HQ June 2013 - Diabetes

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HQPiedmont Healthcare Quarterly

A Kings Mountain Herald, Banner News, Cherryville Eagle publication

Managing

DiabetesWhat to Eat & When to Eat It

Juvenile Diabetes

YOU in Control - Not the Diabetes

Exercise, Supplements & More Can Help You Control Diabetes

How Diabetes Affects Vision & Dental Health

2 HQ - Managing Diabetes June 19, 2013

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1811 Shelby Rd.Kings Mountain

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by MICHAEL E. POWELL

When looking for an idea for her GoldAward project, Girl Scout Emily Campbellpretty much knew what she wanted to do –something involving health. That’s whenshe came up with the idea of C.A.N.D.Y.,or Community Awareness of Nutritious,Diabetes-friendly Yummy snacks.

The CHS senior, who is looking at a ca-reer in biosciences or medicine, chose tohighlight diabetes, so she devised a pam-phlet and cookbook to help diabetics.

“I chose diabetes as my issue of impor-tance because of its increased occurrencein this area,” she said. “Nearly everyone Ihave spoken to about this project is eitherdiabetic or knows of someone close tothem who is.”

Campbell said she also noticed therewas “a glaring lack of education” about thisissue.

“I decided to work with (registered di-etician) Gudrun Novak, and Karen Bolick(a nursing fundamentals and health scienceclasses teacher at Cherryville HighSchool), the leader of the Junior HeartBoard and Health Occupation Students ofAmerica at CHS, in order to produce pam-

phlets that talk about nutritional informa-tion pertinent to diabetics and booklets thatcontain recipes for relatively healthydesserts.”

Campbell has been in scouting for about13 years, which she said is the longest any-one can remain a Girl Scout.

“I am still in it, but I am essentially fin-ished because it’s the end of the scoutingyear and I am pretty much done with myGirl Scout Gold Project.”

Campbell said the Girl Scout Gold Proj-ect is the highest award in Girl Scouts.

“To attain this award, a Girl Scout mustcomplete two smaller versions of this proj-ect to get a feel for this type of leadershipproject. After that is done, she must comeup with an idea for her project, research it,fill out needed paperwork, and participatein an extensive panel interview to deter-mine if the project should be approved. If itis, then the Girl Scout will need to connectwith others around her and figure out howto take action on her issue of importanceand contribute a suggested minimum of 80hours.”

Campbell said the project is technicallystill ongoing since she hasn’t yet attendedthe needed exit interview.

Diabetes booklet talks about C.A.N.D.Y.

“It has taken me approximately 115hours so far.”

She noted the Junior Heart Board andHealth Occupation Students of Americaclubs, in addition to her Girl Scout Troop,helped her with her fundraiser and with as-sembling the booklets.

“I gathered the information myself,with, of course, extensive help from Mrs.Novak.”

In the pamphlet, Campbell answers thequestion, “What can I do to make my dietdiabetes friendly?”

The easy answer is to make it a veg-etable- and fruit-heavy diet, she noted.Nearly half of every meal should be sometype of vegetable, she added.

“No, it doesn’t count if that vegetable isfried!” she said.

As for fruit, it must be eaten in modera-tion, Campbell said. The same is true fordairy products.

Surprisingly, Campbell said in her re-search she found that desserts don’t neces-sarily have to be given up by the diabetic.In the pamphlet she put together, she men-tions most diabetics can “safely consumebetween 15 and 20 carbohydrates perdessert, adding they should ask their doctoror nutritionist to help them determine theirspecific dietary needs.

“Also, don’t forget using sweetenerssuch as Splenda, Sweet-N-Low, Truvia, orother options, like agave nectar or steviaextracts,” she said.

Campbell said no one in her immediatefamily has diabetes, although quite a fewin her extended family do.

“I’m not a diabetic, but I definitely haveproblems giving up my sweets!” she said.“In fact, that’s part of the reason that Ichose to focus on the nutritional aspect ofdiabetes awareness and prevention. Afterall, who doesn’t like desserts?”

All the desserts in her small recipe book,which she handed out at the 2013 CherryBlossom Festival in Cherryville, areroughly no more than 200 calories. Shesaid any diabetic-friendly dessert should beno more than that.

“For the most part, the lower the carbsand calories, the better off you are, whetheryou’re diabetic or not.”

When it comes to vegetables, she knowsmany may have trouble eating them, due toa various problems, such as taste and con-sistency.

“Personally, I think that some vegeta-bles – like Brussels sprouts – are just waytoo disgusting to eat, so I don’t eat them. Ieat what I love: broccoli, squash, peas, etc.”

Campbell added there is no real reasonto eat what you don’t love when you haveso many other vegetable options to choosefrom.

“A quick search on the Internet will usu-ally reveal new, interesting ways of cook-ing vegetables that are quite delicious,” shesaid. “I would have to suggest trying outsome new recipes and seeing what you like.After all, you should enjoy what you eat!”

The recipes work just as well for Type Idiabetics as they do for Type II diabetics,Campbell said.

“The nutritional needs are usually pretty

Girl Scout and CHS senior Emily Campbell and members of Girl Scout Troop20242 working on Campbell’s Gold Project, or C.A.N.D.Y., which helps diabeticschoose the proper “sweets”. Submitted photo

See CAMPBELL, 10

June 19, 2013 HQ - Managing Diabetes 3

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By Olin Idol, ND, CNCHallelujah Acres

Our nation is currently in the midst of achronic diabetes epidemic that threatens thehealth of the next generation in a way neverbefore seen in history.

Dr. Alan Cantwell tells us that the CDCin Atlanta reports that 33% of the babiesborn in 2011 will be diabetic by 2050 (age39).

We cannot overestimate the critical na-ture of this epidemic. Consider the wordsof author Joseph W. Thompson regardingthe severity of the situation:

“Without action on our part, this gener-ation of children is threatened with a futureof chronic disease, economic burden, andan eroding quality of life. Indeed, they maybecome the first generation in our nation’shistory to live shorter, less healthy livesthan their parents.”

*There is an obvious connection be-tween the obesity epidemic and diabetes.As worldwide populations become moreWesternized (and more obese), the inci-dence of diabetes skyrockets. Here in theU.S., two-thirds of adults and nearly one-third of children and teens are currentlyobese or overweight.1

A study by the Organization for Eco-nomic Cooperation and Development pre-dicts that by the year 2020 nearly 75% ofthe American population will be overweightor obese.

*This exploding epidemic has led to theshocking prediction that in less than nineyears, half of all Americans will be eitherpre-diabetic or suffer full-blown Type 2 di-abetes.2

Even with the previously noted gloomypredictions, there is hope!

Type 2 diabetes can indeed be prevented.In fact, with moderate dietary changes itusually can be completely reversed in avery short time. Formerly called adult onsetdiabetes, Type 2 diabetes is increasinglybeing diagnosed now in younger children.

Tragically, most health care providers donot realize the significant role of diet andlifestyle to both prevent and reverse Type 2diabetes.

The key lies in the fact that Type 2 dia-betes is not really a blood sugar issue. It isdisease of insulin and leptin signaling. Lep-tin is a critical link between obesity and di-abetes.

Author Ron Rosedale, MD states in hisbook, The Leptin Connection, “When yourbody has clear leptin signaling, this hor-

mone (leptin) regulates hunger and tellsyour body when to store and when to burnfat.”

Ironically, due to today’s poor dietarychoices, body fat can actually produce somuch leptin that the brain becomes insen-sitive to the message to burn fat, resulting inleptin resistance.

This becomes an ever-increasing viciouscycle with a greater intake of calories, in-creasing fat storage, more leptin produc-tion, and greater insensitivity to leptin’ssignals.

Leptin signaling plays an important rolein insulin signaling, insulin resistance, andultimately diabetes. The only known way torestore the sensitivity to leptin and insulin isthrough proper diet.

As the body is nourished with a prima-rily raw, whole food, plant-based diet (lowin starches but rich in nutrients), the bodyfat begins to diminish, the excess produc-tion of leptin slows, and the brain onceagain becomes sensitive to the signal to turnoff the appetite and to burn the fat.

The first few weeks of any dietarychange are critical as the brain is still in-sensitive to leptin. As leptin sensitivity isrestored, the appetite diminishes andachieving optimal body weight becomeseasier, and insulin sensitivity is restored aswell.

In Type 2 diabetes, the problem is not alack of insulin production but the cell’s in-sensitivity to insulin and the inability of the

How to beat diabetes

See BEAT DIABETES, 10


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When we hear the term “diabetic,” we most often think, “sugar.” That is partly correct.The CDC defines diabetes as “the condition in which the body does not properly processfood for use.” The pancreas, which is an organ near the stomach, produces a hormone, in-sulin, and the job of insulin is to transfer glucose (sugar) into the cells of our bodies. Thisis why many people refer to diabetes as “sugar.”

Diabetes can accelerate the aging process, and lead to many other serious health con-ditions, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation of lower ex-tremities.

