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Contents
Newsletter
Archive
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 D4D Expansion is right on schedule. We continue to reach out to the community and
expand with the opening of new clinic locations. Below is a list of our current locations.
We will be opening several more clinics in the next few months. To find the clinic nearest you, call our office and we will be happy to answer any of your questions or make your appointment. Our main number for appointments and information is 602.424.2080.
Gol-D-Lite
 Several months ago we did a study on a variety of Gol-D-Lite products and this study turned out to be the greatest gift to us we have ever received. Why? Because we tested some products that were not only treats, but things diabetics could never consider eating and still maintain glucose control. There is nothing on the market, as far as we know and can tell, that compares with the products from Gol-D-Lite. What excited us even more was the fact we could actually recommend and encourage diabetics to eat these items -- items which we have never allowed diabetics to eat and which we now feel absolutely wonderful recommending. We were so impressed and excited by our findings we waived the research fee we normally charge and that is a great deal of money, not to mention the time and expense of doing the study! However, sometimes you just find something so good, so fresh, so pure, so wonderful that you want to bring it out to everyone and damn the expense and forget about the profit. I encourage every diabetic, or everyone in general, really, to use any of the Gol-D-Lite products as they are everything we stated above. Go to their website:
www.gol-d-lite.com to see their entire line of products or visit any one of our clinics and ask for a sample of any of their products. This is one of only five products we feature in our Diabetic Hall of Fame and is available at any D4D Medical Center. This is a D4D Tested, Approved & Recommended Product! Enjoy.
 Discount Health Program!Of all the things we have ever done on the behalf of Diabetics and those patients without Insurance or the means to pay for insurance, this program is the absolute best. We encourage everyone to review this program, call for more information and see what this program can do for you, even if you have insurance.
D4D MD is a leading healthcare advocacy network and PPO (Preferred Provider Organization). D4D MD specializes in delivering to its members cost-effective healthcare protection. To accommodate the various needs of our Members, D4D MD offers several plans for individuals/families as well as small and large employer groups. Agreements with national healthcare networks allow us to offer Members quality healthcare services and access to the same favorable rates that insurance companies have enjoyed for years. Members can achieve significant savings from over 600,000 healthcare practitioners immediately after enrollment. Guaranteed advantages include:
Distributed by KL and Company
Forever Green Chocolates 
At D4D we receive many requests to test a product companies want to introduce to the diabetic population. We ignore previous studies and always do our own. Of all the studies on chocolate we have done in the past, Forever Green Dark Chocolates blew away all other products combined. It is the first chocolate D4D (Diabetics 4 Diabetics) has ever endorsed and we are so very proud to be able to bring this product to you.In the past it has always been “taboo” when you eat something with sugar – especially chocolate. What is the number one craved food – that’s right, chocolate? So why, if we have such a craving for chocolate, is it wrong? Studies have come out over and over on the health benefits of this decadent delight.
The Hodgson Mill Project
It started like any other research project. Another company was making claims that its product offered substantial health benefits for diabetics. D4D went about evaluating the claims and the results knocked our socks off! Rarely are we this impressed!
 The company in question is Hodgson Mill, a company that has been providing a wide array of stone-ground whole grain products for over a century. With headquarters in Illinois and mills in the Missouri Ozarks, they produce a variety of wholesome cereals and pastas along with bread, muffin and pancake mixes. Many of their products include milled flax seed, an ingredient that is rich in heart-healthy Omega-3 oils. It became clear to us that this is no run-of-the-mill company (pun intended).In our research trials, we were able to detect measurable health benefits within hours of our research participants’ consuming Hodgson Mill’s products. Their products help to lower blood-sugar and cholesterol in addition to providing a number of GI benefits. What’s more is that their products taste great! Dr. Lyle Flint, a D4D research consultant states, “In order for a health-benefit consumable product to be effective in the long run, it must meet or exceed the ‘likeability’ of the product it is replacing. In terms of taste and quality, these [Hodgson Mills] products clearly meet that criterion.” D4D is delighted to have discovered Hodgson Mill. Dr. Bill Branson, Diabetic Care and Research Coordinator at D4D states, “Finally, people living with diabetes can enjoy some of their once favorite foods without the worry of uncontrolled spikes in their blood-sugar levels. We wholeheartedly approve these products.” We are so impressed by Hodgson Mill that we have added them to our Hall of Fame and product samples are available at each of our clinics. Hodgson Mill’s web site contains a lot of information about both the company and the health benefits of their products. For more information you should check it out at www.hodgsonmill.com. Body Mass Index Obesity is measured by using the Body Mass Index (BMI). By knowing your height and weight and using a BMI calculator you can find your BMI. You are considered obese if you have a BMI of 30 or more. Morbid obesity is defined as having a BMI of more than 35. Severe obesity constitutes a
BMI of 40 or more. (Click here to calculate your BMI.)
