About Us 

Membership

Zone

Get

Involved

Donate or

Support Us

Event

Calendar

Media
On the Dance Floor...
Afro Brazilian Dance with Elisita Castanon-HIll
   
Diabetes in
Real Life 
This series is written by Paula Ford-Martin, MA and covers useful tips and helpful ways to manage diabetes.

You can find
Vol. 1, No. 9 here.



 Learn what's new at DOD. Let's start with:
 
Afro Brazilian Dance with Elisita Castanon-Hill this Saturday 
9/13/14, 1-3 p.m.!
       (Download flyer & share with others HERE) 
  

 

Afro Brazilian dance brings together movements from traditional African and Brazilian styles for an engaging, uplifting dance experience. In this class, instructor Elisita Castanon-Hill
will break down the moves so they are easy to follow for all levels to enjoy.


Join us at the African American Art & Culture Complex located at 762 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Muni access & free parking).

No need to register. Just show up! You get a $277 value health screening, and if you dance, collect $10 in carrot cash to spend at participating farmers' markets (for kids with diabetes and all adults who participate). The health screening is optional, but it is needed to get the carrot cash reward. We suggest a $10 donation at the door, if you can afford.

  

Please arrive promptly at 1 p.m. for check-in (or 1:15 p.m. if you are not doing the health screening). Bring water, a snack if you need it, and comfortable shoes. Have a question? Call Theresa at 1-877-765-4386 or email her at tgarnero@danceoutdiabetes.org.  

                                                                                                                   
Insulin, the hormone

Many people with diabetes need the hormone insulin to stay healthy. This goes for people with both type 1 and 2, and gestational diabetes as well. Several DOD participates use insulin to help manage glucose levels. 

If you are in a place where your pancreas is worn out (more like the tiny "beta cells" that make insulin), then taking the hormone you lack is often scary and daunting at first, but life- sustaining and certainly the best option for many. Some need it as 11 month olds; others age 80.

The key is having the right information and support, whether you are just starting on it, or need help understanding how to adjust the amount taken with meals or at bedtime (based on the type of insulin). 

Have you heard there is a new, inhalable insulin on the market? Yep, you breathe it in rather than take an injection. How you get the needed insulin into your system is a choice you make after discussing options with your provider. A diabetes educator can advise you on ways to make the insulin work best given your situation.

Take cost as an example. Out-of-pocket insulin costs has nearly doubled during a 10-year period, rising from $19 to $36. (Assuming you are lucky enough to be insured.) Talk with your diabetes care team about ways to reduce the financial burden of your medications. 

One of DOD's goals is to manage diabetes via education (we all get the dancing part). So we hope you have gleaned something from this short educational message. Please know that insulin is a terrific way to help manage diabetes. Dancing regularly may help to reduce the amount of insulin needed (and/or other diabetes medication). If you are faced with needing to start or adjust insulin, know you have resources, starting with our DOD diabetes educators who can help to answer your questions.
                                                                                                                   
Volunteer to Bring Water & Snacks to Share

It is important to stay hydrated while having fun on the dance floor. Dance Out Diabetes is looking for volunteers to donate and bring water bottles and healthy snacks for participants at the dance. If you can bring to share, great! Otherwise, the water fountain is 3 floors down, so please bring water for yourself. Thanks!
                                                                                                                   
Theresa's Message  

This month, I had the pleasure of working with a few people who needed to start and adjust their insulin.
They had been working very hard on their diet and exercise, and the current mix of medications just wasn't cutting it. (And these were type A personalities doing everything humanly possible.) It wasn't up to them. Their pancreas pooped out.

I've had SO many people say, "I wish I started insulin sooner!" The effect is tremendous. Like one woman told me, "It's like being in a stifling humid place and diving into a refreshing pool; I've never felt so refreshed and had so much energy."

DOD serves many people, and many do not need insulin. If you do - like so many others - it can turn your world around. It was an honor to work with these individuals and witness their health makeover, via insulin.

Now let's go burn some glucose on the dance floor! Someone suggested Afro Brazilian. Let's see how much fun we can have.


Best regards,

 

Theresa Garnero, APRN, BC-ADM, MSN, CDE

Founder and Executive Director 
Want to do the right thing for your body or support someone with prediabetes or diabetes (all types)? Feel like smiling while being active and not mess up your hair?  Then come join the caring community of non-dancers having fun moving to music. Stay connected with us on Facebook (you don't have to have a Facebook account to read our updates).