Celebrities with Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that can affect anyone. Whether you are born with Type 1 or have acquired Type 2, the truth is that people from all across the planet – despite wealth, race, age, sex or geographic location – have the disease. One way to really raise awareness of how diabetes can touch us all is to take a look at celebrities and famous people who have the disease. By realizing that even the most successful and the most popular people on the planet can live with the disease, people can be inspired. Diabetes does not have to slow them down.

There are some really great sites out there, like www.dlife.com, which have compiled lists of famous people, past and present, with diabetes. Some examples include:

Halle Berry – Actress (Monster’s Ball, X-Men, Die Another Day)

James Brown – ‘The Godfather of Soul’

Johnny Cash – ‘The Man in Black’

Dick Clark – Entertainer, television producer

Miles Davis – Jazz Musician

Aretha Franklin – ‘The Queen of Soul’

Ernest Hemingway – Author (For Whom the Bell Tolls; A Farewell to Arms; The Sun Also Rises)

Rick James – Singer (“Super Freak” Funk Legend)

Nick Jonas – The Jonas Brothers Larry King – Talk show host

Jerry Lewis – Comedian

Anne Rice – Author (Interview With a Vampire)

H. G. Wells – Author (War of the Worlds; The Time Machine; The Invisible Man) founded the British Diabetic Association

Check out dLife’s list for a lot more names.

What is seriously lacking, however, is a list of celebrities from the Arab world, celebrities that people from the Middle East can connect with and can be inspired by. I can only find a few:

President Hafez al-Assad– President Syria

King Fahd – King of Saudi Arabia

Anwar Sadat – President of Egypt

Gamal Abdel-Nasser – Former Leader of Egypt

 

So if you can think of any others, singers, artists, movie stars from the Middle East, I will gladly add them to the list.

Good News and Better News

So ‘Inspired by Diabetes’ is nearly finished!!! You’ll notice that I’m writing that it’s nearly finished on the supposed deadline. So you know what that means? Yup, the deadline has been extended. The new deadline for the Middle East is now January 31, 2008, a whole 11 days extension. Now you have more reasons to finish up that song, drawing, poem, etc. The global deadline has been pushed back two months to March 31, 2008. Visit www.inspiredbydiabetes-me.com or www.inspiredbydiabetes.com for information on the regional and global competition.

So all three regions for the regional competition have been really busy.

In Lebanon, Eli Lilly and the Lebanese Diabetes Society gave a presentation to patients and staff at the Mount Lebanon Hospital in Beirut. There has since been plenty of press and TV interviews with IBD spokespeople.

In Egypt, there was a large press conference and double the expected media showed up. We have since been receiving great coverage online, through print and broadcast.

In UAE, as is described below in an earlier post, Rock/Funk group ABRI have signed on as regional judges for the competition. This news has also spread quickly and is starting to proliferate online through Zawya, Eye of Dubai and Dubai Bands. Interviews are planned this week for many magazines so keep your eyes (and ears) open for that.

So keep spreading the word and keep on submitting to the competition. Let’s raise awareness together so that we can all be ‘inspired’.

Artsy fartsy

These are some examples of submissions to the Inspired by Diabetes contest. They’re all from young students and are really quite good. The deadline for submission is January 20 so hurry up and draw a picture, write a song, take a photo or write a poem for your chance to win free workshop space at the Jam Jar or a year membership at a fitness club. You can get all the details at www.inspiredbydiabetes-me.com.

Diabetes Resolutions for the New Year

I offered my resolution for the new year. Here’s some New Year’s advice from http://www.ahealthyme.com/.

It’s a New Year! Now’s the perfect time to reflect on your past and make plans for the future. It’s also the perfect time to recommit yourself to controlling your diabetes. Monitoring blood sugar, planning healthy meals, exercising, taking medications, and getting regular checkups shouldn’t be just once-a-year resolutions. This year, make them a way of life.

Here’s how to tackle diabetes, this year and every year:

Annual tips

•See your doctor two to four times a year, even if you feel well.

•Be sure your doctor knows about all of the medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter drugs and herbal remedies.

•Follow the instructions for every medication to the letter. If anything seems confusing, ask.

•Follow your schedule for checking blood sugar.

•Know the numbers that define your health: A1c, cholesterol, triglycerides, microalbumin, and blood pressure.

•Keep moving. Regular, moderate exercise can turn your body into a sugar burning machine. Start slowly — even a leisurely walk around the block is a step in the right direction.

•Take a look at your diet. Are you getting enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains? Are you going easy on fat? If you have any doubts about your meals, see your dietitian.

•Have a yearly Dilated Retinal Eye (DRE) exam. Make sure the eye specialist sends the results to your primary doctor.

•See your dentist twice a year.

•Get a flu shot in the fall.

•Be prepared. Know the warning signs of low blood sugar and other complications. Keep glucose tablets handy.

Daily tips

•Examine your feet for cuts or sores, or have someone check for you.

•Bathe with mild soap and lukewarm water.

•Brush and floss your teeth.

•Live well and stay healthy!