Diabetes management requires awareness. You must know what makes your sugar riseand fall. There are several key components to managing diabetes:

Keep a schedule. Blood sugar is typically at its highest an hour or two after a meal, andit decreases from there. Know your body’s habits, and if something doesn’t seem right,talk with your physician right away.

Eat well-balanced meals consistently. According to Tyrone Corbitt, Executive Chefand Director of Dining Services at Summit Place of Kings Mountain, “while carbohy-drates are a necessity, they must be in moderation, especially for diabetics. In AssistedLiving, the dining services team provides well-balanced meals, focusing on providingsugar-free options when available. They also ensure that the proper amounts of proteins,sugars, and carbohydrates are made available to each resident. This, paired with the serv-ices provided by the Nursing Team and Medication Aides, helps our residents to bettermanage their diabetes.”

You should see your Primary Care Physician if you have questions about managingyour diabetes.

Cleveland County YMCA

Type II Diabetes is a lifelong diseasethat requires constant attention to manage.If you had the chance to prevent it, would-n’t you try?

Cleveland County resident ShannonBlanton did just that. In June of 2012,Shannon joined the YMCA’s Diabetes Pre-vention Program through the ClevelandCounty Family YMCA after a visit to herdoctor where she was told that her fastingblood sugar was fluctuating between 110and 120; she had pre-diabetes. She said, “Itreally concerned me because I was over-weight with arthritis, hyperlipidemia andhypertension. I did not want to be labeled‘diabetic;’ I did not want one more labeladded to my chart. I just feared that. I knewI had to get active and reduce my bodyweight.”

Shannon felt she could accomplishthose two things with education and coun-seling. She found out about the YMCA’sDiabetes Prevention Program through herlocal hospital who referred her to the pro-gram. The first time Shannon spoke withBecca Schweppe, MPH, RD, LDN, theProgram Coordinator, “I learned about theprogram’s goals and what I would be ex-pected to do to reach those goals. Longstory short, I qualified and was acceptedinto the program.”

The YMCA’s Diabetes Pre-vention Program helps partic-ipants take control of theirhealth by encouraging the

adoption of habits that re-duce the chance of devel-

oping Type 2 diabetes.

These new habits also improve partici-pants’ overall health and wellbeing. Re-search by the National Institutes of Healthhas proven that programs like the YMCA’sDiabetes Prevention Program can reducethe number of cases of Type 2 diabetes bynearly 60%. To qualify for the program,participants must be at least 18 years old,overweight (BMI≥25) and at high risk fordeveloping type 2 diabetes or have been di-agnosed with pre-diabetes.

Thanks to a grant from the Kate B.Reynolds Charitable Trust, the ClevelandCounty Family YMCA offers the programat the Kings Mountain Family YMCA inKings Mountain, the Dover YMCA inShelby, and the Ruby C. Hunt YMCA inBoling Springs.

The program provides a supportive en-vironment where participants work to-gether in a small group to learn abouthealthier eating and increasing their physi-cal activity in order to reduce their risk fordeveloping diabetes. The program, whichis led by a trained Lifestyle Coach in aclassroom setting, is delivered over a 12-month period, beginning with 16 weeklysessions followed by monthly mainte-nance. The program goals are to reducebody weight by 7% and increase physicalactivity to 150 minutes per week.

Shannon found the group experience tobe very positive and re-marked, “It’s really great tohave the support of thegroup.” Shannon admitted

that there were “a lot of upsand downs,” and at first, shethought she might quit. But, “Ijust couldn’t quit because of the

accountability of the weekly sup-port meetings.

The group members and themembers of the Y were constantlycheering me on.

Change today for a healthier future

See CHANGE, 18

Knowing what triggersdiabetes can help youto better manage it


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by BETH BROCK

When Jennifer Ruppe delivered herbaby boy, Hunter, she counted his fingersand toes, and he had ten of each, so he wasa normal baby and she and her husband,Greg were happy parents.

On October 23, 2010, when Hunter wasthree years old, something happened thatchanged the entire family's lives.

Hunter had been sick, and the doctorsaid that it seemed like an ordinary child-hood virus which just needed to run itscourse. But the illness persisted.

Jennifer noticed that Hunter remainedthirsty, to the point of drinking water di-rectly from the dispenser on front of the re-frigerator.

Her dad, who had been keeping Hunter,pointed out to Jennifer that Hunter seemed

to be losing weight. Well that seemed odd,since Hunter had gone through two gallonsof milk in three days.

The next day, Jennifer called the pedia-trician to get Hunter checked, and they hadno well appointments, but agreed to seeHunter for a “sick” visit.

By the time they arrived at the ShelbyChildren's Clinic, Hunter had become un-responsive, in and out of consciousness,and his eyes were rolling back in his head.

The doctor immediately ran a regularsugar level and Hunter's level was so high itwouldn't even register on the meter. Afterbeing able to coax enough urine for a sam-ple, it was discovered that Hunter's levelmeasured over 600, with the normal beingbetween 80–120.

He was rushed to the hospital, which hadbeen alerted and IVs and insulin drips werestarted immediately. As soon as he was sta-bilized, Hunter was transferred to LevineChildren's Hospital in Charlotte, where hestayed for six days.

Jennifer and Greg thought that Hunterwould probably end up having to take a pillor two a day to keep his insulin levels con-stant, but soon discovered that the entirefamily's lives were going to change drasti-cally.

For four months Hunter was given nineinjections of insulin a day, then he wasgiven an insulin pump. It was discoveredthat Hunter has Type I diabetes.

Jennifer sings the praises of the pediatricendocrinologist, Dr. Mark Vanderwell. Shesaid he is an awesome doctor, who is nevertoo busy to talk to her about any of Hunter'sissues. The whole family, including grand-parents, were taught how to test Hunter's in-sulin level and administer insulin via thepump in the correct amount. They weretaught to measure every carb that goes intoHunter's body so that the insulin can be ad-justed accordingly. They use a remote con-trol in which they enter the amount of carbs

eaten, and it tells them how much insulin togive. Dr. Vanderwell gave Hunter a bear,named Rufus, which shows how to use theinsulin pump. A book was included with thebear.

Once Hunter started getting the insulinregulated, he began to eat and grow likecrazy, making up for lost time, Jennifersays. He is now normal on the growth chartfor a child his age (he turned six in April).

Last summer, before school started, Jen-nifer talked with Dr. Janet Anthony, princi-pal at Grover Elementary School, aboutsetting up a training class for everyone whowould be involved with Hunter in school.Jennifer taught them how to use the meter,and if Hunter were to be unconscious, howto administer the Glucogun, which bringshm back quickly. Normally, if he becomesdrowsy, a sugar pill or a piece of hard candyis enough to get his level back to normal.

During the first week of school, Jennifertook vacation from work, and went toschool at lunch to help the teachers learnhow to properly work with Hunter. She saysthat his teachers, Mrs. Campbell and Mrs.Turner are great. Jennifer packs Hunter'slunch each day with a note in his lunchboxstating the number of carbs in his lunch, sothat the teachers will know how much in-sulin he will need.

Jennifer's mother, Sara Towery, has beena Godsend for Hunter. “I don't know whatwe would have done without her,” Jennifersaid. Without Sara's help, Jennifer and Gregwould not have been able to hold downtheir jobs, which are especially needed withthe never-ending medical bills.

Jennifer explained that in Type I diabetesthe part of the pancreas that makes insulindies so the pancreas cannot create any in-sulin. Hunter only gets insulin through hispump.

Type I diabetes is an auto-immune dis-ease, and they watch Hunter carefully sincehe is more susceptible to pancreatic cancerand other diseases. They have been taughtto provide a gluten free diet to Hunter asmuch as possible. The biggest secret tokeeping Hunter healthy is keeping his num-bers at the correct level and getting twocheckups a year.

In school, Hunter's classmates have beenhelpful. They will point out to the teachersif they think he needs attention. One littlegirl pointed out to the teacher that “thereain't nothing wrong with him – he just haslow blood pressure!” (Bear in mind theseare kindergartners)

Jennifer said that even though every-thing seems to be under control for Hunter,she still worries. One out of every 20 chil-dren who have Type I diabetes dies in theirsleep, so Jennifer gets up at least once anight to check Hunter's insulin level. If it islow, she will awaken him, and have him eat.This sometimes causes Hunter to be sleepyin school, but the teachers understand andwork with him.

Jennifer would like to get together withother parents with Type I-diabetic children,and help them learn all the things she haslearned in the past three years. She says agood website to learn more informationabout Juvenile Diabetes is JDRF.org.

Ruppe family deals with juvenile diabetes together

Hunter, Jennifer, and Greg playing at the YMCA playground.

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Hunter's insulin pump with custommade holder by Mom.

photos by BETH BROCK


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by Alan Hodge

Many people are familiar with Type 1and Type 2 diabetes but not so many withgestational diabetes.

