Kiss A Pig

Some nights during grad school I have the urge to feel normal and "grown-up". Last night I had the good fortune of attending Kiss A Pig, a benefit gala for the American Diabetes Association. This event helped to raise >$45,000 to benefit diabetes research and Camp Granada (local camp for children with diabetes). Events of the evening included cocktail hour, a silent auction, live auction with larger items, speech from one of the campers, and the ultimate honor of kissing a real pig. To win such an honor, candidates raised money prior to the event and during the silent auction portion. One of the candidates happened to be my internship director - Dr. Sharon Donovan. The winner was a local middle school student with Type 1 Diabetes - but no hard feelings to any other candidates since it's all about the cause.

To ensure a fun and entertaining time, AC came to the event with me (and was subsequently shocked to see his advisor at the event as well... this provided entertainment for a good portion of the evening). I was pleasantly surprised to run in to other people I knew including one of the RDs I have been working with these past few weeks (she was also part of the planning committee for the event), both of my bosses/advisors, and few other professors from the department. To start the evening we grabbed a couple glasses of wine and proceeded to peruse the silent auction items. Dinner began shortly after we arrived with a light salad, salmon with mango chutney, and tuxedo dipped strawberries (it's a diabetes fundraiser, no cheesecake for us). AC proceeded to gather strawberries from the empty places at our table throughout the night (ok, I confess, I took one extra too). During the silent auction, I bid on an item and won (!), a couple of yoga sessions at the studio not far from my house (score!). My bosses were also bidding for items for their children, some of those items were in hot contention. The evening progressed with another glass of wine and movement into the live auction (pretty entertaining). Needless to say, on a grad student salary, I couldn't afford a.n.y of those items.

Salmon with Mango Chutney over Wild Rice Blend

Tuxedo Strawberries

All in all a pretty good night. :)

My bid won! 2 yoga studio sessions!

In the theme of diabetes, I wanted to include an RD interview I wrote a few years back discussing the issue of diabetes and counseling.

Interview with Julie Hamre, RD, Lake Region Hospital, Fergus Falls, MN
Who is most at risk of Developing Diabetes Mellitus? Do you see any commonalities in those who are diagnosed?Those who are most at risk are those who are overweight and those who have not taken care of themselves by eating poorly. Patients used to be in their 60’s and 70’s when they developed this disease, however now it is becoming increasingly more common to see people who are younger and in their 40’s develop Type 2 diabetes.
How is age associated with this disease?Diabetes is a progressive disease, the longer blood glucose levels stay elevated and the earlier a patient develops this disease, the greater the complications tend to be, especially with patients who are diagnosed at age 40 compared to those who are diagnosed at age 60 or 70.
What complications do you see most often in patients with DM, newly diagnosed, and those who may have had it for a while, but leave it fairly untreated if they don’t follow the diet plan?The most common complications are neuropathy, eye issues such as sight deterioration that leads to blindness, trouble healing, circulation problems, and eventually kidney failure and dialysis; all stemming from not maintaining and controlling blood glucose levels.
What is the usual patient response when they are diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus?How do they respond to you as a dietitian?It is disheartening to admit the truth that education level plays a great role in response and compliance. Those with higher education levels tend to be more open to following dietary and healthcare directions. Those with lower education and intelligence levels tend to be not as understanding of the disease itself in terms of terminology and overall body function, therefore they tend not to comply or want to comply with dietary instructions. People with addictions also tend not to follow the diet instructions.
What type of education do you provide to the patient newly diagnosed and long term patient?Newly diagnosed patients make an agreement with the clinic for basic healthy diet education and follow up with carbohydrate counting. They can request to visit with the dietitian for additional counseling, such as meal planning.Long term or chronic patients are more difficult to educate, so a dietitian has to keep chipping and pounding away why it is important to get blood glucose levels down and focus on long term complications. With these patients there is no beating around the bush, they must be told straight –you will go into kidney failure, go blind, loose your leg, and you will die from this disease if you don’t control your blood glucose levels and follow a healthy diet.
What are some of the diet instructions that you will tell patients most often?For diabetes carbohydrate counting is the most common, followed by dialysis instructions for those who have gone into kidney failure, they must remember to eat more protein and control their potassium and phosphorus levels.
Do you find that patients follow your instructions?Many patients say that they will follow the instructions but don’t. Most give the impression that they will follow the diet, but when looking at their lab values and blood glucose levels that are unstable it is clear that they are not following the diet instructions. Many of the older generation still have the old school way of thinking that if they avoid sugar they will keep their blood sugar low. This is clearly not the case as all carbohydrate is broken down into sugar and contributes to glucose levels in the blood.
What changes can be made in a person’s diet to prevent Diabetes Mellitus?Weight loss is the most important. Those who develop this disease tend to be overweight or obese. People must understand that sugar is not the cause of diabetes. High calorie diets rich in carbohydrates that lead to weight gain are the primary cause. Healthy eating and exercise are essential for weight control.
As a dietitian what are your suggestions for decreasing the prevalence of DM in children and young adults?The perfect solution would be to educate the parents, as children learn most of their eating behaviors at home. Good nutrition education for the parents should start when the child is an infant and continue through their growth and development. Teaching nutrition early is also important, teaching healthy eating choices in school and portion sizes is key.