Archive for March, 2010

We are joining great cities of the likes of Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, San Diego, Philadelphia and Nashville in holding a HealthCamp in our wonderful city of New Orleans.

HealthCamp is an unconference inspired by the popular BarCamp conferences, which are intended to allow people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees.

The purpose of the HealthCamp is to bring together health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area to share knowledge, network, and open dialogues around the challenges, issues, and concerns they face every day.  As well as, brainstorm, explore and discuss solutions, ideas and the latest innovations, policies and technology available.

An unconference means that the attendees are the presenters – this is a user generated conference.  There is no keynote speaker and planned agenda for the day.  However, we are establishing some guidelines and tracks.

HealthCamp NOLA will explore 4 different tracks:

Technology

Sessions in the technology track will vary from discussing improving or extending the efficacy of health care by embracing social networks, open standards, and the latest web and mobile technologies to new breakthroughs and latest technology available or being developed that will change the way health services are provided.

Prevention/Wellness:

Sessions in the prevention and wellness track will focus on discussing and addressing what can be done in our community to educate, assist, motivate and encourage people to take preventive measures to prevent diseases and health problems. What can be done?  What are the biggest factors affecting the members of our community? How can health care and fitness professionals best support and help each other? Etc.

Policy

Sessions in the policy track will focus and vary from discussing federal, State and city policy that impact health and wellness providers.  This could include anything from funding issues and concerns, privatization of local hospitals, and the impact of the Health Care Reform Bills recently signed by President Obama.

Business

Session in the business track is to discuss the state of health and wellness businesses, opportunities and entrepreneurship in the health and wellness industry.  What opportunities exist in New Orleans? What type of businesses already exist – what makes them successful?

This will be an extremely beneficial event to all health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area – the energy, opportunities and networking generated from unconferences can’t be compared to anything else you have attended in the past.

Our first priority in bringing this event to New Orleans is finding a location that can support 100-150 attendees.  A space with 4-5 classrooms.  The event will be held on a Saturday.

As soon as we have reserved a location, we will accept sponsorships.  Sponsors are critical to make this a free event for attendees.  The sponsorship will be used to pay for the food for the day, possibly the facility and t-shirts.  NO MONEY is made by the organizers of this event – this event is being organized by volunteers…currently myself and Tung Ly; assisting us is the HealthCamp Organizer Mark Scrimshire.

You can stay abreast of what’s happening by joining our Facebook Group and following us on Twitter.

Today, we have an inspirational interview with Jacques Courseault – a medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine and Co-Founder/Program Designer of Don’t Weight to Lose.

Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization designed by Tulane medical students, to promote long-term behavioral changes in terms of diet and exercise habits. DWTL ultimate goal is for each program participant to develop practical lifestyle changes without diet or exercise fads. They aim to promote small changes in nutrition habits, without sacrificing cultural characteristics in taste; and to increase physical activity, without needing sophisticated exercise equipment.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a faith-based non-profit health and wellness organization based in New Orleans. Basically, Ryan Jupiter and I came up with this idea as first-year Tulane medical students. There was a program that I ran, as a personal trainer, called “Fat Tuesday,” where we offered free body composition and cardiovascular screenings at the Reily Center (Tulane’s gym). Ryan and I were working out one day and were discussing ways to bring a program like Fat Tuesday out into the community. After a year of research and development, DWTL was born. DWTL is now an 8-week program, held twice a year at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Components include physician speakers, health screenings, free exercise equipment, exercises classes and personal counseling from medical students. At this point, we have seen around 500 participants, and many noted significant health improvements.

Q: How does someone become a participant in the Don’t Weight to Lose program?

Jacques Courseault: Visit www.dontweighttolose.org and sign up for our newsletter. We release dates 2 months in advance for people to sign-up. If you don’t want to wait, we have tons of exercise and nutrition information available on our affiliate websites www.ExerciseMenu.com and www.DrGourmet.com. I am the Chief Editor of Exercise Menu, and Dr. Timothy Harlan is a chef turned Tulane Internist who developed Dr.Gourmet.com.  There is tons of great information on both sites.