Pregnant women who have never haddiabetes before but who have high bloodsugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy aresaid to have gestational diabetes. Gesta-tional diabetes affects the mother in latepregnancy, around the 24th week, after thebaby’s body has been formed, but while thebaby is busy growing. Because of this, ges-tational diabetes does not cause the kindsof birth defects sometimes seen in babieswhose mothers had diabetes before preg-nancy.

Based on recently announced diagnos-tic criteria for gestational diabetes, it is es-timated that gestational diabetes affects18% of pregnancies. In Gaston County,over 10% of pregnancies are affected bygestational diabetes.

Lisa Clement-Bryant is diabetes man-ager at CaroMont Health and talked aboutthe disease.

“We don’t know what causes gestationaldiabetes, but we have some clues,” shesaid. “The placenta supports the baby as itgrows. Hormones from the placenta helpthe baby develop. But these hormones alsoblock the action of the mother’s insulin inher body. This problem is called insulin re-sistance. Insulin resistance makes it hardfor the mother’s body to use insulin. Shemay need up to three times as much in-sulin.”

According to Clement-Bryant, control-ling blood glucose in pregnancy is impor-tant for both the mother’s and baby’shealth.

“Uncontrolled blood glucose can causehigh blood pressure for the mother, result-ing in activity restrictions orearly, emergent delivery,” shesaid. “For the baby, high glu-coses can cause a number ofproblems, such as macroso-mia (large weight for gesta-tional age), low blood glucoseduring the first hours afterbirth, and increased risk fordeveloping type 2 diabetes intheir lifetime. There is evi-dence that our increasingprevalence of gestational dia-betes is adding to the increasein pediatric type 2 diabetescases.”

Treatment for gestationaldiabetes aims to keep bloodglucose levels normal forpregnancy. Treatment for ges-

tational diabetes always includes specialmeal plans and scheduled physical activity.It also includes daily blood glucose testing.If these treatments are not able to keepblood glucose normal, then insulin therapyshould be added for the duration of preg-nancy.

“At CaroMont Regional Medical Cen-ter, we have a very unique approach tohelping women with gestational diabetesmanage their condition,” she said. “OurOutpatient Maternal Diabetes Program ac-cepts referrals from community obstetri-cians, midwives, and nurse practitionerswho have diagnosed their patients withgestational diabetes. Each woman comes toa group class in which they are given an in-dividualized meal plan and are taught howto monitor their blood glucose. The womenare instructed to send each week’s glucoseresults to CaroMont Diabetes Center,where those results are reviewed and aweekly update is given to the referringprovider. If any participant has results thatare above the recommended glucose tar-gets, they are immediately referred to En-docrinology Associates, who specializes inthe treatment of diabetes in pregnancy. Ourcollaborative approach in treating diabetesin pregnancy has helped many women inour community produce many healthy ba-bies.”

It’s important for expectant motherswith gestational diabetes to monitor theirblood sugar levels even after the baby isborn by checking with their healthcareteam right after delivery and again in sixweeks. Once you’ve had gestational dia-betes, it’s a good idea to have your bloodsugar level tested regularly. The frequencyof blood sugar tests will in part depend onyour test results soon after you deliver yourbaby.

What is gestational diabetes?


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Cleveland Regional Medical CenterDiabetes Center

Diabetes is a life-changing, chronic dis-ease that requires day-to-day management.Cleveland Regional Medical Center’s Dia-betes Center can help with controlling thisdisease.

With education and self-awareness, peo-ple with diabetes can continue to have fulland active lives. “If diabetes is diagnosedearly and blood sugars are kept in relativelygood control, the long-term complicationsare greatly diminished,” said GudrunNovak, coordinator of the Diabetes Center.“Medications are important, but having agood understanding of the disease andmaking healthy lifestyle changes are thefoundation of good diabetes management.”

Novak, who is a Registered Dietitian,Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist, and Certi-fied Diabetes Educator, emphasizes the im-portance of healthy eating and activity inmanaging and preventing diabetes. TheAmerican Association of Diabetes Educa-tors established a set of seven self-care be-haviors believed to have a positive impacton the quality of life for someone manag-ing diabetes. Among those are healthy eat-ing and being active. The other fivebehaviors are: monitoring, taking medica-tion, problem solving, reducing risks andhealthy coping.

“Of all those behaviors, I think healthyeating and being active need to be a pri-mary focus,” said Novak. “Everyoneshould be doing those two things to preventand treat diabetes, and they directly impacthow much medication a person will needto treat their diabetes.”

For people at risk of developing Type 2diabetes, changing their diet and increasingphysical activity are the two things they cando to prevent or delay the onset, accordingto the American Diabetes Association.Studies show that many people can prevent

or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes bylosing 5 percent to 7 percent of their bodyweight through physical activity and de-veloping healthier eating habits.

Doing those two things is easier saidthan done for a lot of people. “Too manypeople give up on eating healthy becausethey feel deprived and over-restricted,” saidNovak. It doesn’t have to be that way, evenwhen you have diabetes. If you have beendiagnosed with diabetes, that does notmean you must give up your favorite foodsor stop eating at restaurants, according to

Lifestyle key to managing diabetes

the American Association of Diabetes Ed-ucators. There is some learning involved,however. You need to know how the foodsyou eat impact your blood sugar.

Carbohydrates are one of the nutrientsthat impact blood sugar. They can be foundin bread, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetablessuch as potatoes and dried beans. Sugar isa carbohydrate that people with diabetesoften assume they must avoid. “Peoplewho have diabetes do not have to stay awayfrom carbohydrates,” said Novak, “but theyneed to be careful of how much they eat.We often tell our clients that carbohydratesare not the enemy.”

Novak and the other staff members inthe Diabetes Center help clients understandhow the foods they eat, including carbohy-drates, affect blood sugar levels. By under-standing these effects, clients can learn tomake adjustments in what they eat, theiractivity levels and medication.

This is one reason physical activity isalso such an important factor in managingdiabetes. Being physically active isn’t justabout losing weight. It can help someonewith diabetes keep blood sugar levelscloser to normal so they can better managetheir diabetes. And being physically activedoesn’t mean you have to join a gym orstart a rigorous exercise plan. Choose to dosomething you enjoy. Walking, ridingbikes, swimming, or playing with yourchildren are all good activities. The key isto get moving, and to do some type of ac-tivity on a regular basis. Checking yourblood sugar levels before and after physicalactivity is recommended by the AmericanAssociation of Diabetes Educators becausedoing so will help you learn how your bodyresponds to the activity.

For more information on preventing ormanaging diabetes, contact CRMC’s Dia-betes Center at 980-487-3953.

Gundrun Novac, coordinator of Cleveland Regional Medical Center’s Diabetes Center, is shown here with a client.

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by DAVE BLANTON

A year ago Lisa Costner was taking ahandful of prescription medications – forhigh cholesterol, acid reflux and other mal-adies. Now, she says, she takes none.

“My head’s clear. I havemore energy,” said Costner, acheerful 53-year-old Gastoniadental assistant, who reportsthat her cholesterol droppedfrom a dangerous 293 to just165 in a few months.

Costner credits her trans-formation to a series of healthyaging classes that have taughther to eat better, exercise moreand simply understand herbody.

“We’re just trying to getback to good nutrition, goodexercise and good results,”said Kings Mountain pharma-cist Billy Wease, who devel-oped and has taught the freeclasses for six years.

The classes focus on morethan a dozen themes, from di-abetes, exercise, weight-loss, and thyroidhealth. There are even classes on the bene-fits of eating grass-fed beef and greensmoothies.

“So much of what people are eating iswhat I would consider junk,” said Wease,referring to American’s growing taste forfatty, fried, processed and sugary foods.

The consequences of those habits are

becoming increasingly evident. U.S. healthprofessionals have reported an epidemic inobesity and diabetes, which can lead toheart disease, stroke, blindness and ampu-tation.

“More than 37 percent of Americans areobese in America. In 1970, itwas only 14 percent,” Weasesaid.

The aging and elderly pop-ulation isn’t immune to therise of cases in diabetes, saidWease, a practicing pharmacistfor 22 years. Wease said theclasses are popular – withabout 15-20 usually in atten-dance. More important, hisstudents are seeing results.

“Some of our students havebeen able to reduce or elimi-nate the medications theytake,” he said, adding that pa-tients should always consulttheir physicians before alteringor abandoning any drug regi-men. “We always work with,not against, doctors.”

Wease’s curriculum alsoemphasizes the use of a special kind ofwater that is ionized to reduce its acidity.Wease said that low acidity in the bloodpromotes healing and digestion, as well asproviding other general health benefits.

The classes, which are offered at Pre-scription Plus on King Street in KingsMountain, will kick off the fall season inSeptember with a lesson on healthy eating.

Don’t know how to care for your body?

We’ve got a class for that!

Diabetes mellitus, sometimes calledsugar diabetes, is a common disease indogs. Golden Retrievers, German ShepherdDogs, Miniature Schnauzers, Keeshonden,and Poodles have the highest incidence, butall breeds can be affected. Females with thedisease outnumber males by three to one.The average age of onset is 6 to 9 years.

