Eating well with type 2 diabetes means adding plenty of vegetables and fruits to your diet. Fresh veggies and fruits add vitamins and fiber, while keeping calories and fat grams low. Reducing your weight by even 5 to 7 percent can make a big difference in your blood glucose levels. Spring is a great time to get good bargains on seasonal produce at the grocery store. Read more here...

• Food & Diabetes: Incorporating Spring Fruits and Veggies into Your Diet.

According to a press release from Joslin Diabetes Center, the arthritis drug, salsalate proved to lower blood glucose levels significantly. In the study, salsalate lowered A1c levels by 0.5%, as well as lowering triglycerides and raising a protein that appears to benefit cardiac health.

"These results are exciting," says Allison Goldfine, M.D., Joslin's Director of Clinical Research and an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. "They indicate that salsalate may provide an effective, safe and inexpensive new avenue for diabetes treatment."

Dr. Goldfine goes on to say that although the drug looks promising for treating type 2 diabetes, clinical trials are still ongoing. Scientists involved in the study recommend that patients do not use this medication for their diabetes until further testing is done.

Did you know that diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. today? According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, between 12,000 to 24,000 new cases of blindness every year are attributed to diabetes.

If you have diabetes, what can you do to protect your vision?

• Try to keep your blood sugar levels in a normal range. High blood sugar can damage delicate blood vessels in the eye.
• Visit an eye doctor regularly for checkups.
• If you notice any changes in your vision, call your eye doctor immediately.

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According to a new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, American kids are developing a trend toward "constant eating". Most kids eat three snacks a day in addition to three meals a day. Researchers feel that this is a contributing factor for the increase in childhood obesity.

The study includes surveys of food intake of over 31,000 American kids from 1977 to 2006. Since 1977 the percentage of kids who eat snacks between meals rose from 74 to 98 percent.

A majority of kids snack on empty calories and junk foods such as salty, sugary, and fat-ridden foods. Candy consumption is also on the rise.

As the childhood obesity rate climbs, so does the incidence of type 2 diabetes in kids.

It's important to limit the amount of snack foods that kids eat, and to provide them with nutritious food at meals. If kids need a snack, fresh fruit and vegetables, or low-fat whole grain foods are good choices.

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