Q: How much personal attention do the participants receive?

Jacques Courseault: One of the great aspects about DWTL is the personal attention that participants receive from our medical students. We have about 25 volunteer medical students that are trained in exercise and nutrition counseling, in addition to, what they are learning in medical school. Each student is assigned to three to five participants. Students review body composition readings, nutrition diaries and workout logs with participants during each session. There is really a strong bond that develops…

Q: You mentioned it’s faith-based health and wellness program – can you explain that a little more?

Jacques Courseault: Faith-based meaning that we address health issues from the mind, body and spiritual perspectives. Obviously, you have to take physical action, by increasing physical activity and making health food choices to improve your overall health. What is not so obvious is that many of these issues have a psychological and spiritual basis to them that should also be addressed. Having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I have designed this program based on particular theories to address behavior change. Obesity and other chronic diseases have also been linked to psychological disorders, such as stress and depression. Last but not least, is the spiritual component. Making sustainable lifestyle changes is difficult. By making the connection that God has blessed us with the gift of life and health, I try to teach our participants not to take this time we have for granted. In addition, the church offers a support network that provides encouragement when the temptation to revert back to previous ways arises.

Q: What inspired you to start Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: I love New Orleans and the potential that this city has. Nothing can compare to the culture of this city. At the same time, I realize that overindulging in our food and leisurely activities can lead to serious health problems. So, I asked myself “How can we improve the health of this city and still eat great tasting foods and enjoy ourselves?” The answer is to teach small and practical changes that can drastically improve health. The people of New Orleans want to be healthy; however, it’s not always clear how to do that, especially with the day-to-day fads that pop up in mainstream media. Therefore, it is my passion as a personal trainer, physician and citizen of this great city to teach these practical changes.

Q: Have you reached out to former participants?  Have they maintained the new habits they developed during the program?

Jacques Courseault: Being a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and from seeing previous participants at various health fairs or at other functions, we realize that our changes look to be sustainable. We have also received many testimonials about the positive changes people are noting in their lives. One participant reported at 40-pound weight loss, and we have had quite a few that reported 25 pounds or more. We are working to set up a screening session of all of our former participants to see if these changes have been sustainable as we hoped.

Q: How do you feel about the health and fitness scene in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: The health and fitness scene in New Orleans has notably improved after Katrina. The greatest improvement that I have seen is at City Park, with the addition of the new walking and biking tracks. New Orleans provides many avenues for outdoor exercise. One can walk through the French Quarter, bike on the levees, play pick-up soccer at Audubon or join any of the many run/walks that are held here each year. Unfortunately, there is a lack of indoor facilities. To address this problem, I have developed ExerciseMenu.com, which allows people to workout in the comfort of their own home. Resistance training, or weight lifting is important, but we can maintain better health if we regularly participate in outdoor activities.

Q: We hear you are graduating this year – what’s next for you? Will you be staying in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: I will never leave this city. I had a wonderful four years at Tulane University School of Medicine, but will now hang up the green and white for the LSU purple and gold. Starting in July, I will begin my residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I love this field because I can combine my exercise passions with medicine, in order to help people maintain their physical health. I will also continue to make sure that DWTL contributes to improving the health and wellness of this city.

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We’ve covered the basics of a healthy eating plan over the past two weeks but within those categories there are new things to try and new favorites to be found!

One reason people don’t stick with healthy eating plans they try is it seems that there are only certain things they can eat or they don’t like the way the “healthy” food tastes.

Within the food groups we’ve discussed over the past two weeks there is a wide range of choices and selections to find things that you not only enjoy but that are healthy too!

All it takes is being willing to try something new and before you know it you will have an expanded grocery list. Try one of these suggestions this month and you might be surprised with a new favorite food!

• Start Small—Try foods similar to those you like. If you like mashed potatoes, try smashed cauliflower, if you like meat loaf try making it with ground turkey.

• Branch Out—Do you eat the same meat all the time? Instead of beef or chicken try a new fish. Head to the fish counter and ask for suggestions for a local catch. A recipe for that locally caught mahi mahi is only finger tips away with websites like www.allrecipes.com, www.cookinglight.com, and one of my personal favorites www.healthylivingwithellie.com (recipes from a dietitian that taste great!).