Diabetes is a result of inadequate pro-duction of insulin by the islet cells in thepancreas. There may be a genetic predis-position for this in some dogs.

Glucose in the urine causes the diabeticanimal to excrete large volumes of urine.In turn, this creates dehydration and theurge to drink large amounts of water.

Initially, dogs who do not metabolizeenough sugar have an increase in appetite

and a desire to consume more food. Later,with the effects of malnourishment, the ap-petite drops.

In summary, the signs of early diabetesare frequent urination, drinking lots ofwater, a large appetite, and unexplainedloss of weight. The laboratory findings arehigh glucose levels in the blood and urine.

In more advanced cases there islethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, dehy-dration, weakness, and coma. Cataracts arecommon in diabetic dogs. Ultimately, dia-betes is a disease that affects all organs. Di-abetic dogs will have enlarged livers, besusceptible to infections, and often developneurological problems if not treated.

If you suspect your dog may have dia-betes visit your veterinarian.

Can dogs get diabetes? Yes!


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From page 2

much the same, although there is often a greater focus on weight loss with Type 2 dia-

betics,” she said. “That is why I included the nutritional information on each of the

recipes; each diabetic’s needs are different and can vary easily.”

Campbell said the medical professionals she spoke with were very helpful and in-

formative.

Did they have very much input into the recipes and amounts, etc.?

“Gudrun Novak, RD, was extremely helpful with my project,” Campbell said. “She

gave me a lot of information about diabetes, diabetics’ diets, and non-nutritive sweeten-

ers, which really helped me create the recipes.”

As for feedback, Campbell said she has received “several positive comments” about

the booklets and pamphlets and “no negative feedback, as of yet.”

“I stated that it was not meant to be taken as a ‘replacement for medical advice’ be-

cause diabetic diets are not a ‘cookie cutter’ type of thing; each person has his or her own

needs that should be considered.”

Campbell plans to attend Anderson University in the autumn majoring in biology and

minoring in Spanish and chemistry. She has also been accepted into its honors program.

“I am leaning towards becoming a cardiologist, but I am also really interested in en-

docrinology, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!”

Campbell’s mother and father helped with her project, but their help has been lim-

ited, as required by Girl Scouts.

“They mostly helped me make a few decisions and run the booth at the Cherry Blos-

som Festival, in addition to helping with my fundraiser,” she said. “They have had little

to do with my choice of careers, except to encourage me to utilize my full potential at

whatever I choose to do.”

Campbell said anyone wishing to know more about diabetes or other diabetic-friendly

recipes can check out the web sites that helped her: www.diabetes.org/,

diabetes.webmd.com/, or www.cdc.gov/diabetes/

CAMPBELL: diabetes booklet talks aboutC.A.N.D.Y.

CHS senior Emily Campbell at her C.A.N.D.Y. pamphlet booth at the 2013 CherryBlossom Festival. Submitted photo

From page 3

insulin to transport glucose into the cells

where it can be utilized for energy produc-

tion — and saturated fats from animal

source foods are primary contributors to

this insulin sensitivity.

Our length of life and quality of health

depend upon how efficiently our cells com-

municate and act in harmony. Leptin and

insulin are the most important hormones

that carry out this communication in rela-

tion to energy. These two hormones deliver

messages about energy and, to a large ex-

tent, control metabolism and aging.

Here’s how insulin affects longevity and

the risk of disease:

Insulin production is largely determined

by glucose and the individual cell’s sensi-

tivity to insulin.

Lower levels of insulin are very healthy

as long as the cells are sensitive to insulin’s

message and allow the glucose to enter.

Animal fats in the diet tend to lower the

cell’s sensitivity to the message, prevent-

ing the efficient transport of glucose into

the cells.

As a result, greater amounts of insulin

are produced (or supplemented with med-

ication) in an effort to force the glucose

into the cells.

These higher levels of insulin are asso-

ciated with faster aging and more rapid de-

velopment of diseases.

To summarize, the primary functions of

insulin are transporting glucose into the

cells and storing excess energy for future

time of need.

Tragically, today the Standard American

Diet is so loaded with processed foods and

animal fats, devoid of fiber, loaded with

sugars, and excessively high in calories that

the average person’s insulin levels are con-

stantly elevated and way too high to sup-

port health. The cells are constantly

bombarded with insulin, leading to insulin

resistance and increasing storage of fat,

leading to diabetes and diseases associate

with aging.

If you have Type 2 diabetes, I encour-

age you to work with your doctor to fully

embrace a primarily raw, plant-based diet

(The Hallelujah Diet; see

www.hacres.com) for six weeks. Monitor

your progress and you will discover the

positive impact of dietary and lifestyle in-

tervention — you will not want to go back

to your old ways!

1: http://healthyamericans.org/ reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdf

2: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/jul2011_An-Epidemic-of- Denial_01.htm

3: http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/Obesity2010Report.pdf

4: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/jul2011_An-Epidemic-of-Denial_01.htm

BEAT DIABETES


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by ELIZABETH STEWART

Throughout our lives, we go down many different paths.Layla Harris, 11, was given an extra special challenge at

2 ½. She is beating Juvenile Diabetes and mentoringthrough the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation otherkids hospitalized with Type I Diabetes.

‘It’s no big deal,” says the vivacious 5th grader whodoesn’t let pricking her finger 11 times a day to check herblood sugar stop her from playing softball and being a nor-mal teenager. Aside from a few frustrations at first, it hasbeen an amazing experience for her and her parents, Ash-ley and Johnny Harris and Layla’s twin sister, Abbie, andolder brother, John, 13, to see how she took ownership ofthis challenge since the age of 3.

In November 2004 Layla was diagnosed with JuvenileDiabetes and she depends on an insulin pump to treat herdisease, which eliminates the need for multiple daily shots.

Just getting the news that a child has been diagnosedwith Juvenile Diabetes is unnerving at the very least and itstirs up a storm of emotions as you realize family life willchange.

Layla’s family decided that the disease wouldn’t ruinher life. And Layla’s determination is an example to others.

“Our three children had a virus at the same time andthat’s what doctors suspected,” said the proud Mom, con-tinuing that because her daughters are identical twins med-

ical doctors could not under-stand why one twin couldhave diabetes and the othercould not. The twins were 2½ years old at the time andJohn was 4.

How could Mom and Dadexplain to a toddler why shehad to be “pricked and stuck”and why there would be scarytimes because insulin is nec-essary for life?

“It’s a grieving process fora family,” says Mrs. Harris.They took one day at a time.

Layla now 4 feet 3 inchestall, a blue-eyed blonde witha pony tail, weighs 75 poundsand expertly manages her in-sulin. At KM IntermediateSchool, where she is an ac-tive honor student, plays soft-ball with the Lady Mountaineers and Crushers, she countscarbohydrates, and every bite of food that goes in hermouth has to be covered by insulin and she knows howmuch she needs. Her twin sister and best friend, SavannahBriggs, are there to help, if needed.

Since age 3 Layla has worn a small, stylish pouchclipped inside her pants, a device that holds the insulin andreads how much she needs after her blood sugar is checked.

The insulin is pumped in her body through a tube that con-nects the device to a port on her abdomen. The pump haseliminated shots and needles six times a day.

Layla has been trying out a new device that she canwear on either arm, an Omni Pod, and she can bathe andswim with this new device. “I’m really going to like it,’’she says.

Their efforts to mentor other children paid off in 2004

Juvenile diabetes doesn’t have to slow you down– just ask Layla Harris!

Layla Harris, left, and her twin sister, Abbie, like to play softball and enjoy practic-ing the sport in the yard of their home on Sharon Drive.

photo by LIB STEWART

See HARRIS, 18


If you are experiencing chest pain, or feel that your injury or illness is

life-threatening, call 911 immediately.

Kings Mountain Hospi ta l : 980-487-5000Cleveland Regional Medical Center : 980-487-3000

24-HOUR

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt

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When you need emergency care, turn to the ERs at Cleveland Regional Medical Center and

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excellent care. For more information on any of our services, visit us at www.ClevelandCountyHealthCareSystem.org.




