November is National Diabetes Month! Diabetes affects 7.8% of the US population; it touches the lives of our friends and family as well as much of our community here at St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic.

The Clinic will be hosting it 5th annual Diabetes Day to raise awareness and provide education about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. On November 11th from 12-4pm we are reaching out to the Tenderloin community to promote diabetes care management.

Our Clinic team will provide a variety of diabetes focused services, including blood sugar readings and nutrition education. This year the Clinic is offering cooking presentations to showcase how to make nutritious dishes that are both tasty and diabetes conscious.

St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic will focus particular attention on the importance of diet, nutrition and exercise to children in our community. We have invited students of De Marillac School, who is helping sponsor the event, to participate.  Healthy lifestyles choices early on can prevent the onset of this disease later in life.

We hope to provide for patients already enrolled in our Diabetes Care Managment Program and to spread preventative knowledge to others within our community—so, don a blue ribbon and join St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic in supporting National Diabetes Month!

Over the past decade, incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in Americans has more than doubled. As of 2006 the CDC found that 16.8 million people suffer from this disease that can potentially lead to serious complications or even premature death if left unchecked. However, there are several steps diabetics can take in order to manage the disease and reduce risk of complications.

In addition to regular medical screenings and prescribed management plan, research shows that adding little spice in your diet can go a long way in lowering blood sugar for those with type 2 diabetes. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine recently published an article detailing the positive effects of cinnamon supplements for diabetics. Diabetics who consumed 1g of cinnamon daily in addition to their usual prescribed care saw a significant improvement in glucose control.

This breakthrough provides a more holistic and perhaps accessible dimension to managing blood sugar for those struggling with diabetes, particularly for our patients here at St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic participating in our Diabetes Care Management Program. Diabetes management is particularly difficult for our low-income and homeless patients.

Adult-onset diabetes is often a result of poor diet and limited exercise, yet a healthy, low fat diet can feel like the least important issue for those struggling to make ends meet – especially in our own Tenderloin neighborhood which does not have a single grocery store. Medication and blood sugar monitoring can feel all but impossible for someone who already struggling to find a place to sleep or the next meal. St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic gives our diabetic patients the tools and support to take control of their disease. St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic not only provides medical checks and diabetes management for free, but connects people with access to nutritious food. In a preventative effort against diabetes we provide nutrition counseling for all patients, and focus on diabetics in need to reduce risk of side effects. Diabetes affects our clients in disproportionate numbers – research advances in treatment are particularly important to the needy in promoting better health.

With obesity on the rise in the US, experts are constantly looking for ways to positively influence weight loss and healthier living. The time honored tradition of weight loss has always been “calories in, calories out,” meaning more exercise leads to more rapid, increased weight loss. However, recent studies have focused more on the concept that not all calories are created equal — and the best way to lose weight is more so a change of diet as opposed to excessive workouts.

People who are overweight or obese are at high risk for type 2 diabetes as a direct result of poor physical activity levels and diet. Yet, as a recent article in The Chronical points out, it may be more important for people to change their diets rather than depend on exercise to lose unhealthy pounds. Physical activity does affect the body’s ability to metabolize insulin, but a diet of lean meats, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables is more effectively metabolized than a diet high in saturated fat. People are more likely to lose weight by balancing what they eat, a fact not widely known to the public.

At St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic health and nutrition counseling is included in our Diabetes Care Management Program to provide our patients with the necessary tools to take control of their health. By teaching our clients how to better understand nutrition labels they are able to select foods more beneficial to maintaining healthy weight and blood sugar. Healthy eating can be difficult, especially for our low income and homeless clients, but our program guides patients in accessing nutritious food and increases their ability for self management. Everyone can relate — just 10-20 minutes of mild-to-moderate exercise a day and a balanced diet can mean a world of difference for us all.

Historic nonprofit offers help to SF neighborhood with highest citywide rate of diabetes hospitalizations

SAN FRANCISCO, CA November 19, 2008 On World Diabetes Day, St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic will be offering free blood sugar check ups, as well as diabetic foot and eye exams, medication review, tips on holiday diabetes control and free massages to San Francisco’s poor and homeless. St. Anthony’s effort to address the staggering rate of diabetes in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district comes at a time when nearly 24 million Americans, 8 percent of the population, are reported to have Type II diabetes. Diabetes can also lead to kidney failure, blindness and heart disease.

Diabetes in the Tenderloin

The Tenderloin district has the highest citywide rate of ambulatory hospitalizations due to diabetes, according to a 2007 Building a Healthier San Francisco’s Community Health Assessment, as well as the city’s highest concentration of people living below the poverty line. The prevalence of Type II diabetes is highest among adults from low-income households.

 “Tenderloin residents lack adequate access to nutritious food and safe spaces for exercise, which dramatically impacts two of the leading factors in diabetes management- diet and exercise.” noted St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic Director, Dr. Ana Valdés.  “We try to address those factors through education, active medical care, and diabetes management techniques.”

St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic

Established in 1956, the St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic is the first Free Medical Clinic in the United States. The new clinic, located in St. Anthony’s new LEED certified service center, will open in January of 2009. It will provide over 12,000 patient visits annually, of which approximately 25% will be pediatric visits.

St.  Anthony Free Medical Clinic is one of the many free, life-sustaining programs and services of St. Anthony Foundation that helps to heal individuals and families. St. Anthony Foundation is not funded by federal, state, or local government money, and is entirely supported by private donations.