• Switch Sides and Snacks—Sides and snacks are a good way to incorporate new foods because you don’t have to commit to a main dish. Try a handful of walnuts, sunflower seeds, or dried fruits for a snack. For a side, choose polenta or couscous instead of rice

• Have Fun—Try new foods with friends. Have a potluck and have each person bring a new recipe for the group to try. Feeling brave? Go out to a new restaurant with friends and let the server decide what you will eat based on what most people order.

A healthy eating plan that is designed by you and incorporates new and old favorites will be much more sustainable than eating foods you don’t really enjoy but eat them because you are “supposed to”. So step out, try a new fish, sauté your vegetables instead of boiling them, choose a new fruit to add to the grocery list each week. Before you know it you will find healthy favorites to keep you satisfied and on track.

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Lauren Futrell Dunaway, MPH, RD, graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Dietetics.  She then completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After becoming a Registered Dietitian, she began to pursue a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Lauren currently works at the Tulane Prevention Research Center as a program manager for their core research project focusing on the built environment and how it affects obesity.

I got up this morning and kicked off my day two of my Arbonne Seasource Detox.  I decided to do a detox to end my lent with a “bang”!  Technically, since February 17^th – Ash Wednesday, I’ve been on a detox.  I cut out sodas, alcohol, chocolate, and mostly all red meat (I’ve had red meat 4 times in the last 5 plus weeks) – to include all meat on Fridays.  In the process, I ended up cutting out sweets, candy, chips (the brown rice chips I love) and added a lot more fruits and vegetables to my diet.

Yesterday, on my first day of the detox – you could say that “it” hit me pretty hard towards late afternoon.   I found myself running to the bathroom and feeling like parts of my insides were not very happy with me.  Frankly, I was shocked it got to me the way it did but Aaron pointed out “You have a pretty sensitive stomach to start out with”.  He made a good point. I do have a sensitive stomach.

Today, I got up and drank my second bottle.  The way it works – the Detox kit is a seven day detox system of seven potent 1oz bottles – one bottle a day mixed with one quart (32 ounce) of liquid.  In my case, I’m mixing it with light apple juice and water.  No way I could swallow it down with water only.  Not exactly the best tasting or smelling stuff…

I drank my entire “potion” before I left the house to go to the gym…I drank most of it while I was meditating, on an empty stomach.  I had to visit the bathroom while I was at the gym but it wasn’t too bad.  After lunch, Aaron and I went to get massages…I was doing just fine.

We left the massage place and headed to the grocery store on the other side of town.  Halfway there my stomach started acting up.  I’ll spare you the intricate details but we’ll just say that I barely made it and it was definitely not something I wanted to do in a public bathroom.

That was around 2:45pm…it’s past 8pm now – stomach is feeling fine.  Staying hydrated and maintaining electrolytes, I’m noticing to be extra important while on this detox.

I don’t know what’s in store for me tomorrow but for tomorrow and the rest of the week – I plan on looking closely at my schedule.  I don’t want to be caught somewhere out of reach of a bathroom.

What are my expectations on Day 7? No clue.  Will I feel “cleansed”?  Will I have more energy?  Will all the cravings be gone?  I’ll tell you on Sunday!

This week the prize for the Scavenger Hunt was for a $20 Subway Card.  Before I announce the winner – lets go over the questions and blog posts where the answers (and follow-on questions) could be found.

What is the amount of sodium considered adequate to promote good health in adults?

Answer: The amount is 1500mg to 2300mg.  The answer was in two blog post: Salt: A Teaspoon a Day is All you Need and How to Read a Food Label.

In Louisiana, 53 to 57 people out of every 100,000 are diagnosed with what easily preventable disease?

Answer: Colon Cancer.  The answer was found in the blog post: Get To Know More About Cancer – National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

What are the 4 Abdominal Layers: Transverses, Internal Obliques, External Obliques and ___________?