Accu-Chek and D4D: A Love Story
This is a love story. Get a cup of coffee, sit in your favorite chair and have your crying towel at the ready, there will be tears.
Back when I was not famous, or as good looking as I now am (smile), I had this idea about a diabetes wellness program and set out to research it. My Brother, Ray, had diabetes. I watched him, for years, struggle with it. In those years of watching him he developed absolutely every complication you can get as a result of diabetes. He had stokes, retinopathy, neuropathy in both feet and everything else you can imagine, with all those complications finally beating him and taking his life, on my birthday, of all days when he was just 48 years old. A year before he passed away, I was diagnosed with diabetes. It scared me to death because I had been watching Ray and seeing what he was going through. No way did I want any of that I can assure you. Understand, Ray and I lived in different states so I did not see him all the time, I only heard about his latest bout with diabetes. Read More . . . WOW! I Got to Meet Bill by Karen Key 
Winter, 2004 - Six months ago, I got an email from Linda Mojer, Managing Editor for
Racquetball Magazine asking us to help this clinic here in Phoenix. We responded and called
the clinic and having been talking on the phone, almost weekly, for the past six months.
We just could not get our schedules to work out so we could all meet; that is, until
yesterday. Please, let me tell you what Linda got us in to.When you walk into the offices of the D4D Health & Wellness Medical Center, “Diabetics 4 Diabetics,” it is like any other typical medical office. The waiting room with magazines, people sitting in chairs filling out paperwork and staff running back and forth. The difference is the sense of well being and joy I see on the patients' faces. It’s as if they are happy to be here, not worried about being here. As I am sitting there waiting for my appointment, a lady leans over and asks if I am there to see Bill. I said, “yes.” She leans over and tells me she loves Bill, he is the greatest person she has ever met, he has literally saved her life and he makes her feel so good about being a diabetic, like diabetics are the chosen people. She starts crying, then goes on to explain how she was so out of control with her diabetes, how her own Doctor didn’t really have the time to spend telling her how to control it and what to do; other than the same thing she has heard from every Doctor, “watch your diet and exercise,” the only thing she has ever been told. “It’s different with Bill,” she says. Read More . . .  Who We Are and What We Do at the D4D Health & Wellness Medical Center?
Diabetes Control and Management Specialty Practice.
Don't let it control you!!! Mission Statement The focus of the D4D Health & Wellness Medical Center, “Diabetics 4 Diabetics,” is working one on one with all patients to bring about control, whether in diabetes management or other health issues. We combine Conventional and Naturopathic Medicine to provide our patients with the best possible of both worlds. This program is designed to work in conjunction with the patient's personal physician. The progress of you as a patient will be provided to hime or her as quarterly updates. You will also have indefinite group supports, advice, and guidance. Read More . . . Do You Sleep Well? Do You Snore?
By Dr. James L. Gross
Do you wake up each morning with a headache, feeling tired or lethargic? Do you experience excessive daytime sleepiness? Do you snore loudly at night, or wake up repeatedly gasping for breath? If so, you may be suffering from a condition known as Sleep Apnea. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide (HMSFHG) defines Sleep Apnea as “a potentially life threatening condition in which breathing stops hundreds of times each night.” Essentially, as you prepare for sleep, your body begins to relax. The stiff muscles that hold the throat open also narrow to the point of near closure or complete closure. Read More . . . Diabetic Approved Orthotics
A balanced body is a happier body! A body that's out of balance can cause
you pain anywhere from your feet all the way up to your neck. Custom-made orthotics are
specially made just for your feet and for your unique postural condition.
Your feet are the foundation of your body, and they serve you in three important ways: They support your body whenever you stand, walk, or run; they assist you in moving from one place to another; and they help protect your spine, bones and soft tissues from damaging shock stress as you move. Any weakness or unstable positioning in your feet can contribute to postural problems in the rest of your body. Read More . . . Why Replace My Missing Teeth?
Dr. Ed Mazer
Southwest Dental Group Why replace my missing teeth? As many patients have said either in jest or seriously, “After all, my grandparents had dentures, and my parents had a lot of missing teeth!” Why indeed, since we have started with 32 teeth, and if we lose a few, especially the “back” ones, how much difference could it make? When I was in the Ukraine a few years back, people came to me for dental treatment—all extractions!! They walked around with holes in their mouths, in the front teeth and the back, and they were both young and old, male and female. The common denominator for them was that they had unhealthy teeth. They complained of not chewing well, they didn’t feel well and of course wanted to get some teeth from the “American” doctor. Read More . . . What Exactly Is Naturopathic Medicine?
