Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 17 No. 11 P. 4
American Diabetes Month is the perfect time for certified diabetes educators to evaluate their participation in the diabetes online community on Twitter. There’s an enormous community of people with diabetes—387 million, according to the International Diabetes Foundation’s 2014 estimate. Add their caregivers, diabetes health care providers, and others and you have an even greater opportunity to communicate, offer support, and share knowledge to enhance the lives of those living with the disease. More certified diabetes educators are needed to become part of this effort and get in on the conversation.
On Twitter, dietitians can find several diabetes advocacy groups, such as Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (twitter.com/DiabetesSocMed; #DSMA); Diabetic Connect (twitter.com/DiabeticConnect; #DCDE); and Health Care Social Media (twitter.com/HealthSocMed; #HCSM), that host weekly Twitter chats in which RDs can participate and share practical insights, the latest diabetes research, and treatment and management strategies with those who need it most.
A few of the popular diabetes hashtags on Twitter include #sparearose, #BigBlueTest, and #dayofdiabetes. Spare a Rose Save a Child (www.idf.org) is an advocacy and fundraising campaign of the International Diabetes Federation, in which donors are encouraged to buy one dozen roses on Valentine’s Day and donate the value of one or more roses to save a life of a child with diabetes. The Big Blue Test (www.bigbluetest.org) is a global campaign of the Diabetes Hands Foundation that raises awareness of the importance of exercise associated with diabetes management. And Day of Diabetes (www.dayofdiabetes.tumblr.com/about) is an advocacy campaign organized by Christopher Snider, a patient community advocate at Symplur in San Francisco, that encourages people to document every thought and action they take to manage their diabetes over 24 hours.
While many dietitians already are veteran tweeters, I encourage those who are novices or haven’t started a Twitter account to do so and share their expertise with the masses.
In this issue, you’ll find articles on the latest diabetes weight loss drugs, cinnamon’s role in diabetes management, pumpkin-based foods for the holidays, grass-fed beef vs conventional beef, the health benefits of frozen produce, and the top 10 tips for hosting a successful supermarket tour.
The staff of Today’s Dietitian wishes all of you a happy Thanksgiving holiday. Please enjoy the issue!
Judith Riddle
Editor
TDeditor@gvpub.com