Junior Cup Diabetes

Do you know a child with type 1 diabetes who plays soccer and is 8-12 years old?

Medtronic is proud to bring the Junior Cup Diabetes International Football Tournament to Lausanne, Switzerland this summer. Children with type 1 diabetes, between the ages of 8 and 12 years old, will have the opportunity to represent their country by competing in the soccer tournament from August 22-27, 2012. 

In collaboration with various other international corporations in the diabetes industry, such as Lilly Diabetes and Bayer HealthCare, Medtronic is proud to bring the 6th annual Junior Cup Diabetes to Switzerland this summer. Teams from 12 countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, France, Italy, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom) will be competing in the tournament and all participants will have the chance to meet soccer World Champion (1998) Christian Karembeu, who is the ambassador for the event, and other sport legends like Bas Van De Goor (Olympic Gold Medal Dutch Volleyball Team 1996), who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2003.

For complete tournament registration criteria and information, visit the tournament website at: www.juniorcup-diabetes.com, or to apply for the Canadian team, visit www.medtronicdiabetes.ca/juniorcup.

Saturday Shake-Up ~ May 26th

Pina Colada Shake

8oz coconut water

6 lg pieces diced pineapple

2 scoops ViSalus shake mix

4 ice cubes

Combine everything in the blender, blend and enjoy!

Nutritional Info: 175 Calories, 29g carbs, 6g fiber, 1g fat, 14g protein

To find out more info about the 90 Day Challenge, check out my challenge website!

What is the Challenge?

The Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge is a challenge to make your health a priority for 90 days. You decide what your personal challenge will entail. For example, you might want to lose weight; you might want to increase muscle mass; you might want to improve athletic performance; or you might simply want to get more balanced nutrition. Whatever your personal goal, the Body by Vi Challenge will help you stay on track, be accountable, and, most importantly, reach your goal, by providing the tools you need to be successful.

How do they do this? By providing you with amazing products that are easy and fun to use, inexpensive, and effective. And if that's not enough, they are offering $25,000,000 a year in free product, prizes, and vacations. With 3000 people joining the challenge every day, the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge is the number 1 weight loss and fitness challenge in North America. 

So what do you next? Simply set a goal, select a kit, and share your progress.

I started my 90 day challenge just over 2 months ago, using the Core Kit. My goal was to improve my running speed and ensure balanced nutrition. So far I have lost 8 pounds and 3.5 inches and taken 14 minutes off my half-marathon race time. I sleep better, have more energy, and feel absolutely incredible. Those who know me, know I take my health very seriously. I would never recommend a program and product unless I was absolutely positive it would help you. And this one will change your life.

For more info, watch the short video below, then check out my website, or contact me at bloodsweatcarbs@shaw.ca.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday ~ Diabetes Camp Time

It's almost that time of year already: diabetes camp!! This will be Dylan's third year at Camp Kakhamela, a beautiful camp located on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.

For anyone interested in attending Camp Kakhamela, I believe there are still a few spaces available for the first session, running in early July. Visit the Canadian Diabetes Association website for more info.

My Hero ~ D Blog Week, Day 7

Let’s end our week on a high note and blog about our “Diabetes Hero”.  It can be anyone you’d like to recognize or admire, someone you know personally or not, someone with diabetes or maybe a Type 3.  It might be a fabulous endo or CDE.  It could be a d-celebrity or role-model.  It could be another DOC member.  It’s up to you – who is your Diabetes Hero??

If you read my blog regularly, you know this one is a no-brainer. My hero is my son, Dylan. He is the ultimate trooper, the ultimate tough guy, the ultimate warrior. Like the thousands of other children with type 1 diabetes, he has the "invisible disease"; the "everything looks okay on the outside, but inside it's a roller coaster" disease. Type 1 kids are tough. Period. And my son is no exception. Between the constant finger pokes, infusion set changes, syringe injections, carb counts, adjustments, and doctors visits, type 1 kids endure a lot. And they're forced to be grown-ups way earlier than they should be. Why? Because they have to. Do they complain? No, they deal with it.

A couple of years after Dylan was diagnosed, I remember asking myself if maybe he was meant to fill this role. And in no way do I mean that he was meant to live a life of finger pokes, injections and carb counting; god forbid, no one should ever have to endure what a type 1 diabetic endures every day. But there is something about the spirit of a type 1 child that shows everyone he/she can handle it.  It's a strength, independence, and will that is almost incomparable with other kids. It's almost indescribable.

Do I know a hero? Yeah. I see one every day. And I'm proud to call him my son.

Saturday Shake-Up ~ May 19th

Another week of amazing shakes; it's hard to pick one favorite, but I think this is it:

Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie

6 oz nonfat milk
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 tsp graham cracker crumbs
2 oz fat free cream cheese
2 scoops ViSalus shake mix
4 ice cubes

Combine everything into the blender, blend, and enjoy!

Nutritional Info: 269 Calories, 33g carbs, 6.4g fiber, 6g fat, 20g protein

To find out more info about the 90 Day Challenge, check out my challenge website!

What They Should Know ~ D Blog Week, Day 5

Today let’s borrow a topic from a #dsma chat held last September.  The tweet asked “What is one thing you would tell someone that doesn’t have diabetes about living with diabetes?” Let’s do a little advocating and post what we wish people knew about diabetes.  Have more than one thing you wish people knew?  Go ahead and tell us everything.

1) Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is NOT caused from eating too much sugar, too little activity, or poor lifestyle choices. It is NOT hereditary (though there may be a genetic factor involved), nor it is contagious. There is nothing anyone could have done to prevent it, and there is nothing that will make it easier, better, or dormant. It is random, incurable, and deadly if not managed well.

2) It is all encompassing. It takes a colossal amount of time, energy, money, and sanity, to effectively manage diabetes. So if it seems like I talk about diabetes a lot, it is because we have lived with it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for 6 and a half years. 

3) It can wreak havoc on my child's body. Lows cause my son weakness, sweats, shakes, dizziness, headaches, and, if untreated, can lead to seizure, coma, or death. Highs in Dylan cause swelling, extreme thirst, nausea, fatigue, and headache. Possible long term side effects include kidney failure, blindness, leg amputation, heart problems, and gum disease. So even though he looks amazingly healthy right now, only he knows what is going on inside his body at any given time.

4) My kid is tough. Really really really tough. He has poked his finger to check his blood sugar level over 14,000 times, received over 2,200 insulin injections via syringe, and had more than 500 infusion set changes. That is a LOT of needles. But where Dylan is really tough is in spirit. He believes in himself, he knows he can do anything he wants, and he does not let diabetes stand in his way. So yes, he has a serious medical condition, but don't you dare count my son out of anything, or ever assume for a minute that he can't do something because of diabetes. He CAN and he WILL prove you wrong, time and time again.