Access to Better Care - September 2008

September 2008 Newsletter Highlights

Welcome to the September issue of AOM™s Access to Better Care Newsletter.

September brings the change of seasons, back to school and a return to old routines.

This month we have several articles for parents of children with diabetes, including Back to School strategies and how to discuss diabetes in the classroom.

We also introduce a new and exciting web site for diabetics and provide a lunchbox ready recipe for Lemon Squares.

As always, when you see "Read More" at the end of an article, or something that is underlined, you can click on it to be linked to another Web site where you'll find more information. When you find a site that you may want to visit again in the future, you can bookmark it.

Each month we receive questions from our readers. We post some of the more frequent questions and answers for everyone to read. If you have questions or comments of your own, please e-mail them to us at the end of this issue.

We hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter. Thank you for making AOM Healthcare Solutions your choice for diabetic supplies.

Back to School

Getting children ready for the first day of school is not always the easiest thing to do. If your child or grandchild has diabetes, it can become even more complicated. Communication is the most important element in making school a safe place to be. Most school systems have an Individualized Education Plan or other protocols in place for children with special needs.

Diabetes at School

Whether your child eats snacks or checks her blood glucose levels in the classroom or nurse's office, her classmates may want to know why. Your child or her teacher can probably answer their questions by simply saying a few words about diabetes.

Type 2 with Kids and Youths

In the past 10-15 years the percentage of youths with type 2 diabetes has increased 10 times. Depending on ethnicity, 8% to 43% of all new cases of diabetes in youths are type 2. Among African Americans and Whites ages 10 to 19 in Ohio, type 2 diabetes accounted for 33% of all cases of diabetes.

New Helpful Website!

AOM and Diabetes Control for Life includes many features and a special community of individuals that can help you reach your own personal diabetes management goals.

Lemon Squres

(makes 16 servings)

Serving Size: 1 Saure

Ingredients:

1 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon (15 ml) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil
3 tablespoons (45 ml) low-fat (1%) buttermilk
3 tablespoons (45 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon (0.625 ml) salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Everyone's favorite on the cookie tray, lemon squares are traditionally made with egg- and sugar-rich lemon custard on top of a buttery shortbread crust. This version preserves the tangy lemon flavor and crumbly crust, while sparing you most of the butter and a lot of the sugar. Be sure to use fresh lemon juice and zest - nothing else does quite as well.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, toss together the cake flour, sugar, and zest. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Gradually add the oil, stirring with a fork until well blended. Sprinkle with the buttermilk and stir until the dough begins to hold together.
Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake until light golden along the edges, 13-15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
IN a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar and lemon juice until frothy. Add the reserved flour mixture and beat just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture over the hot crust and bake until the top is set and the edges are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cool completely in the pan and cut into 16 squares.

Not all recipes presented here are necessarily appropriate for all people with diabetes, nor will all recipes fit into every meal plan. No two meal plans are alike. Work with your health care provider, diabetes educator or dietitian to design a meal plan that's right for you, and includes the foods you love.

A key message for people with diabetes is "Carbs Count." Foods high in carbs (carbohydrates) -- bread, tortillas, rice, crackers, cereal, fruit, juice, milk, yogurt, potatoes, corn, peas, sweets -- raise your blood glucose levels the most.

For many people, having 3 or 4 servings of a carb choice at each meal and 1 or 2 servings at snacks is about right. Keep an eye on your total number of servings. For example, if you choose to have dessert, cut back on potatoes.

Round out your meals with a serving of:

Meat (such as fish or chicken) or meat substitute (such as beans, eggs, cheese, and tofu) about the size of a deck of cards
Non-starchy vegetables (such as broccoli or lettuce). If you have three (3) or more servings of non-starchy vegetables, count them as a carbohydrate choice. Three (3) servings is equal to 1 1/2 cups of cooked vegetables, or three (3) cups of raw vegetables.

Check your blood glucose to see how your food choices or these recipes affect your blood glucose. If your meal plan isn't working for you, talk to your dietitian about making a new one.

Along with exercise and medications insulin or oral diabetes pills, nutrition is important for good diabetes management. By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can keep your blood glucose level as close to normal (non-diabetes level) as possible.

The recipes on this page are only a part of what is offered in recipe books from the American Diabetes Association. Many also include information on meal planning, portion control, food buying and seasoning, as well as general cooking hints and tips for people with diabetes.

Today's recipe is brought to you by: Lynn Thompson RN

Nutrition Information
(per serving)

Calories - 106
Calories From Fat - 29
Total Fat - 3g
Saturated Fat - 1g
Cholesterol - 29mg
Sodium - 42mg
Total Carbohydrate - 18g
Dietary Fiber - 0g
Sugars - 10g
Protein - 2g

Questions & Answers

Each month our staff answers questions and asks for your feedback. However, if you have urgent questions about your order or your meter, we encourage you to call our customer care department at 1-800-276-5712. We do our best to answer all questions, but we also encourage you to consult your physician.

Below are a few of the typical questions our customer care department has answered on this month's theme. Each question is linked to a Web site that gives an answer and provides more detail. We hope you find this section helpful.

AOM Healthcare Solutions is one of the nation's leading providers of diabetic supplies for people with Medicare or private insurance. We provide a comprehensive range of products from all major manufacturers including: blood glucose monitors, test strips, lancets and lancing devices and much more.

Please contact us with any comments or questions you may have.

phone: 1-800-276-5712
Email: customerservice@aomhs.com
Web: http://www.aomhs.com

In This Issue

Health & Living Tips

More Health & Living Articles

Encore DeluxeRX

Both manual and battery pump
Safest form of impotence treatment
Easy to use ring ejection system
7 different sizes of rings
Toll free help line available
Free educational video and instructional manual

Helpful Links

Exercise Links

Don't Forget to Register for Club ABC!

Club ABC is a free program for all of our customers. Find out about all the great benefits and offers specifically for those who have registered their Club ABC Membership Number online. If you have not received a Club ABC Membership Kit, please contact Customer Care and we will be happy to profide you with one.

Visit AOMHS.com and register today!