Answer: The rectus aka – the 6 pack. The answer was found in the blog post: Core Training: The Four Abdominal Layers

Who brought Kettlebells with them to America?

Answer: They arrived in America with waves of Russian immigrants in the early 1900s  The answer was found in the blog post: Exploring Beyond the Gym: KettleBell Training

Which Vitamin helps the body deal with free radicals which can cause tissue and cell damage?

I was looking for Vitamin A but other vitamins also applied.  Vitamin A and Your Vision

Now…to announce our winner – The Winner is Erica Best! Congratulations Erica.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to play next week.

With the passing of the Health Care Reform bill, hopefully more people are becoming aware of how policies (and laws) have an impact on the current and future health of our country.  It’s important that the right issues are addressed and supported.  One of the organizations in New Orleans that is researching, educating, and serving on Advisory Committees in service to our community is the Prevention Research Center at Tulane.

The Tulane Prevention Research Center (PRC) is one of 37 Prevention Research Centers funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The Tulane Prevention Research Center studies the impact of physical and social environments on obesity and collaborates with community partners through policy, education and communication strategies to build healthier communities in New Orleans and beyond.

Here is a highlight of how PRC is serving you and the health of our community:

Healthy Eating Projects

Core Research Project on Neighborhood Food Environment

PRC core research project examines the relationship between availability and promotion of healthy and unhealthy foods and consumption.  The project explores whether changing the food environment is predominantly low income, New Orleans neighborhoods will result in improvements to residents’ food purchases, diets and change in weight status.

Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Network

PRC is working in collaboration with the national Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research Network (NOPRN) to advance research on policy and environmental approaches to obesity prevention.

New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee

PRC serves on the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC), an advisory body to the New Orleans City Council which is made up of diverse members from the public, private, and civic sectors.  PRC directed research and advocacy for an FPAC initiative to improve access to grocery stores, farmers markets, and other fresh food retail outlets in neighborhoods.

Active Living Projects

Physical Activity and Policy Research Network

PRC is a collaborating center on the national Physical Activity and Policy Research Network (PAPRN).  This network works to identify physical activity policies and determinants, describe the process of implanting policies, and determine outcomes of physical activity policies.  The Tulane PRC will develop a community play index for playground and schoolyards.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities

New Orleans is one of 41 sites nationwide selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Program.  The PRC will support the KidsWalk coalition to increase the walkability and bikeability of New Orleans, particularly around schools.

Bike Lane Research

The PRC received a Rapid Response grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the impact of new bike lanes throughout the city on ridership.

Safe Route to School Evaluation

The Safe Route to School Evaluation Study is examining the attitudes and possible barriers to children walking or biking to and from school. In collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Tulane PRC has collected community and school-level information thoughout planned sites in Louisiana.

The Lafitte Greenway Evaluation

The planned restoration of the Lafitte corridor includes pedestrian and bike path that will link 7 neighborhoods, parks, historic sites, retails areas and community spaces. The PRC received Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living Research funding to conduct a two-year baseline evaluation of neighborhood residents’ physical activity levels before the renovation of the Greenway is developed.

(Source: Tulane Prevention Research Center handout)

Core Training – Part Deux

In addition to the 4 layers of abdominals I talked about in my last post, the core consists of other muscles that stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder girdle and run the entire length of the torso. Those muscles that create this solid base of support also help shift body weight, transfer energy from the center of the body to the “levers” or limbs and protect the back.

The “Other” Core Muscles

With our 4 layers of abdominal muscles are a handful of other muscles that help the core with its important duties. They are:

Erector Spinae: This group of muscles sounds more like a Transformer toy than the muscles that run along your neck to your lower back.

Multifidus: These spine rotators run under the erector spinae along the vertebrae.

Hip Flexors: 5 muscles make up the hip flexors that are found in front of the pelvis and upper thigh. They are the psoas major, illiacus, recturs femoris, pectinues and sartorius. Often they will tighten up and grip during abdominal exercises when the abs are weak.

Gluteus medius and minimus: The side of the hip houses these are the glute muscles.

Gluteus maximus, hamstrings and piriformis: Well known, this group is located in the back of the thigh and upper thigh leg.

