Nutrition from the ground up, that’s the official 2010 National Nutrition Month message. But what’s at the root of this message? More importantly, what seedlings from this message can you plant and grow into real changes in your eating habits in 2010 and beyond?

In the era of the Biggest Loser, the ante for pounds to expect to loose per week has gone up, not that the number ever approached realistic, even before Biggest Loser. People have long had unrealistic expectations for weekly loss - 3, 5, 10 pounds - feed by overpromising diets. Simply AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN if you’re following a sane and sensible weight loss plan!

Oprah was finally to take on America’s Silent Killer – diabetes. YES! I first heard this from a diabetes educator colleague with the inside scoop. Soon the diabetes online community was buzzing with morsels of info leaking out about how Oprah and her producers would present diabetes. It wasn’t sounding good – heavy on scare tactics about complications and bold orders for behavior changes from Oprah’s famed health gurus.

Yes, we’re once again in depths of the post holiday New Year's resolution ritural. And yes, the most common resolution is: lose those unwanted pounds – again or still. But, think - are you really ready to lose weight and do the daily work to keep off those unwanted pounds?

Check out my guest blog posted on skinnyandthecity.com on 11/18/09 Take Action to Beat Type 2. Please read the comments - already some heartwarming stories of people's efforts and challenges to Beat Diabetes.

The first report of the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcome Study (DPPOS) came out October 29th, 2009 online in The Lancet, a well known medical journal. DPPOS is part two of the ongoing Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) conducted in the U.S. as a National Institutes of Health multi-site study. The DPP and DPPOS results are similar to findings from trials conducted internationally over the past two decades in Finland, China and elsewhere. 

Ah yes, as you slowly work towards eating healthier, bumps along your way will likely be high-calorie and fat-laden restaurant meals. Whether you order take out, grab a quick fast food meal or linger over a fancy meal, restaurant meals present BIG CHALLENGES to your healthier eating efforts!  And though you're willing to eat a few less grab-and-go breakfasts and brown-bag a couple more lunches, you’re unlikely to say so long to restaurant meals.

Ah yes, as you slowly work towards eating healthier, bumps along your way will likely be high-calorie and fat-laden restaurant meals. Whether you order take out, grab a quick fast food meal or linger over a fancy meal, restaurant meals present BIG CHALLENGES to your healthier eating efforts!  And though you're willing to eat a few less grab-and-go breakfasts and brown-bag a couple more lunches, you’re unlikely to say so long to restaurant meals.

November is American Diabetes Month and the kick-off for a new campaign Stop Diabetes - Make Diabetes Powerless by sharing, acting, learning and giving. Check out stopdiabetes.com.

Already this school year I’ve been faced with a cheesecake sale for a booster club; candy sale for the school; hot dogs, chips and soda served at an afterschool program…and there’s the promise of more of the same through the school year. I’m hoping my experience is not representative across the mountains and prairies of this large country, but I fear it is.