"I keep hearing about ‘natural doctors’. What are they?"
Naturopathic Medicine is practiced in the State of Arizona exclusively by Naturopathic Medical Doctors, or NMD's. Naturopaths are trained very similarly to your standard physician with 4 years of medical school in conjunction, in many cases, with residencies and specialties. In Arizona, NMD’s are the equivalent of a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) in that they are licensed as a Primary Care Provider (PCP). This entitles an NMD to act as your own family physician. Your NMD can be seen for your annual physical exam, yearly PAP smear or prostate exam, or child vaccinations (if the patient chooses!). They treat with standard and recognized medical diagnoses, they can prescribe most pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, insulin, Metformin, pain medicines, anti-inflammatories, birth control, hormone replacement, etc…), they send out for imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT), they can pull your blood and order standard (or ‘not-so standard’) lab work, they offer injection and IV therapies, and even conduct minor surgical procedures! Read More . . . Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture is an essential part of traditional Oriental medicine, a
comprehensive system of health care with a continuous clinical history of over 3000 years.
Oriental medicine includes acupuncture, Chinese herbology, dietary therapy, life-style
counseling, bodywork, and exercise based on traditional Oriental medicine principles such
as Tai-Chi and Qi-Gong.
These therapies work with the natural vital energy inherent within all living things to promote the body’s ability to heal itself. This system of health care is used extensively by one-quarter of the world’s population residing in Asia and is rapidly growing in popularity in the West. Read More . . . Insulin Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes
Carrie A. Phillips, M.D.
Type 2 diabetes has traditionally been treated in a stepwise manner, starting with lifestyle modifications (nutrition therapy and exercise), proceeding to the use of one oral antidiabetic agent, followed by a combination of 2 or more oral agents before insulin is considered. Treatment is often conservative and allows an oral agent to fail before another one is added and generally delays institution of insulin therapy. Many studies support a more aggressive approach to the treatment of type 2 diabetes to achieve and maintain glycemic levels at target values in an effort to reduce diabetes-related microvascular and macrovascular complications. Once the decision to begin insulin therapy is made, a strategy to achieve treatment goals while minimizing treatment-related side effects must be determined. In addition, much thought should be given of how insulin therapy may impact lifestyle and how to make the therapy acceptable. In contrast to individuals with type 1 diabetes who must accept full insulin replacement from the start, most people with type 2 diabetes on oral medications resist the idea of injecting insulin until convinced of the actual need for and the benefits of this therapy. Thus, there are major advantages in devising simple approaches that are both acceptable and effective. Read More . . . What is Vitamin & Mineral IV Therapy? Nutritive Intravenous Therapy (or Nutritive IV Therapy) is one of the many
specialized services we provide at the D4D Health & Wellness Medical Center. The goal of IV
Therapy is to infuse a high dosage of vitamins and minerals for immediate use by the body.
IV therapy also ensures that a specified amount of nutrients enters the body and takes the guesswork out of what the intestines can actually absorb. As a result of bypassing the intestines, much higher levels of vitamins and minerals can be delivered to the system than what is possible with oral supplementation. Each formulation is created with the patient's unique needs in mind. The end results are enhanced recovery time from illness and the prevention of relapse. Read More . . . Walking Lowers the Risk of Diabetes Need another reason to put your walking shoes on and hit the pavement?
Walking not only lowers the risk of developing lifelong diseases like diabetes, but a new
study shows it can cut the chance of dying in half for people who already have diabetes.
