Blue Bunny Ice Cream

Who doesn't love ice cream - even in the cool fall days. I love Blue Bunny ice cream. Even being diabetic, it is still a healthier option for a dessert or late evening snack.
Blue Bunny brings you a fun family recipe!
This year, Blue Bunny partnered with Courtney Whitmore, author of Pizzazzerie.com/. This blog, inspired by her love of entertaining, is a hub for creative party design and décor tips!
Courtney shared one of her favorite dessert activities that will help add a little pizzazz to dinnertime. Everyone in the family can let their creativity shine with these fun Ice Cream Sandwich Treats. These dessert favorites will help add a little pizzazz to dinnertime. Everyone in the family can let their creativity shine with these fun ice cream sandwich treats!

Difficulty: Very Easy
Equipment: knife, serving bowls

Ingredients
•1 box Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sandwiches Simply Vanilla (or your favorite flavor of Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sandwiches)
•topping decorations (we used rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and almonds)
Instructions
Cut ice cream sandwiches in half and freeze until ready to use. Set out a variety of your favorite ice cream toppings in the serving bowls. Gather the whole family to create their own dessert by rolling sides of ice cream sandwiches in toppings. Enjoy!

On Blue Bunny's web page, there are tons of easy recipes even a diabetic can enjoy. Go check them out!

What is Hypoglycemia or Low Blood Sugar?

Living with diabetes, you may experience what’s commonly referred to as a “low.” If your child has diabetes he or she may experience a low. This is a state where blood glucose — the sugar in your blood — falls below normal range. The medical term for this state is hypoglycemia. You may also hear it referred to as a low blood sugar episode, a hypo, an insulin reaction or insulin shock. Even when you’re doing all you can to manage your diabetes, you may experience a low.
No matter what type of diabetes you have, it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia, know how to correct it, and just as important, always be prepared to correct it. If you have a child with diabetes, it’s essential you, and those most often around your child, know how to help your child correct a low.
Usually people experience low blood sugar in its mild form and feel a few mild symptoms like headache, dizziness and shakiness. Hypoglycemia, however, can also be experienced in its severe form where you are unable to eat or drink carbohydrate and need the help of another person. Severe hypoglycemia can be life-threatening. At these times being prepared for a low can be life-saving.
As they say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Truer words were never spoken when it comes to hypoglycemia.


Low Blood Sugar: Defined
The American Diabetes Association defines low blood sugar as a reading of 70 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) or lower. However you can also have signs and symptoms of low blood sugar without your blood sugar going that low. This may occur, for instance, if you have just begun to get your blood sugar under better control. If your blood sugar has been high for a while and it’s coming down into normal range, it may feel like you’re having a low but you really aren’t.
Checking your blood sugar is the only way to know what the number is for sure. That said, if you don’t have your meter handy, correct your blood sugar like a low and test as soon as you can.
If you are having many low blood sugar episodes, or your child is having many low blood sugar episodes, report this to your healthcare professional and/or diabetes educator. Changes in your diabetes care plan can minimize the frequency and risks of hypoglycemia. Often this can be done simply with a change in medication. Small changes to your eating plan, physical activity and the timing of your medication can help too.

Learning Center - About Hypoglycemia. Written by: Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, diabetes educator, consultant and member of the Perrigo Diabetes Care advisory board. Edited by: Riva Greenberg, diabetes patient-expert, author, speaker and Huffington Post columnist.

Fact check Friday

I am so thankful that Friday has arrived, even though the calendar says Friday, the 13th, I don't care. This has certainly been a long week with late nights and back to work early the next morning. So today, I'm pulling some information from the American Diabetes Association Facebook page. This is Fact Check Friday, where I will debunk a common misconception about diabetes. To learn more about this fact, you may visit www.diabetes.org

MYTH: People with diabetes can't perform certain jobs.
FACT: As a diabetic, you have rights, and federal laws prohibit discrimination against workers with diabetes.


