Save the Date! General Eye Disease and Preventative Health Talk

The Retina Institute, LA Primary Care and the American Diabetes Association have partnered for awareness of general eye disease and preventative health talk scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2015. The Meet & Greet will take place at 5pm with the presentation starting at 5:30pm. Door prizes include two $50 Target gift cards, coffee mugs, bags and more! Refreshments will be served. This is an open to the public event and free to attend. The Retina Institute – 2701 N. Causeway Blvd. Metairie, LA 70002.

GiveNOLA Day on May 5

GiveNOLA Day is the community’s one-day, online giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations that make our region a stronger and more thriving community. Please consider donating any amount on the ADA’s personal GiveNOLA Day page which can be found here: https://givenola.org/#npo/american-diabetes-association. Giving is one day only and can only be made on this website. Take a look at the website and read more about GiveNOLA and how you can make a difference locally with the American Diabetes Association.

Here’s your chance to win a Go Pro Camera!

Starting Saturday, May 2 through Saturday, May 9, you have a chance to win a Go Pro camera through Tour de Cure. All that’s standing between you and this amazing prize is $100. For every $100 you raise during this one week period, you get a chance to enter for a Go Pro Camera – use this camera and record your amazing ride during Tour de Cure on June 6!

Volunteer Appreciation Week is Here

Volunteers are the lifeline of our organization. Every day, we marvel at the hours, the brainpower, the resources that so many of you give without question and without hesitation and we have hope for a better future. When we see all that you are doing, we have every confidence that we will achieve our goals. Your example tells people that a crisis is at hand and that it affects us all. It shouts that the status quo is no longer acceptable and pre-conceived notions need to be put to rest. Your energy and your drive show the world that we’re not merely preventing or looking for a way around diabetes. You are showing that we are here to confront it. Fight it. And stop it. Whatever it takes. Thank you.  “Those who devote their lives to a cause greater than themselves, always find a larger, fuller life than the one they remembered.” – Wilbert E. Scheer

Lagniappe: Spring is in the air! Be “fest ready”

With spring, comes lots of weekend and outdoor activities. Crawfish boils, baseball games, fairs and festivals.

When you are living with diabetes, being prepared for any event or outing is important. Here are a few tips to stay on top of your A-game.

• Pack your insulin & diabetes equipment. Include your insulin delivery device (pen, pump or syringe), blood glucose monitor, glucose tablets, snacks and extras of everything.
• Make sure those with you are aware of your condition, risks that may be involved, and who to contact if/when there is an emergency. A medical ID bracelet is suggested.

Tips for everyone during the hot summer months ahead:

• Freeze plastic water bottles ahead of time
• Cotton, loose-fitted clothing will help keep you cool
• Spray bottles to spritz yourself with water
• Bring sunscreen and wear a hat/visor to shield you from sun damage

What’s Cookin’?

Keep yourself cool with this frosty treat…

When fresh produce is in season, cut up and freeze the fruit yourself. Otherwise, you can find an abundance of frozen fruit in the grocer’s freezer. Play around with other fruit combinations like mango-strawberry, peach-raspberry or pineapple-banana. See a recipe for a Pineapple Peach Sorbet recipe here.

Camp Victory, Did You Know?

Did you know that Camp Victory is one of only two completely free camps that the American Diabetes Association offers? Yes, we are bragging! Our camp is an opportunity for kids between the ages of 6 and 14 to enjoy traditional camp activities with constant supervision from summer camp staff and our volunteer medical team. All supplies are donated and provided to the campers on-site, they literally just have to show up! This experience is unique, like most things in Louisiana, and we are proud to be able to offer this opportunity to 200 kids in Louisiana every summer. If you know a child that may be interested in attending, please have them apply. at www.diabetes.org/adacampvictory. Spots are filling up quickly! We are also looking for volunteer medical staff to help us with this summer’s sessions. Please email Treva Lincoln at TLincoln@diabetes.org or 504-889-0278 ext. 6074 if you are interested.

Wellness Lives Here, new corporate wellness program, launched April 15

Research shows that sitting for long periods of time increases your risk of death from virtually all health problems.  The average worker spends 5 hours and 41 minutes a day at their desk. The American Diabetes Association has launched a new corporate wellness program, Wellness Lives Here. Part of this new initiative is National Get Fit Don’t Sit Day scheduled for May 6, 2015 to encourage everyone to get up and get moving at least every 90 minutes during the workday. It’s one of the Association’s Awareness Days which focuses on physical activity, nutrition, and awareness of your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For more information, or to enroll your company, please visit www.wellnessliveshere.org.