Health Expert Kerri Sparling shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/670/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/670/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/670/index http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/120530/white-bean-salad Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:00:04 -0400 Kerri Sparling It's not often that I have the chance to use the "Food" category on this blog.  I'm a bit of a cooking disaster (known for such dishes as "Ew!" and "Is it supposed to hurt when I eat it?")  But I've thrown together something that I thought was tasty.  And it is low-carb.  AND it doesn't taste like garbage.  (This fact has been confirmed by my brave husband, who has thrown many a meal into the compost pile in fear of... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/120530/white-bean-salad http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/117374/diabetes-bloggers Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling Diabetes is a disease (or condition or health situation or whatever you choose to call it) that revolves around food.  Our food choices, for better or for worse, affect our medication needs, our bodies, and our blood sugars.  Eating well is important for everyone, but it's especially important for people with diabetes.  Which is why being a good cook is such an asset if you have diabetes.… which is why I have so much... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/117374/diabetes-bloggers http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/116458/thresholds Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:43:14 -0400 Kerri Sparling Thresholds.  Levels of tolerance.  For an English major like me, numbers take on a more connotative and emotional meaning.  And diabetes numbers play into a whole host of variables.Like when I'm about to get behind the wheel.  I've heard people discussing what numbers are "safest" to drive at, and I think that's a personal preference.  For me, numbers like 131 and 92 are friendly and make me feel road-worthy.  I'll... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/116458/thresholds http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/116116/parental-diabetes Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:10:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling When I was a little kid, we lived within a few miles of a small candy store down near the beach.  My friends would come over to my house and we'd ride our bikes down to the beach, always ending our day with a stop at this candy store.  This was back in the late 80's (nothing like showing my age, right?), so the political correctness factor wasn't quite as high as it is today.Case in point were the candy cigarettes we'd buy all the... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/116116/parental-diabetes http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/113520/diabetes-talk Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:44:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling Over the weekend, Chris and I ended up in a harborside restaurant in South County, RI.  We stood in line and read the chalkboard menu until it was our turn to order from the girl behind the counter."What can I get for you?""Can I have an iced coffee?  Do you have iced hazelnut?""I'm sorry - we don't have hazelnut.  But we have snickerdoodle or french vanilla.  Either of those work for you?""Snickerdoodle sounds awesome. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/113520/diabetes-talk http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/113057/latest-indulgence Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:50:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling "I'll just stand here and keep you company."  He crossed his arms over his chest and kept his eyes on the red bowl I was stirring."Chris, you aren't keeping me company. You're lurking."  The butter and the sugar were starting to mix up in the bowl, giving off that sweet aroma of cookies-to-be.He smiled.  "I love cookie dough!"I'm not much of a cook, but I can definitely bake.  Flourless chocolate cake.  Banana bread... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/113057/latest-indulgence http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/111913/diabetic-snacking Tue, 18 May 2010 11:49:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling I am such a food snob.  A fake food snob, really.  It's a shame, because I shouldn't be one. I have no right.  I can't cook, I don't have a refined palette, and for the most part, I can't even pronounce the foods on the "fancy" restaurant menus.  But somehow, despite these classless tendencies, I'm still known to turn my nose up at things like Fruit Roll-Ups and juice boxes, because I'm always trying to avoid excess sugar,... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/111913/diabetic-snacking http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/110865/post-reintroducing Tue, 04 May 2010 14:38:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling My husband and I knew we were going to try for a baby that August, so I had some advance notice to kick the caffeine habit.  Because I had a serious caffeine habit.  Back when I worked at my old office, I was the editor who was bouncing off the walls by 10:30 in the morning, thanks to a massive iced coffee and the promise of a refill later that afternoon.  If I skipped my morning coffee, I would enjoy a ripper of a headache. ... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/110865/post-reintroducing http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/110443/diabetes-juggling Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:14:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling Right now, I'm trying to track my blood sugars on this handy, dandy spreadsheet that I use, aiming to isolate some trends so I can figure out my new, post-pregnancy basal rates and insulin-to-carb ratios.  (The key word there is "trying.")  And I'm also trying to find snacks that help sustain my blood sugars throughout the course of a breastfeeding session.  In addition, I'm trying to remember to take the extra-strength ibuprofen... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/110443/diabetes-juggling http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/109259/pregnant-planned Thu, 15 Apr 2010 11:44:00 -0400 Kerri Sparling Last time I posted here, I was edging towards a little bit of preeclampsia (if such a term as "little bit" applies to a pregnancy complication) and feeling not-so-comfortable as the months went by, but I did feel confident that I'd be okay for the duration and I'd see my baby born at the end of April.  Easy-peasy, right?Whoops.  Someone should have told my body to behave.  Baby is on April 15th, instead of her scheduled date of... http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/670/109259/pregnant-planned