Regular physical activity like walking produces healthy benefits, such as reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and death, among the general population. In addition, several studies have shown that regular physical activity can help people who already have diabetes keep their blood sugar under control. Read More . . . Your Food is Your Medicine
By Tina Marcantel, NMD
It is so exciting to realize that we can control the health of our body cells by a healthy diet and exercise. Based on what we put into our bodies, we determine what our body will be made of and how well it will function. Thus, we can decrease or prevent illness. Just as a cut on the surface of your skin will heal itself, the rest of your body—from the cellular level to vital organs—is also designed for self-healing. Healing is a normal biological process programmed into your DNA. This self-healing occurs when you give your body the nourishment it needs to live, prosper, and heal. Read More . . . The Benefits of Therapeutic Massage
By Joyce Shaul L.M.T; N.M.A
Therapeutic massage can be defined as a system of rubbing or kneading specific muscle groups in the body to relieve pain, relax, and stimulate the body. Now that we know what massage is, let me tell you what it can do for you. Aside from just being soothing, massage also stimulates blood circulation. This in turn assists the lymphatic system which aids the body in waste removal. The better your blood flows, the better your body will feel. Increased blood flow can also contribute to good skin care. As glucose levels rise in the body, the skin can become dry and cracked due to a loss of body fluid. Using lotion during a massage helps to prevent and can help alleviate the pain of dried, cracked skin. Pain from neuropathy can also be eased in the hands and feet because of the increased blood flow massage provides. Getting regular therapeutic massage sessions can also help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension, lessen pain in migraine sufferers, improve alertness in office workers, improve range of motion, and help encourage deeper, slower breathing. Regular massage can have an effect of strengthening and toning the entire body mechanism. This helps to prevent unnecessary strains and injuries that might otherwise occur due to excess tension and overuse. Read More . . . Buckwheat May Help Manage Diabetes
Grain May Aid in Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
A hearty grain commonly found in pancakes and soba noodles may help people with diabetes maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
New research shows that the extract of buckwheat lowered meal-related blood sugar levels by 12%-19% when given to rats bred to have diabetes. Researchers say if further studies confirm these results, buckwheat may be used as a nutritional supplement or incorporated as a food into the diets of people with diabetes to help manage the disease. "With diabetes on the rise, incorporation of buckwheat into the diet could help provide a safe, easy and inexpensive way to lower glucose levels and reduce the risk of complications associated with the disease, including heart, nerve, and kidney problems," says researcher Carla G. Taylor, PhD, associate professor in the department of human nutritional sciences at the University of Manitoba in Canada, in a news release. "Buckwheat won't cure diabetes, but we'd like to evaluate its inclusion in food products as a management aid," says Taylor. Buckwheat Lowers Blood Sugar In the study, published in the Dec. 3 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers compared the effects of a single dose of buckwheat extract or a placebo on blood sugar levels in about 40 diabetic rats. The rats were bred to have type 1 diabetes, which is the less common form of diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent diabetes) do not produce the hormone insulin needed to maintain normal blood sugar levels and are treated with daily insulin shots. Researchers found that diabetic rats fed buckwheat extract prior to eating a meal containing sugar had blood sugar levels 12%-19% lower than the diabetic rats fed the placebo, which suggests that the extract can lower blood sugar levels after a meal. Although the rats were bred to have type 1 diabetes, researchers say buckwheat may have a similar beneficial effect in animals with type 2 diabetes, and they plan to test that theory next. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and occurs when the body is unable to properly respond to insulin. Researchers say the active ingredient in buckwheat thought to be responsible for the blood sugar lowering effects is chiro-inositol. This compound is found in high levels in buckwheat and rarely found in other foods. Type 2 Diabetes Worse With Younger Onset
14-Fold Higher Heart-Attack Risk With Diabetes Before Age 45
Young people who develop type 2 diabetes aren't just starting early. They've got a much more dangerous form of the disease.
The biggest danger: A 14-fold higher risk of heart attack than young people without diabetes. That's 3.5 times higher than the risk of older diabetic people, who have a high risk themselves. "Early-onset type 2 diabetes appears to be a more aggressive disease from a cardiovascular standpoint," conclude Teresa A. Hillier, MD, and Kathryn L. Pedula of Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Ore. Hillier and Pedula compared outcomes for nearly 8,000 adult diabetes patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They found that those diagnosed before age 45 -- what's known as early-onset type 2 diabetes -- were more likely to have a more aggressive, high-risk form of the disease. They had a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease in the future compared with people their own age and with people who develop diabetes later in life. The most frequent type of cardiovascular disease -- and the worst -- was heart attack, Hillier and Pedula report in the November issue of Diabetes Care. Younger and Younger America's children are getting more and more overweight. Overweight children tend to grow into obese adults. And young adults are now the fastest growing group of people with obesity -- and with type 2 diabetes: a direct consequence of carrying too much fat for too long. These young people aren't just losing years off their lives, the Hillier/Pedula study suggests. They are losing decades. "Young adults, who are increasingly obese and developing type 2 diabetes, will soon increasingly be developing the morbidity and premature mortality associated with [heart disease and stroke] several decades earlier in life," Hillier and Pedula write. Teen Habits Dictate Adult Weight
Get More 'Leisure' Time Exercise in Adolescence for Lower Obesity Risk in Adulthood
There's a new reason to let your kids cruise the mall as often as possible. It may be one of the best ways to help them from becoming obese adults.
