The part of the heart that is supplied by the blood vessel dies and no longer pumps. If the area is small enough the individual can do very well. If it is a large area and there is no longer enough heart to pump, the patient can die. The most common deadly problem following a heart attack are abnormal heart beats that result in deadly arrhythmias and ultimately cardiac arrest where the heart stops.”

Since there were reportedly no warning signs, one can’t help wondering if a defect that went undetected?

Dr. Wilson states “some young adults can be born with abnormalities of the coronary arteries that can lead to sudden death. The heart has two arteries, a right and a left (the left immediately splits into two). But some individuals have just one that supplies the whole heart, while others have arteries that travel in strange directions to get to the heart. Both of these can lead to heart attacks.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, and sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly. A heart attack is a “circulation” problem and sudden cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem.

On March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we spoke to Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE about the findings from a recent study the more young women are having heart attacks.

The study states that the proportion of heart attack–related hospitalization rates for women ages 35 to 54 increased from 21% to 31% over the last two decades.

Scientists can’t say for sure what’s causing an increase in heart disease among young women, but they do have some ideas. Last month’s study found that not only had hospitalization rates for heart attacks increased among young people since 1995, but that hypertension and diabetes rates had increased as well. The young women in the study were also more likely to be black than the young men, suggesting that heart disease is hitting young black women especially hard.

Another interesting finding was that, compared to the young men in the study, the young women were less likely to have previously been treated for conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or stroke. This suggests that women are being under-treated this link opens in a new tab for heart disease risk factors, wrote Viola Vaccarino, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist at Emory University, in a commentary published along with the study. Prevention guidelines may also underestimate risk among this age group, she added.

It’s also interesting to note that the estrogen in birth control pills and in hormone patches, implants, vaginal rings and injections can cause an increase in blood clotting, which could result in a heart attack. However, that risk is still very small for most women, especially for those under 35 who do not have other risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking or obesity.

Divabetic will presenting the first-ever Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience: Clued Inn on Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in New York City. Currently we have over 150 pre-registered for Clued Inn but there’s still room for you and your friends to participate! Register now at CluedInn.org.

03/15/201903/16/2019

Lack of Knowledge About Women with Heart Disease

Patricia Addie-Gentle explained how the symptoms of heart disease can very significantly between men and women on March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Do you know that much of the medical research that is used to inform our understanding of disease – and is used to teach medical providers about how to recognize and treat disease – was conducted exclusively on men? Or if women were included, differences between men and women that may have been revealed by the research were often omitted. As a result, women may be subject to substandard care because providers just don’t have the information about what’s best for them.

You can read more about the gaps in knowledge and trust between providers and women patients, and the history behind that, in the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) blog.

We’re talking about ‘HEART HEALTH & DIABETES’ with musical inspiration from the rock band “Heart” on March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes.

People with insulin resistance or diabetes in combination with one or more of these risk factors are at even greater risk of heart disease or stroke. However, by managing their risk factors, people with diabetes may avoid or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.

The rock band “Heart” was started in Seattle in the 1960s. Heart’s mix of hard rock and folk yielded one of the longest lasting and most commercially successful bands of all time. The band is fronted by sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson who wrote many of the band’s songs. Heart’s new “Love Alive” Tour kicks off this Summer with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Elle King, and Lucie Silvas.

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Author of ‘Nutrition & You’ Dr. Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND, Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Glucose SOS founder Pamela Heyward and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Heart’s “The Essential Heart” album courtesy of SONY Music.

Divabetic will presenting the first-ever Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience: Clued Innon Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in New York City. Currently we have over 150 pre-registered for Clued Inn but there’s still room for you and your friends to participate! Register now at CluedInn.org.

03/12/201903/12/2019

‘How to Overcome Your Genetic Risk for Heart Disease’ on March’s Diabetes Late Nite Podcast

‘Nutrition & You’ Author Dr. Joan Salge Blake EdD, RDN, LDN, FAND guests on March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with music from the rock band, Heart scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, March 12, 6 -7:30 PM, EST. Tune in to learn about Dr. Joan’s recent U.S. News article entitled, ‘ How to Overcome Your Genetic Risk for Heart Disease.’

The article reports how a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine uncovered: That a healthy lifestyle can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease – even if your family’s health history isn’t stellar.

The researchers found that people who don’t smoke, aren’t obese and eat a healthy diet, may still be able to beat the family odds of succumbing to heart disease.

Don’t know where to start to improve your diet? Try Whole Oats!

Research suggests that beta-glucan, a viscous soluble fiber found in oats, can help lower total and LDL cholesterol levels. When it comes to choosing which type of oats to buy, keep in mind that how they’re processed matters. According to Johnson McRorie, co-author of a recent article on the subject, the more processed the oats, the less potent the beta-glucan and its ability to lower your blood cholesterol levels. So, while old-fashioned oats take a few minutes longer to cook than instant oatmeal in the morning, they’re probably better for your heart.

Start your morning off with a bowl of oatmeal. Add a dash of cinnamon, which will add natural sweetness to your breakfast. When making meatballs or breaded chicken, swap out some of the breadcrumbs for oats.

We’re talking about ‘HEART HEALTH & DIABETES’ with musical inspiration from the rock band “Heart” on March’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than adults without diabetes.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Heart’s “The Essential Heart” album courtesy of SONY Music