Celebrity Chef Helps Latinos Manage Diabetes

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U.S. Hispanics are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites, and diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death within the Hispanic community, according to federal stats.

Latina celebrity chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz is working with Merck on Desafiando La Diabetes: Logra Tus Metas, a program urging Hispanics with type 2 diabetes to know their A1C – average blood sugar level over the past two to three months – and to work with their doctor to attain their personal A1C goal.

“After struggling with type 2 diabetes for many years, my grandfather passed away from a stroke, one of the serious complications of diabetes,” says Moreinos Schwartz. “That’s why I’m passionate about empowering Hispanics to learn how to reach their blood sugar goals.”

The American Diabetes Association recommends people with diabetes have an A1C of less than 7% to help reduce the risk of complications, like heart disease and stroke, yet nearly half of people with diabetes don’t meet those recommendations.

Here are some important tips for diabetics:

• Ask your doctor what your A1C is and what the right A1C goal is for you.
• Work with your doctor to come up with a personalized treatment plan, which may include diet, exercise and medication (if prescribed by your doctor).
• Talk about how often you should check your blood sugar.

Visit DesafiandoLaDiabetes.com for more information about the program, bilingual resources and diabetes-friendly recipes.

Like the tasty-looking picture above? Click here to download Chef Leticia’s recipe for Moroccan Meatballs in Spanish and here for English.