Hip adductors: Otherwise known as inner thigh muscles.

These other core muscles aren’t as sexy to the training community as the 4 ab layers, but they are key to a strong back. In fact, when these muscles are under activated and weak, back pain often presents itself. You can have all the six packs you want, but if your lower back is weak, you’ll find yourself with a swayback posture and low back pain due to the strain on the spine.

The key to core training is training the whole core, not just the abs. Powerful movements of the arms and legs emanate from a strong core. The more stable and strong the core, the harder the levers can work whether during sports performance or in the daily adventure race that is functional fitness. So get to the balancing act of training BOTH sides of your core – front and back!

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Kerrie Ann Frey is the founder and owner of Fit Mom USA, a former stroller exercise-based program that has evolved in to an online presence with fitness, wellness, and nutrition information for all men and women. Her passion for fitness began with credentials including A.C.E. PT and LWMC and grew to include her true love – Pilates. She is West Coast Pilates certified and trains clients in several studios in the New Orleans area.

Have you heard the news? The Registered Dietitian is the Food and Nutrition Expert! That’s right. Many people believe only doctors can give answers to their nutrition questions. The truth is that medical doctors are in fact a solid source for getting your health questions answered, but the best source for nutrition information is from a Registered Dietitian (RD). A RD will collect vital information from you in a nutrition assessment. Then create a specific and individualized nutrition program based on research and sound science designed just for you.

Many of you might have never heard of us before but rather seeked out the advice of ‘Nutritionists’ for nutrition counseling – beware! In Louisiana, an individual may only promote themselves as a Nutritionist if they are also a RD or vice versa. Self-proclaimed Nutritionists do not hold the necessary credentials nor have they undergone the training or posses the knowledge to provide you with safe and accurate nutrition recommendations.

I’ve been involved with health and wellness for over 15 years and during that time personally witnessed many ‘self proclaimed nutrition experts’ give clients (you) diseases/illness specific nutrition advice that is dangerous and potentially harmful! The truth is…following dietary instructions from non-licensed individuals can drastically increase your chances of injury or sickness for you and your family. Just because someone eats or looks like a Greek statue does not mean they can tell you how to eat for your specific health conditions.

The most frequent offenders of non-licensed people you have to be most careful of are: multi-level marketers, health food store salespersons, personal trainers, former bodybuilders, some allied health professionals and friends and neighbors who may all be good intentioned, but misinformed about the science of nutrition and how it can affect our body. Now, before I get blasted with your comments for picking on these folks – let me say that some helpful health information may be collected from the aforementioned population. They may promote non-specific nutrition information to you such as: following the food guide pyramid, eat your fruits and vegetables, and tips on cutting calories which will help you lose weight, etc.

However, the moment they give you a specific diet i.e. eating program to lower your cholesterol – it’s illegal! According to the Louisiana Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition which is the credentialing agency for RDs and watch dog for nutrition fraud in our state – it’s illegal for any person’s other than a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN), Medical Doctor, Dentist, Osteopath, Registered Nurse, Pharmacist or Chiropractor to give out specific dietary instructions to treat an illness.

You may be asking yourself – why is the RD the food and nutrition expert? Good question. The American Dietetic Association Commission on Dietetic Registration (ADA-CDR) has worked with major colleges and universities throughout America to set up educational guidelines for RDs. A high school graduate interested in becoming a RD must complete 3 steps –

1) Enroll in a 4-5 year dietetic program in an accredited university which classes include: medical nutrition therapy, cultural nutrition and counseling, nutrition assessment, organic and biochemistry, healthy cooking/food technology as well as many other medical and science based courses;

2) Complete a 1200 hour (~12 month) dietetic internship program from an approved college;

3) Pass a national exam from the ADA CDR.

Additionally, we must complete 75 hours of continuing education every five years to stay up-to-date. So, as you can see, we do not only take a weekend course in nutrition. Every RD makes a commitment to the pursuit of lifelong learning to help to provide their clients with reliable scientific nutrition information. So, when you are looking for help with your eating habits – make an appointment with a RD/LDN!