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Cranberry spritzerServes 10Ingredients1 quart reduced-calorie cranberry juice1/2 cup fresh lemon juice1 quart carbonated water1/4 cup sugar1 cup raspberry sherbet10 lemon or lime wedgesDirections: Refrigerate the cranberry juice, lemonjuice and carbonated water until cold.In a large pitcher, mix together the cranberry juice,lemon juice, carbonated water, sugar and sherbet.Pour into tall chilled glasses and garnish with alemon or lime wedge. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: About 1 cup Calories 63 Sodium 21 mgTotal fat 0 g Total carbohydrate 15 gSaturated fat 0 g Dietary fiber 0 gMonounsaturated fat 0 g Protein traceCholesterol 0 mg

Fruit Salsa n’ Sweet ChipsServes 10IngredientsFor tortilla crisps: 8 whole-wheat tortillas 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon For fruit salsa: 3 cups diced fresh fruit, such as apples, oranges,kiwi, strawberries, grapes or other fresh fruit 2 tablespoons sugar-free jam, any flavor 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar 2 tablespoons orange juiceDirections: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut each tortillainto 10 wedges. Lay pieces on two baking sheets.Make sure they aren't overlapping. Spray the tor-tilla pieces with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprin-kle evenly over the tortilla wedges. Bake for 10-12minutes or until the pieces are crisp. Place on a cool-ing rack and let cool. Cut the fruit into cubes. Gently mix the fruit togetherin a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk togetherjam, honey and orange juice. Pour this over thediced fruit. Mix gently. Cover the bowl with plasticwrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Serve as a dip or topping for the cinnamon tortillachips.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: About 8 chips and 1/3 cup salsa Calories 119 Sodium 90 mgTotal fat 3 g Total carbohydrate 21 gSaturated fat trace Dietary fiber 3 gTrans fat 0 Sugars 3.5 gMonounsaturated fat trace Protein 2 gCholesterol 0

Whole-Grain Banana Bread

This twist on banana bread uses rice, amaranth, mil-let, quinoa and tapioca flours — making it safe forpeople with gluten sensitivity. Serves 14Ingredients1/2 cup brown rice flour1/2 cup amaranth flour1/2 cup tapioca flour1/2 cup millet flour1/2 cup quinoa flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/8 teaspoon salt3/4 cup egg substitute (or use egg whites)2 tablespoons grape seed oil1/2 cup raw sugar2 cups mashed banana Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan by spraying it lightly with cookingspray. Dust with a little of any of the flours. Setaside. Mix all dry ingredients except sugar together in alarge bowl. In a separate bowl, combine egg, oil,sugar and mashed banana. Mix well. Add wet mixtureto dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Spooninto loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness with toothpick — when thetoothpick is removed it shouldn't have any battersticking to it. Remove bread from oven, cool, sliceand serve.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: 1 slice Calories 150 Sodium 150 mgTotal fat 3 g Total carbohydrate 30 gSaturated fat 0.5 gDietary fiber 2 gTrans fat 0 g Sugars 7 gMonounsaturated fat 2.5 gProtein 4 gCholesterol 0 mg

Wacky Chocolate CakeServes 20Ingredients3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour1 cup sugar3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder1/2 teaspoon salt2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda1 tablespoon vanilla 2 tablespoons vinegar1/2 cup canola oil2 cups waterDirections: Preheat oven to 350 F. Put flour, sugar,cocoa powder, salt and baking soda directly into anungreased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Use a whisk tostir them together. Using a spoon, make 3 separate holes in the drymixture. Pour the vanilla into one hole. Pour thevinegar into another hole. Pour the oil into the thirdhole. Microwave the water on high for 3 minutes or untilit's boiling. Pour the boiling water slowly and evenly

over the ingredients in the pan. Use the whisk to mixeverything together for 2 minutes. No traces of dryingredients should remain. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuckin the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cakecook completely. Cut into 20 squares and serve.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: 1 piece Calories 158 Sodium 201 mgTotal fat 6 g Total carbohydrate 23 gSaturated fat trace Dietary fiber 2 gTrans fat trace Sugars 10 gMonounsaturated fat 3 g Protein 3 gCholesterol 0

Fish TacosServes 4Ingredients12 ounces whitefish such as cod or tilapiaSalt and pepper to taste (optional)1/4 head Napa cabbage (1 1/2 cups)1 teaspoon cumin2 teaspoons paprika1/2 teaspoon chili powder1/2 small yellow onion, diced (1/4 cup)2 tablespoons cilantro, minced2 red Fresno peppers, dicedZest and juice of 1 lime (1/2 teaspoon zest, 1 ta-blespoon juice)4 wheat tortillas (8-inch diameter), lightly grilled ortoastedDirections: Season fish with salt and pepper if youlike. Then bake fish at 375 F for about 20 minutesuntil internal temperature reaches 145 F. Or grill fishif you prefer. Place remaining ingredients except tortillas in a mix-ing bowl and toss to combine. Flake and place fishon tortillas. Top with cabbage mixture and enjoy.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: 1 filled tortilla Calories 197 Sodium 439 mgTotal fat 5 g Total carbohydrate 19 gSaturated fat trace Dietary fiber 3.5 gTrans fat trace Sugars 0 gMonounsaturated fat 1.5 gProtein 19.5 gCholesterol 48 mg

Grilled Turkey BurgersServes 4Ingredients1 pound ground turkey breast1/4 cup dried bread crumbs1/4 cup chopped onion2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon Tabasco (hot) sauce4 whole-grain buns4 slices tomato4 slices red onion2 bibb lettuce leaves, halved4 tablespoons ketchup Directions: Combine the ground turkey breast,

bread crumbs, chopped onion, parsley, Worcester-shire sauce and hot sauce in a large bowl. Mix well.Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions and forminto patties. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gasgrill or broiler (grill). Away from the heat source,lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cookingspray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches fromthe heat source. Grill burgers until nicely browned on both sides andheated through, about 7 minutes a side. Serve eachburger on a bun topped with 1 tomato slice, 1 onionslice, 1/2 lettuce leaf and a dollop of ketchup.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: 1 prepared burger including bun and toppings Calories 244 Sodium 340 mgTotal fat 8 g Total carbohydrate 29 gSaturated fat 2 g Dietary fiber 4 gMonounsaturated fat 2 g Protein 17 gCholesterol 59 mg

Pizza MargheritaServes 6IngredientsWhole-grain pizza dough: 1 teaspoon active dry yeast3/4 cup warm water3/4 cup whole-wheat flour2 tablespoons barley flour2 teaspoons gluten1 tablespoon oats1/2 tablespoon olive oilToppings: 2 1/2 cups chopped spinach2 1/2 cups sliced tomatoes1/4 cup chopped basil1 tablespoon minced oregano1 tablespoon minced garlic1 teaspoon black pepper2 ounces fresh mozzarellaDirectionsTo make dough, dissolve yeast in warm water, let sit5 minutes. Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil andwater-yeast mixture. Knead for 10-15 minutes forbest texture. An electric mixer is helpful, but not nec-essary. Let dough rise in refrigerator for a minimum of 1hour. Preheat oven to 450 F. Roll out dough ball on flouredsurface to 1/4-inch thickness. Place dough on bak-ing sheet or pizza peel. Top with spinach, tomatoes,basil, oregano, garlic, black pepper and mozzarella.Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese melts andcrust is crisp.

Nutritional analysis per servingServing size: 1 slice (1/6th of pizza) Calories 144 Sodium 83 mgTotal fat 5 g Total carbohydrate 20 gSaturated fat 1 g Dietary fiber 4 gTrans fat 0 g Sugars 0 gMonounsaturated fat 2 g Protein 7 gCholesterol 6 mg

Tasty Diabetic-Friendly Recipes*taken from Mayoclinic.com



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George W. Randall, D.C.

703 W. King St., Kings Mountain

704.739.7776

Deepak Gelot, M.D.Medical Director, Carolina Family CareCarolina Wellness and Cosmetic Laser Center

Diabetes is also referred to as high blood sugar. It’s a condition that affects your wholebody. It’s important to keep your blood sugar controlled, because when too much sugarstays in your blood for a long time, it can damage blood vessels and nerves. Over time,constant high sugar levels can cause damage to your eyes, heart, kidneys, and nerves.

Much of the food we eat is turned into sugar in the blood for our bodies to use for en-ergy. A hormone produced by the pancreas called insulin helps sugar in our blood to getinto the cells of our bodies. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin or if the insulindoesn’t work the way it should, blood sugar can’t get into your cells and instead stays inyour blood, raising your blood sugar level.

Diet and proper nutrition play an important role in the prevention and the treatment ofdiabetes. Eating healthy foods in the proper balanced amounts can help lower blood sugarlevels and manage the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. Balancing carbohydrates, eliminat-ing sugars, and adding protein will help stabilize blood glucose in people with Type 2 di-abetes.

Diabetics need to be aware of “good” carbs and “bad” carbs. Good carbs contain com-plex carbohydrates and burn slower, helping to stabilize blood glucose. Bad carbs causeinsulin to spike in the blood and should be avoided. Bad carbs are found in sugar, refinedwhite flour, corn sugar, fruits and juices. Fiber is necessary in a diabetic’s diet because itlowers blood sugar. Nuts are a diabetic super food. They contain healthy fats that aregood for the body and helps slow the digestion of carbs, leading to lowering the bloodsugar. Adding protein to every meal slows the release of blood sugar.

Exercise is another important part of any diabetics treatment plan. Diabetes and exer-cise go hand in hand, at least when it comes to managing your diabetes. Exercise canhelp you improve your blood sugar control, as well as boost your overall fitness and re-duce your risk of heart disease and nerve damage. You should track your blood sugar be-fore, during, and after exercise to help prevent potentially dangerous blood sugarfluctuations. For the best health benefits, 150 minutes a week of moderately intense phys-ical activities such as fast walking, swimming or bicycling is recommended. Before start-ing any exercise program, get your doctors permission.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels with a meter is a good thing to do. It helps you tosee how food, physical activity, and medicine affect your blood sugar levels. Using yourmedicines exactly as your doctor prescribes, making smart food choices and staying phys-ically active will help keep your blood sugar levels controlled.

