OCTOBER 2020
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer – a shockingly high and scary statistic.

For a woman with Type 2 Diabetes, her risk of getting breast cancer is 20-27 percent higher than a woman without the disease. 

There are many risk factors you cannot change (non-modifiable) when it comes to breast cancer – age, gender, genetics – but there are some risk factors you do have control over (modifiable) that can lower your chances of getting breast cancer.

These modifiable risk factors include: living a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight and eating an unhealthy diet. These modifiable risk factors also overlap with risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes. 

Losing weight, eating a healthier diet (one void of processed foods and full of whole grains, vegetables and lean proteins) and increasing your overall physical activity can help lower your risk of breast cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. 

However, it is difficult to determine if diabetes alone is a risk factor for breast cancer, since many of the modifiable risk factors are the same risk factors for diabetes. Yet, research does show that women with T2D has an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and a 50% greater chance of mortality, if diagnosed, than a woman without diabetes. 

There is goods news; there are screenings for early detection, and early detection saves lives. Yearly mammograms are critical for catching breast cancer in its early stages. Women 40 years of age and older should get a yearly mammogram. Be sure to discuss annual breast screenings with your physician. Some women may need screenings at an earlier age or more frequently. 

Mammography technology is not what it used to be – now we have 3D mammography and Automated Breast Ultra Sound (ABUS) that catches cancer earlier and provides clearer images and less chance of repeat imaging. 

October is breast cancer awareness month, the perfect time to drive home the message of controlling what we can control when it comes to this disease – eat right, move more, lose weight (if you need to) and get your yearly mammogram. Following this advice will not only benefit your diabetes self-management, but it may also save your life! 

Saturday, October 31
A Healthy and Happy Halloween
Halloween does not need to be a stressful or depriving time. Kids should be kids and enjoy this holiday. Having a simple holiday game-plan will ensure a fun and safe Halloween for your child. Check out the tips below.
Take the focus off candy!

While Halloween is typically a sugar-rush of a holiday, the focus can be shifted. Get your child involved in picking out or making the perfect costume, putting up spooky decorations around the house and partaking in fun fall activities – pumpkin carving, face painting, hay rides or visiting a spook house.

Moderation, never deprivation.

Allow your child to have fun collecting candy and going through their stash at the end of the night. Let them pick out two pieces of their most favorite candy and allow them to have a single piece as a snack or dessert for the next few nights of the week.

This can also be a great teaching moment to demonstrate how to work your favorite treats into a balanced, healthy diet, and how carb counts can vary for different types of candy. See the link to our handy candy carb-chart below!

After a few nights, the candy will lose its excitement. Donate the rest of the candy to a shelter or save it for gingerbread house making in the coming weeks!

Keep up with regularly scheduled meals.

Keep your child’s typical meal plan on trick-or-treating night, but have supplies on hand in case they experience a low from the extra walking; Skittles or Smarties (candies high in sugar, but low in fat), can be an easy treat for Halloween if they experience a low.

Treats are more than just candy!

If you purchase candy for trick-or-treaters, make sure it’s candy that doesn't tempt you. If Reese’s Cups are your all-time favorite candy, it’s probably a better idea to purchase candy that has less appeal and will give you less temptation.

Go candy-free – give out other types of Halloween treats that don’t involve food – stickers, pencils, snack-size bags of low-fat popcorn, temporary tattoos etc. Making fun, candy alternative treats is a great way to avoid unnecessary calories and blood sugar spikes.

Fun-size Candy Carb Counts: https://bit.ly/3mVKF3c
FLU SEASON AHEAD
The flu season is on the horizon and receiving a flu vaccine is more important than ever as the world continues to navigate through a global pandemic. 

People with diabetes are at a greater risk of complications and hospitalization if diagnosed with the flu. Getting the flu vaccine is one of the best methods of prevention to say safe and healthy. 

The CDC recommends individuals over the age of 6 months get the flu shot to protect themselves and others against the virus. The best time to get a flu shot is the middle to end of October for maximum vaccine defense. 

It is possible for an individual to contract COVID-19 and Influenza at the same time, bringing the potential for health risks and complications to an even greater scale, especially for people with diabetes. 

By receiving the flu vaccine, you're lowering your risk of contracting both illnesses at the same time, which reduces the chances of hospitalization and severe illness. 

Flu vaccines will be critical for 2020 as our hospital systems are already nearing or over capacity for admissions and ER visits. Therefore, keeping people healthy and out of the hospital as much as possible will take pressure off of our healthcare system and its employees. 

*Important fact to note – You can spread COVID without knowing it because you may not be experiencing symptoms.

It can take five days or more to develop symptoms with COVID – if you have the flu – you can begin developing symptoms immediately or within a day or two. 

Read below for how to distinguish Influenza from COVID-19.
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Diabetes Management & Supplies | 1-888-738-7929 | diabetesms.com
October 2020 | 21ST ISSUE