For more reading on how to report someone who is giving out illegal or dangerous nutrition information, check out the Louisiana Board of Examiners in Dietetics and Nutrition Website.

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Steve J. Roch Jr., RD, LDN, CFT is a registered and licensed dietitian. He is also a certified personal trainer. Steve is the owner and president of BestRD Wellness, LLC, a company that provides nutrition therapy and wellness services to residents and businesses in the areas of New Orleans and South Louisiana. Steve can be contacted by email at steve@bestrdwellness.com.

The Home Workout and Do-It- Yourself (DIY) Routines

I eluded in my first post about Affordable Workouts in New Orleans that working out from home will be affected by your level of experience and motivation.  In regards to your level of experience, for example, for me to workout at home and create my own routines is pretty simple – I have enough knowledge and experience to put together DIY routines that will either provide me with full body workouts or target body parts.  I can also ensure I have plenty of interval training by mixing things up to get maximum results.  However, if you don’t have a full repertoire to rely on; you will need to do more homework, research and experimenting to find out exactly what will work for you.  We’ll gladly help with that!

Second – lets address MOTIVATION. Here are my recommendations to ensure you have and maintain your motivation to workout from home.

Establish Structure

Set your schedule.  Carve out the exact time you plan to workout.  Preferably it’s the same every day.  Let everyone in your life, your family, friends, co-workers…whoever has an impact on your time that from this time to whatever time on these days – that is your workout time. Yes, you should write this in stone.

Create Your Home Gym. Figure out where you are going to workout and buy the equipment you will need (more to come about equipment). Things to consider when selecting a space…if you plan on jumping up and down – you must make sure that you’re on a floor (preferably basement) that can accommodate that without destroying your house. You will likely need a TV or computer in the room.  You will need to de-conflict the use of the room with other members of the household based on yours and their schedules.

Say you plan to use the garage…how will you hold up in the New Orleans summer heat and humidity?!? Is there proper ventilation and cooling?

Write Out Your Weekly Workout Plan. The clearer you are on what you are doing on which day – the more likely you are to stick with it.  If you need to figure out what you’re doing last minute; it won’t take long before you find a reason to do something else.  This is why workout videos come with planners and specific instructions – it’s what helps people stick with the program.  You’re welcome to send me your plan each week!

Have the Proper Equipment: You definitely don’t need to go spend an arm and a leg on home gym equipment.  I recommend you start out with some dumbbells (3 pairs of 3 different weights), a mat, and an resistance band…may be a jump rope, medicine ball and exercise ball.  Eventually you can look into also getting a home pull-up bar and some other things you will come to realize you want. You can find all that you need at either Walmart or Sports Authority. My other recommendation is that you go to the store instead of ordering online…first because shipping for 3 sets of dumbbells is likely to run you an arm and a leg. But also because it will be good for you to see what other equipment is out there.  DO NOT get wrapped up into gimmicks – stick with the basics.

Walking, Running, Biking. Any one of those three or all three are also part of your home workout so don’t forget about them.  Figure out routes and distances that you want to either walk, run or bike.  Plan accordingly if you need to drive to a park to do it.

Set Realistic Goals. Don’t get into a home workout routine expecting crazy results after a week or two.  Look at this as a learning experience and adventure. Set your goals to sticking to your new establish routine.  Take it one day at a time and enjoy it.

This post is getting a little long – in the next post we’ll get into some recommended routines, videos to check-out and basic things to workout by!

Nearly 6 million American have diabetes and don’t know it.  Are you one of them??

Symptoms:

Type 1 Diabetes

• Frequent urination
• Unusual thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme fatigue and Irritability

Type 2 Diabetes*

• Any of the type 1 symptoms
• Frequent infections
• Blurred vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet
• Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections

*Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms

One in five Americans is at risk for Type 2 Diabetes. You can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through a healthy lifestyle. Change your diet, increase your level of physical activity, and maintain a healthy weight.

Diabetes is a very serious disease.  Today is American Association Diabetes Alert Day. Take the self-assessment test below and share it with others. Visit Diabetes.org for more information.