Take your body’s hints seriously. The earlier the condition is diagnosed the sooner thetreatment can begin. Diabetes is a serious condition but with your active participationand the support of your health care team, you can manage diabetes while enjoying an ac-tive, healthy life.

For further questions feel free to contact Carolina Family Care at 704.734.0010 [email protected]

Young & Associates Family DentistDr. Brenton Young, Dr. PaulineCahill, Dr. Jessica Lackey

Invisalign Invisible Braces

Did you know that nearlyone out of four orthodonticpatients these days is overthe age of 21? And did youknow that Invisalign bracescan give you straighter teethin as little as six months toone year? “I didn’t havebraces as a child,” one pa-tient told us, “and I wasafraid that getting braces asan adult would make melook unprofessional. Whenmy dentist told me aboutbraces that were nearly in-visible, I knew I’d found theperfect solution.”

With Invisalign braces,you can have a confident andbeautiful smile, without mostpeople even realizing you’rewearing invisible braces.

A welcome alternative tobraces with metal wires, thistreatment uses clear, custom-moldedaligners that are virtually invisible. Youcan remove the aligners when it’s time toeat, drink, brush or floss.

Young and Associates Family Dentistoffers Invisalign clear aligners for adultsas well as children.

Invisalign treatment consists of a seriesof aligners that change about every twoweeks. Each aligner is individually manu-factured with exact calculations to gradu-ally shift your teeth into place. And sinceyour Invisalign system is custom-made foryour teeth, you know you’ll end up with asmile that truly fits.

When it comes to considering your op-tions for a smile makeover, it’s easy to seeInvisalign’s advantages.

Lumineers May be Right for You!

Are you unhappy with your smile? Doyou hide it because of stained or dull-look-ing teeth? Do you have chipped, cracked,crooked or missing teeth that make youself-conscious? Get the bright, white, andeven smile you’ve always dreamed aboutwith Lumineers porcelain veneers.

Nine out of ten Americans think an at-tractive smile is an important asset; three-fourths of them believe an unattractivesmile can hurt a person’s chances for ca-

reer success, according to a survey by theAmerican Academy of Cosmetic Den-tistry.

If your teeth are discolored, improperlyaligned or misshaped, then Lumineers,porcelain veneers, may be the best solu-tion. A porcelain veneer is an extremelythin, ceramic covering which bonds to thefront of the tooth. A porcelain veneer vi-sually improves the look of the toothwhile also strengthening it.

If you’re not happy with your smile, abeautiful smile can still be yours. Ad-vances in cosmetic dental care have madeit possible for the dentist with the righttraining, qualifications and expertise tocompletely redesign your smile.

Young and Associates offer smile de-sign expertise. You don’t have to hide yoursmile any longer. A straight, incrediblywhite, bright and beautiful smile is wait-ing for you. Discover how our advancedcosmetic techniques and treatments canpainlessly restore the brilliance of yoursmile. Make an appointment today totransform your worn, stained or crookedteeth into the beautiful, natural lookingsmile of which you have always dreamed.

Feel free to contact us for more infor-mation at www.shelbyfamilydentist.comor 704.482.7986

Beautiful summer smilesTake what your body

is telling you seriously


Deepak R. Gelot, M.D.

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introducing the

by MICHAEL E. POWELL

Connie Wise first became acquainted with the word “di-abetes” as it applied to her life, in 1994. At that time, shesaid her doctor told her she might be “borderline diabetic.”She said her whole life changed at that point.

Since then, she’s learned to control the disease instead ofit controlling her.

Wise, 81, said when she first heard the news, she wason her way to the Holy Land – Israel – for a trip with somechurch friends.

“I had a physical and was told then I needed to be on in-sulin. All I knew was I didn’t want to get started on some-thing that I knew nothing about (insulin), so when I cameback from the trip, my regular doctor started me on it,” shesaid.

Wise didn’t know how to regulate it and the dose herdoctor suggested didn’t help with symptoms management.

“As for them (the symptoms), I really didn’t know whatI was looking at or feeling. Also, I was having a lot of prob-lems. When I later went to my heart doctor for my regularcheckup he said he knew somebody I needed to see.”

Wise, a Type II diabetic, was referred to the doctor shesaid has been her “lifesaver”, Kings Mountain endocrinol-ogist Dr. Neeraj Ashri.

Ashri went over the nature of the disease with her andhusband, Hillard. She also went to the Shelby diabetes

clinic and learned all about “counting carbs”. One piece ofadvice Dr. Ashri gave her stuck with her then and is in hermind and heart still.

“He told me to control my diabetes and to not let it con-trol me.”

Wise said her new diabetes doctor told her to eat in mod-eration. That she didn’t have to rule out all the things sheloved, but to eat them in moderation.

“He said I wasn’t a machine; that I was a human being.He said “don’t let the disease scare me to death, but do whathe told me to do.”

Wise said she has tried over the last eight years to dowhat Ashri has told her to do. So much so, her doctor hasused her progress as an example to other diabetics, youngor old, of what can be done if you set your heart and mindto it.

“I write down all I eat all day long. I’m on sliding scaleinsulin. He tells other diabetics if an 80-year-old womancan do what he’s said to do, then anyone can!”

Wise uses two insulin pens and readily admits there aretimes she does “foul up” and goes overboard, but she getsright back on track. She takes a dose once in the morningand once at night.

Connie said there were times early in her battle with thedisease and before she began seeing Ashri, when she wasblacking out. In one incident she passed out in the floor ofher home and woke up with medical and fire responders, as

well as her children, all looking down at her, making sureshe was all right. She doesn’t remember passing out,

Wise’ diabetes doesn’t control her, she controls it

Connie Wise discovered she was a Type II diabetic in1994 as she prepared to go on a tour of the Holy Land.

photo by MICHAEL POWELL

See WISE’, 20

Credits endocrinologist with saving her life


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From page 4

Each week, I would lose just a little bit

and that really motivated me. I felt so much

better after I started exercising and eating

less.” Weekly session topics range from

healthy eating and physical activity to

stress management, overcoming negative

thoughts, and ways to stay motivated.

Shannon stuck to the program goals and

was very committed to tracking her food

intake. She said, “I tracked everything I put

in my mouth except my tooth brush and

dental floss.”

Shannon is incredibly proud of her suc-

cess and hard work and says, “At the end of

the 16 weeks, I had achieved the goals of

the program with 7% weight loss, 150 min-

utes of physical activity each week, and I

was able to attend all 16 classes without

missing a single class. I feel so blessed. My

blood pressure is more favorable, I have no

acid reflux, and I no longer ride in carts

when I shop. I now proudly walk and push

my buggy.”

Shannon went back to her doctor, and he

was so excited, he asked, “How did you do

it?” Shannon says, “My fasting blood glu-

cose was 94 and my doctor wrote me a note

that just said ‘Excellent!’ I am enjoying ac-

tivity. Now that I am almost 30 pounds

lighter, my knee pain has improved by

80%.”

Shannon is now in the maintenance por-

tion of the program and has set another 7%

weight loss goal. She happily exclaims, “I

will be there by June, I just know it!” As

she reflects on her long-term goals, Shan-

non adds, “This will be a permanent change

for me. This program has worked so well

for me that I want to tell others about it and

be an advocate for diabetes prevention.”

Qualifying for the YMCA’s Diabetes

Prevention Program is as simple as know-

ing your score on the quiz below. Individ-

uals who have already been diagnosed with

either type 1 or Type 2 diabetes do not

qualify for this program. If you score a 9 or

higher, then you may be at risk for pre-di-

abetes or diabetes and may qualify for the

program. (This does NOT mean you have

diabetes. You will need a blood test to con-

firm if you have diabetes.)

Classes are continually forming at all of

the Cleveland County Family YMCA local

branches. Thanks to our funding from Kate

B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, we are able

to offer the program at a reduced price. Par-

ticipants also receive a 16-week trial

YMCA membership during their time in

the program. Contact Becca Schweppe at

704-669-3631 (bschweppe@cleve-

coymca.org) for more information.From page 11

when the family sponsored a cookbook at Resurrection Lutheran Church, where the twins

were in pre-school. All proceeds went to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Other good things have happened.

The nursing experience Ashley Harris learned with her daughter led to a decision to

return to nursing school. Mrs. Harris is a nurse in the Emergency Room/Diabetic Center

at Cleveland Regional Medical Center in Shelby and teaches newly-diagnosed patients

how to manage the disease. Since 2012 she has worked with patients referred by medical

doctors and her newest little friend is a six-year-old boy the Harris twins call “cool.” They

give other families compassion and assurance the disease demands.

