Healthy Living

Join AstraZeneca in the Diabetes Can Break Your Heart Movement

November 16, 2019November 19, 2019 Erin Sluka

This post was sponsored as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

It was last winter when my Mom was diagnosed with Diabetes. One moment she was eating what she wanted, teaching her second graders and being Grandma. Then she gets sick, lands in the hospital and comes out with high BP, colon cancer (cured now, yay) and a diabetes diagnosis. Now she needed to learn to manage insulin, eat differently and pay attention to symptoms.

Having diabetes is more than checking blood sugars and eating on schedules. Having diabetes puts you at risk for weight gain, needing to learn nutrition changes and the new risk of heart failure. It was heart failure that surprised me. I honestly never knew of the connection of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Failure. This is why we have a new movement!

As time goes on, we learn new things in the health field. We even learn that everything we thought we knew was wrong at times. We know health can be directly related to diet, diet related to health, diagnosis bring more risks and medications have new side effects.

So, for many who have lived their entire lives with Diabetes (T2D), perhaps they had not been educated about their higher risk of heart failure (HF). In fact, up to 50% of patients with Type 2 diabetes may develop heart failure. What is scary is we have yet to find a cure! We need to educate ourselves and take action early to help reduce their risk of developing heart failure!

Here are some facts that I don’t want you to just read, but make mental notes to not forget! Talk to loved ones with diabetes and encourage them to have this conversation with their Physician or Endocrinologist next check up. Make sure they (and you) sign up to be the first to hear about the nationwide tour and receive updates for their diabetes and heart health at DiabetesHeartBreak.com.

DCBYH_External Trailer Video_CC_11.7.19 2 from Erin Sluka on Vimeo.

This Diabetes Can Break Your Heart started by AstraZeneca is a national movement that aims to cut the trend of heart failure development in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. Remember, diabetes can break your heart – don’t let it!

After HF diagnosis, the survival rate is 50% at five years; 10% at 10 years.
Up to 50% of people with T2D may develop Heart Failure
You’ve probably been focused on lowering your A1C, not your risk for HF. The reality is, you need to do both.
Diabetes can promote thickening of the walls of the heart and other structural changes, ultimately interfering with pumping
The damage to your heart may have already started, even before you were diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes
The single most immediate action that patients with T2D can take is talking to their doctor about their risk of HF and identifying a plan to help reduce this risk.

To assist in finding heart failure risks early in these patients is an integrated VR experience that uses cutting-edge technology that bring to life the symptoms of heart failure. The Diabetes Can Break Your Heart movement wants 2020 to be the year we educate and activate communities around the inherent link between T2D and HF using an innovative and immersive experience. Let’s start the discussion! Sign up today and stay informed!

References

American Diabetes Association. 10. Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2019. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(suppl 1):S103-S112.
National Institutes of Health. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Heart Failure. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart-failure. Last accessed September 16, 2019.

Obvi drinkable collagen supplement tastes like your cereal milk – Yum!

November 13, 2019December 8, 2019 Erin Sluka

Comment: I was sent product. Opinions are 100% my own

Remember your cereal milk as a kid? It was the best part of the meal! Whether you liked the fruity, chocolate or cinnamon cereals you would love to recreate that taste in a less-sugary way. obvi has done that in their collagen supplement mix!

I am not a fab of cinnamon, I do not like cinnamon cereals and only can tolerate a very mild hint of it perhaps in breads, etc.. I was actually a tad reluctant to think that drinking the obvi Cinna Cereal could be pleasant. I may not like cinnamon, but it was mild and was fantastic as a coffee flavor!

You can use the collagen in smoothies, beverages, oatmeals and even bake with it. Visit the obvi recipes for more great ideas to sneak collagen into your daily diet.

More obvi greatness:

31 calories per serving
Keto friendly⁣
Free of gluten, dairy, sugar and carbs
3 Flavors – Fruity, Cinna and Coca cereal (Frosted coming soon)
10 grams of Grass-Fed Bovine Collagen per serving
Contains Biotin, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E
Improve your joints, hair, skin, nails & gut health.

For more information, visit www.myobvi.com

Food, Healthy Living

Eating Plants for Life: Joys of a Vegan Diet and Lifestyle

October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 Erin Sluka

If you think a vegan diet is boring, think again. Plant-based recipes are exciting because they open up a new world of textures and flavors with spices and ingredients such as nuts and vegetables and greens such as leeks, watercress, and daikon. Research shows well-balanced plant-based diets are also extremely healthy.

