Food Expert B. Smith To Provide Healthy Menu Makeovers

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 23 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PST

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Restaurateur, chef, author and television show host, B. Smith, is encouraging people with type 2 diabetes to recognize that small changes, including food choices, can have a positive effect on managing diabetes successfully. Through the Diabetes New Day campaign, supported by Merck & Co., Inc., in collaboration with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), B. Smith will be visiting selected people to help turn their favorite recipes into a diabetes-friendly meal. To learn more about the campaign or to be considered for a Healthy Menu Makeover, visit http://www.DiabetesNewDay.com.

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing healthcare problems in the country. Nearly 21 million people in the United States (7 percent of the population) have diabetes, and it is estimated that one in three Americans born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes sometime during their lifetime. Type 2 diabetes is a condition diagnosed by elevated blood sugar or glucose. With type 2 diabetes, the body may not make enough insulin, the insulin that the body produces may not work as well as it should, and/or the liver may release too much glucose.

"Diabetes is a subject that is very close to my heart. Type 2 diabetes runs in my family, so I know how difficult it can be to balance your diet and your blood sugar levels," said B. Smith. "Diabetes has affected my father, brother and mother-in-law and, by cooking for them over the years, I've learned to create healthy meals without sacrificing flavor. That's what this campaign is all about: small changes having a big effect."

The Diabetes New Day campaign launched in New York and Chicago in October and will visit seven additional cities throughout the United States in the coming months, starting with Philadelphia on November 1. To be considered for a Healthy Menu Makeover and a visit from B. Smith, people with type 2 diabetes and those who care for people who have type 2 diabetes should log on to http://www.DiabetesNewDay.com and complete the online questionnaire. Questionnaires will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on November 17, 2007. Participants will be selected based on several factors, including their goals for managing type 2 diabetes.

B. Smith's diabetes-friendly recipes will be developed in collaboration with George Grunberger, M.D., clinical professor of Internal Medicine at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, chairman of the Grunberger Diabetes Institute and a member of the National Board of Directors, AACE, and Samantha Heller, MS, RD, CDN, former senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center, currently in private practice.

"AACE recognizes the challenges people with diabetes face every day and supports this program because small changes can have a positive effect on managing diabetes more successfully. It's also important to evaluate your treatment plan with your doctor regularly, which includes reviewing your blood glucose levels and discussing your diet and exercise plan and any medications you are taking to make sure you're doing everything you can to manage your condition," said Dr. Grunberger.

A healthy diet is a key component of diabetes management. The Diabetes New Day campaign encourages people with type 2 diabetes to recognize that small changes can have a big effect on managing diabetes successfully, including:

- Eating more fresh vegetables, using sugar substitutes, and drinking water instead of soda.
- Increasing physical activity, even in small amounts, like walking instead of driving and taking the stairs instead of the elevator, when possible.
- Talking to your doctor about treatment options.
- Speaking with a nutritionist or diabetes educator for advice on creating diabetes-friendly meals.
- Visiting http://www.DiabetesNewDay.com for flavorful recipes, nutritional advice and exercise tips.

"Living with diabetes can be a challenge, but I want people to know that it isn't beyond their control," said B. Smith.

About B. Smith

A native of western Pennsylvania and a former fashion model, B. Smith is now a restaurateur, television host, author, entrepreneur, and entertainer who is widely regarded as an expert when it comes to casual but elegant living. Recognized by Elle Décor as one of America's 10 Most Outstanding Non-Professional Chefs, B. is also a highly respected culinary expert. She owns successful restaurants in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Sag Harbor, N.Y. B. hosts the TV show, B. Smith with Style, the radio show, B. Smart Tips for a Better Life, has authored two tabletop books, Entertaining and Cooking for Friends and Rituals & Celebrations, and is a columnist for Soap Opera Digest.

About Diabetes New Day

The Diabetes New Day campaign, sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc., in collaboration with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, features B. Smith's Healthy Menu Makeovers, as well as a comprehensive online educational resource, http://www.DiabetesNewDay.com, for people with diabetes and their loved ones. The website features tools for daily diabetes management, healthy recipes, expert tips on nutrition and exercise, and information about treatment options. The Diabetes New Day campaign encourages people to recognize that small changes can have a big effect on managing diabetes successfully. The campaign is also an important component of Merck's Journey for Control program which supports patients, educators, health care providers and health plans in advancing care and self-management of type 2 diabetes.

About Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death by disease in the United States and costs approximately $132 billion per year in direct and indirect medical expenses. Patients with diabetes can develop heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, vascular or neurological problems that can lead to amputation and can suffer increased rates of mortality. There are currently more than 230 million people with diabetes worldwide, and if nothing is done to slow the epidemic, the worldwide number may exceed 350 million by 2025.

About AACE

AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,000 members in the United States and 84 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine disease, such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.

About Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit http://www.merck.com.

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