awareness Archives

National Diabetes Month

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Alissa Vandenbark

During November, we hope to raise awareness about diabetes among Americans. The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) has chosen the theme of “Eat Well, America!” Both MANNA and The ADA aim to spread awareness about how easy and delicious it can be to prepare healthy meals. More than 30 million adults and children are impacted by diabetes in the United States and nearly 86 million children and adults are either pre-diabetic or at risk for prediabetes. Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and blindness among middle aged adults? Diabetes is a serious disease and it has been estimated to have cost America $245 billion dollars in healthcare costs.

At MANNA, we are committed to improving the lives of our clients living with diabetes and encouraging prevention. Proper nutrition plays a vital role in managing the disease but also in preventing it. We will be sharing helpful information and tips about the disease all month via MANNA’s social media channels using the hashtag #‎ADM. You can join the conversation by sharing or retweeting the posts all month. To further commemorate this month of awareness, we encourage those impacted by the disease to come in for a nutrition counseling session. Our Nutrition Department of Registered Dietitians can help you to prevent or properly manage diabetes. To set up an appointment, please call 215-496-2662 x 5. Together, we can make a stand against diabetes!

Source: www.diabetes.org

Diabetes Awareness Month

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Alissa Vandenbark

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. This month, we encourage everyone to take time to consider the risk factors for diabetes and to take steps to prevent it.

Did you know?

There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. Only about 5% of diabetics are type 1, and many of those are diagnosed in childhood or as young adults. Gestational diabetes affects pregnant women (about 2-10%) and typically ends after pregnancy. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type and tends to develop in adulthood and is preventable. Comorbidities or complications associated with diabetes are severe. Many are common and can cause serious, long-term consequences including: hypoglycemia, hypertension (affecting 71% of adults with diabetes), dyslipidemia (affecting 65% of adults with diabetes), cardiovascular disease (death rates are 1.7 times higher with diabetes), heart attack (1.8 higher hospitalization rate with diabetes), stroke (1.5 higher hospitalization rate with diabetes), blindness (in diabetics over 40 years in age, 28.5% have damage to blood vessels in eyes that may leads to blindness), kidney disease (diabetes is the primary cause of kidney failure in 44% of all new cases) and amputations (73,000 in 2010 alone, accounting for 60% of all non-traumatic lower-limb amputations).

Diabetes is the 4th most common primary illness in clients served by MANNA. In the past year alone, MANNA has served 433 diabetic clients, comprising 23% of all MANNA clients. As of 2012, 9.3% of Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes – almost 1 in 10! Over a quarter of all seniors have diabetes and it is now the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. There are 1.7 million new cases per year and approximately 7 million diabetics are undiagnosed.

Prevention

The most effective way to prevent and control diabetes is through a proper diet. A proper diabetic diet is more than just skipping out on cake and cookies. Managing diabetes through diet requires portion control, meal regularity and balance. Diabetics must regulate the amount of carbohydrates in their diets in order to keep blood glucose levels safe. Balancing carbohydrates with protein and fiber is important as well. If blood glucose levels spike too high or drop too low the effects can range from shakiness and fatigue to hospitalization and seizures. Working with a Dietitian and/or a Certified Diabetes Educator can help diabetics make smart choices and minimize the risk of high or low blood sugar. MANNA’s dietitians provide free nutrition counseling and education for individuals suffering from diabetes. To schedule an appointment, contact the Nutrition Department at 215-496-2662 x5.

MANNA is also proud to share that we will Step Out for Diabetes! On Saturday, November 1st, the MANNAmals will once again be at the Art Museum to support The Walk to Stop Diabetes. We’re committed to walk and raise money in this inspirational event not because 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, but because we personally know some of them, and want to do something about it. So many lives are touched by diabetes. Chances are your life is too. Join us or donate – either way, you can change lives. For more information or to register, visit our Team Page or search for Team MANNA. We are forever grateful for your support. Together we can Stop Diabetes!

November Is American Diabetes Month

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

Did you know that 30% of MANNA clients have diabetes, a chronic disease that causes elevated blood glucose levels and can lead to life-threatening complications over time? The goal of American Diabetes month is to raise awareness and understanding of diabetes, its consequences, management and prevention. In the United States, it is estimated that 26 million children and adults are living with diabetes and 79 million more are at risk for developing diabetes. Recent estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes in 2050 unless steps are taken.

Symptoms of diabetes can include frequent urination, feeling very thirsty or hungry – even though you are eating, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, cuts or bruises that are slow to heal, and tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands and feet. Due to the fact that these symptoms mirror many other types of disease side effects, diabetes can easily go without being diagnosed making it a “hidden disease.” In order to identify and properly diagnose diabetes you must know and understand the risk factors, which include family history of diabetes, being overweight, age and race, having pre-diabetes, not exercising regularly, high blood pressure, low HDL and/or high levels of triglycerides, and a history of gestational diabetes.

If you are at risk, MANNA suggests focusing on the risk factors that you can change. For example, you can manage and sometimes prevent diabetes by eating a healthy diet and exercising. Maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active and by get regular physicals.

At MANNA one of the most common dietary modifications that we give our clients is our diabetic, heart healthy menu. Our diabetic meals are carbohydrate-controlled and we prepare diabetic desserts with sucralose-based artificial sweeteners like Splenda. We strive to keep all MANNA desserts fruit and vegetable-based.

For more information, visit http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/programs/american-diabetes-month/

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Alissa Vandenbark

When Valarie Maddox was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, her two young daughters needed MANNA’s support as well. Valarie avowed, “The meals are great because I am a single mother and I live with my two daughters. To see the strain on my daughters and their worry because I was always the cook in my house, the MANNA meals helped to take the pressure off of them knowing I was taken care of.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the incidence continues to rise steadily with over 1 million new cases and almost half a million deaths annually. Currently the direct cause of breast cancer is not known; education, awareness and early detection remain as the key components to combating this disease. October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when people across the world increase awareness of the disease and fundraise to support research in search of a cure.

In 2007 MANNA partnered with the Susan G. Komen Philadelphia organization to provide medically-appropriate meals to hundreds of women and families battling breast cancer. This partnership ensured access to nutritious meals early in their treatment, increasing their chances of survival. Since 2007, MANNA has nourished back to health over 500 individuals diagnosed with breast cancer.

“MANNA has helped me so much with their meal program. When I was too tired to cook I was able to heat up a meal which helped me a lot. I felt like if I didn’t have MANNA, my nutrition would not have been as good,” MANNA client Chanel Royster noted.

Charlene Callicut, a current MANNA client agreed, “MANNA has provided me a lot of support since day one. It really helped me with my eating and providing me with nutritious food. The type of food that they are sending me is good food, and it tastes good too.”

For more information on ways that you can become involved with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, go to www.komenphiladelphia.org.