In addition to genetics, a key factor in predicting future risk of obesity is how folks spend their leisure time, say Norwegian researchers after studying a group of teens for 20 years through adulthood. They find that the participants who were least likely to later become fat were those who got the most leisure time physical activity -- that is, exercise in everyday activities such as brisk walking, taking the stairs, and other ways of burning calories outside of a gym or regimented workout. The real message of this finding is that the foundation of adult body weight may be poured during the teenage years. But while genetics may be the cornerstone, habits and lifestyle play a key part. So get and keep your teens physically active to lower their health risks decades from now. Read More . . . Cinnamon Helps Type 2 Diabetes
Also Helps Cholesterol -- But More Than A Sprinkle Required
A spicy tip: Cinnamon can improve glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood. For people with type 2 diabetes, and those fighting high cholesterol, it's important information.
Researchers have long speculated that foods, especially spices, could help treat diabetes. In lab studies, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric have all shown promise in enhancing insulin's action, writes researcher Alam Khan, PhD, with the NWFP Agricultural University in Peshawar, Pakistan. His study appears in the December issue of Diabetes Care. Read More . . . Reflexology: Good Thing For Us Diabetics
Several months ago I was visiting some family in Payson and came across a very nice lady who was a reflexologist. We started talking and she made a pretty good argument on reflexology as a valid treatment for diabetics, especially in relationship to our feet. I told her to convince me. She told me to take off my shoes and lay down.
I have diabetic neuropathy in both feet, have broken both feet and, as a result of that, have degenerative arthritis in both feet. I am always looking for a way to give my feet some comfort and some relief. I took the challenge because if she convinced me, then it would be easy to convince others of giving it a try. For the next hour she worked on my feet and hands. It was actually painful at times, not a yell out kind of pain, but somewhat equal to being pinched just enough to make you notice but not enough to make you want to scream. Overall it felt good to have my feet worked on and comforting too, but during the entire time, I kept thinking, “this is simply a massage and, yes, it feels good, but I doubt it is going to give me any amount of relief an hour after I am off the table. I was wrong. Although, and I will be honest here, I did not feel that different when I got up from that table, I did notice a difference as the day went on. The normal pains where just not there. The burning even stopped. I actually walked bare foot and my feet didn’t feel like I was walking on glass. My feet actually felt better and the effect lasted several weeks, not days! Being of a scientific mindset, I started some serious research on this very subject and wanted to let you all know, this may have some positive benefits for you if you have foot problems as a result of your diabetes. The fact is, I would recommend this for anyone with aches and pains in their feet. The worst that can happen as a result of this therapy is your feet will feel better. Since I had this experience I have not sought out another reflexogist, due to time restraints and my busy schedule but both my wife and I spend a part of each evening massaging our feet and that seems to help a great deal. Worst case in that is you become closer. It’s simply a win win situation. DIABETES 101: An Introduction  Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that helps the body's tissues absorb glucose (sugar) so it can be used as a source of energy. The condition may also develop if muscle, fat, and liver cells respond poorly to insulin. In people with diabetes, glucose levels build up in the blood and urine, causing excessive urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism. Diabetes mellitus differs from the less common diabetes insipidus, which is caused by lack of the hormone vasopressin that controls the amount of urine secreted.In the United States, about 16 million people (6 percent of the population) suffer from diabetes mellitus. Every year, about 800,000 people learn they have the disease. Diabetes mellitus kills about 193,000 U.S. residents each year, and it is the seventh leading cause of all deaths and the sixth leading cause of all deaths caused by disease. In Canada, more than 2.2 million residents (7 percent of the population) have diabetes mellitus, and the disease contributes to more than 25,000 deaths a year. Read More . . . Doctor of the Month 
D4D is proud to introduce our Endocrinologist of the Month, Dr. Carrie Phillips, M.D. If you are looking for a great Endocrinologist then we recommend Dr. Phillips. We work closely with her and she is always on top of her game no matter how brittle the diabetic. She cares and she pays attention. To make an appointment with Dr. Phillips call 602.439.9000.
She is associated with the AZ Endocrinology, Diabetes & Osteoporsis Center, 5130 W. Thunderbird Road, Suite 1,
Glendale, Arizona.Our Other Favorite Physicians
Centers, Groups and People Who Make A Difference in Diabetics' Lives
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by Diabetics 4 Diabetics. With the exception of consumer
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in any form without prior written permission. All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 81461, Phoenix, AZ 85029 (602) 424-2080
Copyright 2004 - Diabetics for Diabetics and EB Communications