(apply for a makeover)
The BD Diabetes Makeover Program is
sponsored by BD (Becton, Dickinson and
Co.), a medical supply company involved
in diabetes care since 1922. The results
of the first three Diabetes Makeover
programs reflect its success. Overall, the
12 participants have decreased their A1C
levels an average of 2. 29 points. If you’d like
to participate in a Diabetes Makeover with
the BD Diabetes Dream Team, now is the
time to apply. The fifth program kicks off in
New York this fall. Five people from across
the country who have an A1C of 9 or above
will be selected. To apply for a makeover,
complete the online form at www.diabetes
makeover.com by September 15. Those
selected will be contacted for a health
screening six weeks before the kickoff.
The summer Edgar was officially diagnosed, he
was very thirsty and urinating all the time. “One day,
I felt really bad and tested—my blood glucose was up
to 700. By the time I arrived home, my technologist
friends had already called Rita,” he says. “But rather
than being angry with me, she was very supportive,
which made me realize how serious it was. She’s
become one of my best health coaches.”
Making Dietary Changes
Edgar started working with Dream Team dietitian
Ann Fittante, R.D., CDE, who works at the Joslin
Diabetes Center in Seattle. “Ann would contact us by
e-mail or phone constantly throughout the 12 weeks,
beyond our weekly conference calls,” Edgar says.
“She spent a lot of time looking over our food diaries
and blood glucose logs. And Ann and Rita talked a lot
about my diet since Rita is also a nutritionist.”
Edgar’s problem with eating was not at home but
at the fast-food restaurants he’d frequent on his way
from work to soccer practice, Fittante says. “The food
at home was great, but we had to cut back on portions
and he needed to pick more healthful snacks. We also
worked on counting carbs so his afternoon snacks
would be snacks, not mini meals.”
Rita helped. “I started making snack packs of raw
vegetables for the soccer field sidelines until we could
get home for a healthful family meal,” she says.
Red Bean Stew and
Cranberry Cucumber Salad
recipes, page 99
Their combined efforts began to make a
difference. “I made my own computer spreadsheet
with what I ate, what medication I was taking, when
I was exercising, and what my numbers were. I was
very precise,” Edgar says. “I could actually see the
effects. I started with a blood glucose average of 160,
then the next month it was 150. Now it’s 135 or 140.
Ann’s follow-through helped me stay on track.”
Sticking to the Plan
“Nowadays, I don’t eat too much junk food—no fast-food places and no soda,” Edgar says. “I just don’t
crave those things anymore. I drink diet iced tea
instead of soda.”