“We really focused on our daughter learning how to take control of managing her in-

sulin 100 percent,” said Mrs. Harris. “If she maintains her insulin dosage, eats right, and

exercises it will cut down on any complications as she get older. If there is a low reading,

Layla knows what to do.”

Layla has already decided what her goal will be as a grown-up. She wants to teach el-

ementary-age children. She and her twin sister are best buddies and plan to attend the

same college. Both girls are busy. They enjoy school, Central United Methodist Church,

and playing with friends. They were recently selected Miss Poppy by American Legion

Auxiliary Unit 155 and have already asked a friend to drive them in his red convertible

in the 2013 Christmas parade as repre-

sentatives of the organization.

The Harris children are grandchildren

of Mal and Shirley Brutko and Jean

Arthur Harris and the late Ollie Harris,

Jr. They are the great-grandchildren of

the late Senator J. Ollie Harris and Mrs.

Harris and the late Mr. and Mrs. J.H.

Arthur.

The twins love what they do and do

what they love. Their brother, John, is

shy about having his picture but they all

agreed that Layla deserves the limelight.

CHANGE: today for a healthier future

Layla Harris, 11, demonstrates how she checks her blood sugar. Since age 2 ½ shehas stuck her finger a total of 36,135 times.

photo by LIB STEWART

HARRIS: juvenile diabetes doesn’t slow her down


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Are You Pre-Diabetic?Some estimates show up to60 million adults in the UnitedStates that are. Diabetes is a disease in whichthe body does not produce orproperly use insulin, a hormonethat is needed to convert sugar,starches and other food into

energy. The cause of diabetes isstill unknown; however, genetics and factorssuch as obesity play a role.

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Joshua Ziebell, ODGaston Eye Associates

What if I told you to look around in your immediate vicinity; look at the faces of chil-dren, adults and elders around you. Take it all in by looking at the smiles, the sometimesfurrowed brows. Look into their eyes. Now imagine that nearly one in every 3 of thoseindividuals you see right now has a potentially blinding disease. If not now, they are atan ever-increasing risk of developing this disease over their lifetime.

It is diabetes. It is also one of the leading causes of blindness in our Western civiliza-tion. That needs to be emphasized, because it has been called the disease of the affluentnations. And yes, if you are over 65, you will have a 1 in 3 chance of developing this dis-ease and a 5-7% risk of losing vision.

To put some additional salt in the wound of realization, here are some figures: $245Billion in total costs of diagnosis and treatment in the US and $69 Billion in lost pro-ductivity. Those figures are with “B” as in Billions. Another “B” word that brings with itapprehension and fear is blindness. Diabetes affects the small blood vessels of the body,causing a weakness to the walls of blood vessels and thereby allowing cracks to develop.Out of these cracks leak blood and proteins that accumulate in the retina causing visionloss. Should these lesions go undetected and untreated, the result being permanent visionloss.

A logical follow-up question should be – what can I do about it? How can I avoidbeing a statistic? By the way, there are an additional 79 million individuals that are “pre-diabetic” which means their body is trying to tell them to do something different, or med-ical intervention will no longer become an option; for those that do not find time forexercise will sooner or later find time for illness.

I urge caution when saying you are a “Diet Controlled” diabetic. Let’s not kid our-selves. It is BECAUSE of your diet that you are being followed closely by your medicalprovider. So, beware of what you eat. Begin an exercise program – your body will re-spond. This is a disease that can be reversed if your lifestyle can be changed. Expectinga different outcome yet continuing to do exactly the same thing is one definition of in-sanity.

Talk with your eye doctor and your general practitioner today. It is so very true, a quoteby our beloved Benjamin Franklin who just so happened to invent the bifocal; “an ounceof prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

From page 17

however. She just remembers waking upand seeing them all there.

Wise said she doesn’t know of anyonein her family, past or present, who has dia-betes. She believes hers came about due toweight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.

“I worked at Cherryville Area Ministries(CAM) and was working 50 to 60 hours aweek with no exercise, eating just anythingat lunch time. I didn’t take care of myself!”

Wise said her sugar numbers have a ten-dency to be low. She carries fast-acting or-ange-flavored glucose tablets with herwhenever she feels her sugar getting low.

“I don’t go anywhere without them,”she said.

The Wises, married 62 years and bothretired, aren’t big breakfast eaters, Conniesaid. They split the difference and eat“brunch”. She said she could, nowadays,“easily be a vegetarian”, she loves them somuch.

“When you’re retired you don’t haveanything you really need to get up early inthe morning for anyway,” she said, laugh-ing.

Unlike many diabetics Wise said shedoesn’t remember experiencing the routineproblems most diabetics do, such as fre-quent urination, dizziness, dry mouth, andsuch.

“I do have some problems with neu-ropathy though, and have some leg prob-lems,” she said, adding her doctor watchesthem “like a hawk.”

Connie said Dr. Ashritold her when he first mether that she was going tohave to watch herself andmonitor herself, he couldn’tdo it and no one else couldeither.

“He was very honestwith me,” Wise said. “It wasa sobering experience! But Iwas glad for his honesty be-cause it opened my eyesabout what I needed to bedoing.”

Wise said even thoughshe worked at CAM, it wason a volunteer basis. Herreal job was that of a house-wife, a full-time job, espe-cially with three children.

A Bob Jones Universitygrad, she learned aboutbeing a missionary of sortsthere at college, and notedshe feels she is still a mis-sionary today, seeking to doGod’s work as she goes

about her day.She and her husband are members of

Cherryville First Presbyterian Church. Shealso credits the prayers and friendship ofthe church members for helping her alongwith this as well.

Wise said if she was able to give new di-abetics advice it would be to find a goodendocrinologist and follow through withwhat he or she says.

“If you’re not going to follow throughwith what the doctor says, then don’t wasteyour time or money, or his time or money,”she said. “It’s costly to be a diabetic!”

Another thing she advises to change iseating habits. Again, she said all things inmoderation.

As for weight gain and loss, or exerciseregimens, Wise said that should be up toone’s doctor or medical professional.

One of the big “no-no’s” for diabetics issmoking.

“There are too many things that can gowrong with diabetics, like heart attacks,strokes, and such,” she said.

For Wise, there is always somethingmore she, or other diabetics, can do to helpthemselves.

“I need to get out and walk more; be alittle more critical of what I eat, things likethat.”

At the end of the day, she said it allcomes down to living in moderation andnot going “overboard” with anything.

“We need to all slow down and realizethat we’re not in control (of our lives), thatGod is in control!”

Diabetes among leadingcauses of blindness

WISE: diabetes doesnʼt control her

Connie Wise looks at her two insulin pens. Shedoesn’t go anywhere without them. They, along withher lifestyle change, help her manage diabetes and livea full life in which she controls her diabetes; it doesn’tcontrol her.

photo by MICHAEL POWELL


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SHELBY – It’s no secret that Americais suffering an obesity epidemic amongchildren, and many parents may be over-whelmed on just what to do to help.

Professional help is available. At theShelby Children’s Clinic, Amy Buttrick,RD, LDN, a registered dietician, workswith children and adolescents who areoverweight or obese. “I am seeing moreobese children than ever,” she said. “Chil-dren who were classified as overweight afew years ago, and have made little to nochange in their habits, are now obese orclose to it.”

In North Carolina, about 34 percent ofchildren ages 10 to 17 fall into the over-weight or obese category, according to a2009 report from the N.C. Department ofHealth and Human Services. But the prob-lem is nationwide. In 2010, more than onethird of American children and adolescentswere classified as overweight or obese, ac-cording to the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention. “Obesity is a major healthcare concern that has increased to epidemiclevels across the country and locally,” saidChris Cerjan, MD, a pediatrician and themedical director at Shelby Children’sClinic. “Cleveland County is fortunate tohave a resource like Amy Buttrick.”

Why the concern?“Although the immediate problems that

children encounter such as sleep issues, fa-tigue, joint pains, and self-esteem issues areimportant, the long term consequences are

even more dra-matic,” said Dr.Cerjan.

Some expertsbelieve the life ex-pectancy of thenext generationmay actually de-cline due to healthproblems relatedto obesity.

“Pediatricianshave seen a rise in high cholesterol, highblood pressure, and even adult onset dia-betes in children,” he continued. On aver-age, about half of the children Buttrickworks with have elevated triglycerides (atype of fat transported through the blood-stream), elevated LDL levels (commonlyknown as “bad cholesterol”), or both.These elevated levels increase their risk forheart disease.

Many of the children who visit Buttrickalso have difficulties sleeping. Sleeping ontheir stomachs is uncomfortable because oftheir size, so they often end up sleeping ontheir backs. The extra weight in their ab-domen pushes against the lungs, causingbreathing problems, including sleep apnea.“It’s a vicious cycle. They don’t sleep well;they feel tired in school, and they don’t feellike being active when they get home,” saidButtrick.