Going vegan is mainstream now, so you will find it easier than in decades past to find tasty meat substitutes, vegan ingredients, and even plant-based dishes in restaurants. Veganism is not just about what you eat, though. It is an entire lifestyle that honors and respects the entire circle of life—animals, humans, trees and plants, and the planet we all share. There are many joys of a vegan lifestyle, and today it is simpler than ever to go vegan in all aspects of your life.

Vegan Diets

If you want to start following a vegan diet or are curious about going meat-free for a few days each week, there are many resources to guide you. Check out allrecipes.com, goodhousekeeping.com, foodnetwork.com, ohsheglows.com, and bonappetit.com for vegan recipe sections. You may never think about food the same way again.

Many restaurants now offer plant-based options for diners. For example, the popular Chili’s Grill & Bar has a generous plant-based fajita-style meal on its menu, if you skip the cheese and sour cream. When eating out or shopping for ingredients, look for the BevVeg Vegan Certification to be sure of plant-based choices.

Cruelty-Free, Plant-Based Products

As part of a vegan lifestyle, many people choose cruelty-free products that are plant-based. Labeling tactics are often confusing. The generic term “natural” is not the same as vegan or cruelty-free, and not all cruelty-free products are vegan.

Happily, vegan personal care products, from face creams to shampoos, have come a long way, and many are now highly efficacious. As more and more people choose healthier, kinder lifestyles, choices in vegan personal products have expanded.

Animal-Free Clothing

Vegans often avoid wearing leather and other clothing derived from animals, including inhumanely sourced wool, angora, and mohair. Often, feathers for comforters and pillows are also sourced cruelly. There are great alternatives for both. Faux leather products, from shoes to belts to bags, look great and stand up to heavy use, and alternatives to feathers are kinder to both animals and allergy sufferers.

A vegan lifestyle brings with it many joys, from exciting plant-based meals to effective skincare. Being part of the circle of life is rewarding, both psychologically and physically. You may find adopting a kinder, more mindful diet brings benefits that reach far beyond the kitchen.

2019 Holidays, Healthy Living, Home

Say HELLO to fresh air inside with the Laser Egg+ CO2

October 16, 2019February 4, 2020 Erin Sluka

Gone are the days where you need to judge air quality in your home or office by the absence or presence of sniffles and watery eyes. No more relying on musty odors and opening doors in cold weather when you may or may not need fresh air. The Laser Egg is here for us and now the new Kaiterra Laser Egg + CO2 is available for your home.

Kaiterra is on a mission to lessen air pollution and it starts in your own home. Kaiterra wants to make sure they delver the best accuracy in their monitors so they use a cloud-based calibration that helps in that not all air particles are created equal so simple mass measurements are not very accurate. Kaiterra tells us that the key to long-term accurate readings is having an algorithm that can take the changing factors into account in real-time.

Kaiterra has set up numerous co-locations around the globe with reference grade monitors that provide particulate readings as mass concentrations. Then they analyze the readings of the optical monitors against these devices in real-time and are able to identify the key properties necessary to update the algorithm inside a Laser Egg. Hefty stuff!

The Laser Egg + CO2 monitors 5 measurements and that’s all we really need to know! But, we need to know what these measurements mean to our health and the Kaiterra website is loaded with education for you. It’s worth the read for your family’s sake (and your health). The free app is your handled info you can check in on from anywhere.

PM2.5 is a measurement in regards to our health and how deep particles penetrate our bodies. PM2.5 refers to particulate matters in the air with an aerodynamic diameter equal to or smaller than 2.5 microns. Only by measuring PM2.5 can we start to understand the levels that we are exposed to and ultimately work towards fixing it and improving our air. Think: fine dust particles, dander and smog.

CO2 levels can effect our thinking. This is because the higher (even within safe ranges) the CO2 is the cloudier our minds and can trigger headaches are, simply put. CO2 levels are affected by poor ventilation, larger home population (people releasing CO2), cooking food and heating your home. A maintained and working HVAC system does wonders for CO2 levels. So practice steps to lower those levels as much as possible.

The Air Quality Index refers to how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. Think of the AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. Try to stay within 0-50 for the best air quality!

Temperature is the best way to ensure comfort, indoor plant survival and best HVAC support. You get a full weather forecast within your Laser Egg.

Humidity measurements are great to know for bacteria growth. You don’t want unhealthy microorganism growth so staying about 30-50 is best.

I love how this ‘egg’ looks as it blends into decor very well. Whether your main concerns are lung health, skin concerns, better sleep or allergies, this will be your go-to for the reports you need to make accurate adjustments I your home. You never knew it mattered this much! Visit Kaiterra for the Laser Egg that best fits your needs.