Have you ever been denied a quick break to check your blood sugars or to take medication? Have you ever been forced to quit your job or were fired because of your diabetes? I would love to hear your stories and how you handled the situation. Please share.

Renew and Refresh

Why is it that keeping up with postings should be so difficult? But we are giving this another go. Simply because I know it's important to share information with my fellow diabetics.
I am always on the lookout for reliable diabetic websites that provide appropriate information and the most current updated educational material. So to start us off, here is a link for a cookbook.

We are Diabetics
Diabetics! Get a FREE Diabetic Cookbook Full of Awesome Recipes to Manage your Diabetes!

Click the link below to get yours now!

http://www.diabetes-cooking.com/book/?c1=a30

Thanksgiving makeover

Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season are about 2 weeks
away! Many of you will be shopping this weekend for an enormous Thanksgiving dinner.  Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest and abundance.

With 10 at my table,  I already have 10 items on the menu!  Food, and
family  define the day.  With many Americans struggling with diabetes,
some of those family favorites are in need of a makeover. A slightly
smaller turkey, one more veggie, one less pie can make big difference
in how you feel.  Small changes in recipe preparation can also make a
big difference in your health. 

ABC News recently shared some great ideas for diabetics and
Thanksgiving on their show. Below is a link to their site that
includes  a variety of resources for diabetics.  We all have so much
to be thankful for.  Why not add better health to your list of blessings

in the coming year?  Happy Thanksgiving!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/DiabetesResource/

HOW TO PLAN FOR A 3 MONTH SUPPLY :

This is something I feel is going to become extremely important in the coming years.  I would add to this list some additional items. 
1.  Paper supplies such as paper plates, plastic utensils, paper napkins, toilet paper, coffee filters, wet wipes plastic bags of all kinds and paper towels.   Now let's think about why I'm adding this to the list.  Should you have to go into hiding, you may not have access to a clean water supply to wash/rinse dishes.  You may not have toilet access, so having a plastic walmart shopping bag to line a coffee can might come in handy.  Coffee filters are versatile and can be used as toilet paper in a pinch as well as a strainer.
2.  Please don't forget your pets.  Start stocking up on dog and cat food, both dry and wet. 
3.  Save all the water jugs you possibly can.  Go to the Dollar stores and start stocking up on bottled water.  It is not safe to use water you have filled into a previous milk jug or water bottle.  The plastic lining emits a "gas" that can be harmful to your system, especially if the plastic container is made from recycled material.  It contaminates the water that you are cooking with and drinking.
4.  Don't forget your infants and make sure you have baby formula, diapers, and jars of baby food.

HOW TO PLAN FOR A 3 MONTH SUPPLY :
1- Make up a menu of 31 meals using items that are "shelf stable "
2- Include a few "fast food " type meals. These are the just add water variety or complete meals or canned soups. Also include some macaroni & cheese, and Betty Crocker boxed meals.
3- Include some meals that could be made from basic foods like wheat, beans, and rice.
4- After you create a menu, figure out what ingredients are needed to make those meals & that amount. Then multiply that number by 3 to get a 3 month supply.
5-Focus your shopping first on dinner, then lunch, then breakfast (since you may already have breakfast taken care of with all the wheat, oats, & powdered eggs you may have).  Don't forget the powdered milk!
6- Make a cookbook to keep with your food storage with all the recipes you have planned your storage around, and include your meal plan on the front page so your family will know what to do with what's in your storage room (in case something happens to you).

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Every Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is a powerful
 and inspiring opportunity to unite as a community to honor
breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about steps we can
take to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer, and raise money
to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with
breast cancer research, information and services, and access
to mammograms for women who need them. Each step you
take is personal, and together we are helping to turn this walk
into a victory lap!

I will be participating this Sunday is our local
Making Strides 5k walk.  And the temperatures will be in the
high 40's.  Wish me luck!