Her work with these children and ado-lescents and their parents helps them breakthat cycle. Families who are referred toButtrick by their pediatrician or primary

Helping our childrenstay healthy, happy

Amy ButtrickRD, LDN

See CHILDREN, 23


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Diabetes is defined as a group of meta-bolic diseases in which a person has highblood sugar, either because thepancreasdoes not produce enough insulin, or be-cause cells do not respond to the insulinthat is produced. Not only is the result ele-vated blood sugar but a host of other bod-ily functions become impaired.

One of those important bodily functionsthat become affected by diabetes is diges-tion. The digestive process is basic to exis-tence because it is the means by which thebody assimilates the nutrition from thefood consumed to then nourish the cells fortheir ever important tasks. A disruption inthe digestive process can have dire conse-quences so we shall look at the normal di-gestive process and see how diabetes canbe prevented with the help of key princi-ples.

The Normal Digestive Process The process of digestion actually starts

the second your fork enters your mouth.With help from the enzyme amylase foundin saliva, the carbohydrates in your foodstart to be broken down into smaller parti-cles which is crucial to relieving the bur-

den it puts on the small intestine. That iswhy it is so important to completely chewyour food and eat slowly! Once swallowedthose particles make their way down theesophagus and into the stomach by way ofperistalsis, a series of wave-like musclecontractions that move food to differentprocessing stations along the GI tract.

Next, the stomach calls its hydrochloricacid into action along with enzymes se-creted from the pancreas to further digestthe proteins in that meal. After a few hours,the digested food is ready for its next des-tination, the intestines. The small intestinebegins the job of sorting the components offood.

Bile from the liver dissolves fat andjuices in the intestinal lining continuing thebreakdown of the food into macronutrients:carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Micronu-trients of the food, vitamins and minerals,absorb into the blood stream from the smallintestine. What is left moves through theremainder of the intestines and exits thebody within approximately 24 hours aslong as there are no disruptions along theway.

Digestion Compromised By Diabetes

The process of digestion is an involun-tary action performed by the nervous sys-

tem of the body. Unfortunately, the nervesof a diabetic person are damaged by thecontinual elevation of blood sugar.

T h i scauses digestionto be impaired and can re-sult in heartburn, diarrhea and con-stipation- just to name a few. Whendigestion is not working properly, the nu-trients in food are not absorbed as theyshould be.

Not only does diabetes cause impair-ment with the metabolism of sugars butalso the metabolism of fats and proteins.Ironically, many diabetic people are over-weight from excess blood sugar while thecells in their body are literally starving andemaciated. The excess blood sugar or glu-cose cannot be delivered to the cells for theenergy needed and is therefore stored in theliver contributing to weight gain, toxicityand rising acidity.

Enzyme Therapy for Diabetes

Supplementing with broad spectrumplant based enzymes is beneficial to any-one suffering from indigestion and a dys-functional GI tract but especially to thosewith diabetes. Since the body is not break-ing down and absorbing nutrients properly,enzymes aid in assisting that process andrelieving the burden put on the pancreasand intestines.

In addition, digestive enzymes may im-prove circulation, which is often poor in di-abetics, boost the immune system, decreaseinflammation, help the transportation ofnutrients throughout the body, eliminatewaste products and enhance overall well-ness. Digestive enzymes may be also use-ful for gastroparesis, a complication ofdiabetes. Gastroparesis is characterized bysymptoms like heartburn, belching, bloat-ing, nausea and changes in bowel move-ment pattern.

Digestive enzymes, particularly

protease may help prevent kidney compli-cations of diabetes, and all enzymes mayhelp prevent nerve damage caused by thiscondition.

Another crucial enzyme that is mostoften deficient in someone with diabetes isthe lipase enzyme. Lipase is responsible forfat digestion and metabolism. Diabetics aredeficient in lipase, which is required for op-timum cell permeability, which includesthe production of insulin and its transportinside the cell. Insulin is suppressed in pro-portion to the amount of undigested fat(triglycerides) in the blood. If fat can be di-gested, insulin metabolism can be im-proved. Because cell membranes are madeup of cholesterol, which is a fat, lipase willalso help make the membranes more flexi-ble and allow the membrane to functionnormally again.

Diabetes Prevention

Probiotics and digestive enzymes workhand in hand for complete breakdown andutilization of the nutrients consumed. Newresearch is revealing a link between obesityand poor micro floral gut environmentswhich suggest that supplementation mayeven help to reduce weight- a major con-tributor to Type 2 diabetes.

With diabetes comes a host of compli-cations such as yeast infections triggeredby high blood sugar levels, skin conditions,a lower immune system and more. This“good bacteria” will help to colonize andmaintain balance of the micro-organisms inthe gut. They not only build the immunesystem but also help to quench inflamma-

The role digestion and nutrition play in diabetes

See DIGESTION, 23


From page 22

tion which is another culprit associatedwith diabetes as well as heart disease andobesity.

It is vitally important when searchingfor the right probiotic supplement to findone that is pH stabilized with multiplestrains of flora. We know our stomach is avery acidic environment which is worsenedwith diabetes so consuming a refrigerated,unstabilized probiotic will not provide thefull benefits due to the live cultures notbeing able to tolerate the heat and acidityof the stomach and GI tract.

Probiotics can go a long way in helpingyou take care of yourself, manage certaindiabetes complications, helping you re-cover faster and keeping your immune sys-tem functioning properly when taken in theright forms.

Making sure the diabetic patient is get-

ting ample whole food vitamin and miner-als in the cells daily is critical to help thebody efficiently use the sugar and insulin.Research shows that the typical diabeticpatient is deficient in the B family of vita-mins as well as magnesium and others.

Many prescription drugs that are com-monly given to diabetics can deplete thesecrucial vitamins and minerals as well. Sup-plementation with the proper whole foodvitamins and minerals can improve the en-ergy and sugar levels of many diabetic pa-tients.

The World Health Organization antici-pates that by 2030, over 360 million peo-ple will have diabetes. That is a staggeringnumber when there is ample evidence tosupport that it’s mainly caused by diet.

It’s time to take a closer look at thefoods we consume and how our bodies di-gest and break that food down for the nour-ishment of our cells.

From page 21

care physician spend time learning abouthealthy nutrition and the importance ofphysical activity. “The treatment (forchildhood obesity) is really lifestyle mod-ifications including improving nutritionand exercise,” said Dr. Cerjan.

“It is easy to get caught up in the latestfad diet, or over focus on the trendy quickloss micronutrient,” he continued. “Amy isable to explain simple weight loss strate-gies in everyday language. Even smallchanges can get people moving in the rightdirection. She also promotes overallhealthy lifestyle changes instead of just fo-cusing on the number of pounds.”

Buttrick teaches families about foodportion sizes, healthy food choices, rec-ommended daily servings for differentfood groups and more. Most families visither for six sessions lasting about one hour.She hopes what she teaches them will lasta lifetime.

“The big thing is to change the envi-ronment in their house,” she said. “I startby asking parents to get rid of all the junkfood and sugary drinks. It’s a big changefor parents, too. It’s hard, but it’s impor-tant to change the environment around thechild and begin to promote healthy habits.”

Changing that environment meansmaking sure the kitchen is stocked withhealthy choices for every meal and snacks.To help parents, Buttrick provides grocerylists, recipes and healthy snack ideas.

Food is only half of the equation,

though. Adding physical activity into thechild’s day is just as important. Buttrickencourages families to find something ac-tive to do between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. whenthe tendency, upon arriving home, is to siton the couch and turn on the television.

“I tell parents I’m asking them to con-tribute three hours a day to prevent a lifethreatening illness. We talk about easy, freeways to be active such as walking aroundthe yard, using walking tracks at schoolsor the YMCA, even an empty church park-ing lot,” said Buttrick. “The importantthing is to get the kids out of the house anddo something active at least four days aweek.”

In addition, she connects families withprograms in the community to allow themaccess to playgrounds, walking tracks,pools and structured activities. She alsoteaches the children how to move more athome, including some simple, one-minuteexercises.

Buttrick stresses that it’s very importantfor families to make changes together, es-pecially for younger children. They dowhat’s familiar, what they see their parentsdo. “If mom and dad aren’t motivated togo for a walk or swap the snack cake foran apple, the kids won’t be motivated ei-ther,” she said.

About the professionals:Christopher Cerjan, MD is board certi-

fied by the American Board of Pediatrics.Dr. Cerjan received his medical degreefrom the Medical College of Georgia. Hecompleted his residency at Carolinas Med-

ical Center with a specialty in pediatrics.Amy H. Buttrick RD, LDN works as a

registered dietitian at the Shelby Chil-dren’s Clinic. She received her BS degreein Exercise and Sport Science from EastCarolina University, and received a Cer-tificate of Training in Childhood and Ado-lescent Weight Management from theAmerican Dietetic Association. In addition

to working with overweight and obesechildren, Buttrick also assists families withissues such as infant feeding disorders,problems transitioning to table foods, andchildren with Crohn’s disease, food aller-gies, or celiac disease.

For more information on the nutritionservices provided at the Shelby Children’sClinic call 980-487-2100.

DIGESTION: nutrition play a role in diabetes

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