Ed Hinerman, a life insurance specialist with the Hinerman Group, was posed an interesting challenge recently. For years he has successfully found affordable life insurance for many adults with type 1 diabetes, but he had never been asked about life insurance for children with Type 1 diabetes until now.

After speaking with underwriters in the top 40 or so companies, he found a discernible lack of interest due to lack of data. Companies would say that they couldn't consider someone with type 1 diabetes until they were either age 15 or age 20. A peer in the industry told Ed the knee jerk reaction was because insurance companies haven't done mortality studies on children. They simply don't have any data upon which to base the pricing for products. Uh oh!! That coupled with the fact that there really isn't any financial incentive for them to study and create products for a relatively small market that would produce relatively low premium, kind of sets the tone. Well, now the war has been defined and the battles are becoming clearer.

When Ed contacted the ADA for assistance in this matter - hold your breath (it's a shocker!) - they turned a cold shoulder on a diabetic's need. What if the diabetic's parents were doing what so many families do - and trying to buy a whole life policy to help pay for their kids college someday? It's really not fair! Here's where fair begins -- Ed asked me to gather some facts it will take to get the insurance companies attention. Does anybody have any idea of the mortality rate of children after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?

Bottom line. Life insurance companies make big money and for them to cut and run from children just because it might not make them more big bucks, or because they really haven't done their homework and aren't interested in doing it, isn't acceptable. Game on! I hope we can make a good showing, at the very least - hit one out of the park for the fans. Thanks for inviting me to play, Ed!

I grew up eating casseroles once a week or so, usually a pan of creamy noodley stuff. When my sister-in-law was in the dating stage with my brother, she would coincidentally eat over on the nights my mom served noodles. For months, she seriously thought noodles were our family's only dinnertime choice. Now jokes abound whenever my mom pulls out a noodle casserole.

Whenever I'm restricting calories, I always frown when faced with a casserole. How many calories in a glop of that? What about fat and carbs? Dieting aside, when it comes to taking insulin, knowing total carbohydrates is important for accurate dosing and steady blood sugars.

An article in dLife by Lara Rondinelli offered some good pointers on estimating casserole carbs. One cup of a casserole typically contains 25-30 grams of total carbohydrates, while one cup of chili has 25 grams of carbs. That quivering spatula holding a thick slice of gooey lasagna is another story. A medium, 13 ounce square has about 35 grams of total carbs, while an Olive Garden restaurant slice (4" x 4.5") has 54 grams.

Inhaled insulin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. A new review of the body of published research on inhaled insulin reveals positive and negative results. Keep in mind, this body of research is lean and only covers a six month window of follow-up.

Researchers examined eight studies involving 1,881 patients with type 2 diabetes to compare inhaled insulin, injected insulin and oral medications.

On the positive side, inhaled insulin worked as well as short-acting injected insulin to control blood sugar over three months. Inhaled insulin can also improve blood glucose control for type 2s who have not had good results with short-acting insulin taken on top of baseline insulin. But inhaled insulin users had more difficulty controlling low blood glucose (hypoglycemia).

For patients who had never taken any form of insulin, inhaled insulin alone was better than oral medications to control blood glucose levels at a three-month follow-up. But again, higher rates of hypoglycemia occured for patients taking oral medications plus inhaled insulin.

Researchers point out existing evidence on inhaled insulin for type 2 patients is unable to answer important clinical questions regarding patient satisfaction, inhaled insulin's effect on other diabetes complications, weight gain and one of the most important issues, long-term impact on lung function. Additionally, inhaled insulin dosing is not as precise as injected insulin, but companies are working on the problem.

It's summer, and grill fever grips the nation once again. It's time for picnics and barbeques: at home, at the park, visiting friends, co-workers, relatives. Now, be honest: does a part of you dread the next invitation because you (or your child, your partner, or a guest) face dietary restrictions? If so, let me just say this: you have my sympathy. You see, I do not have diabetes, but I don't eat meat. No, there is no medical reason. But does it impact my social life? You bet!

Diabetics must watch what they eat. But this is easier said than done when it's BBQ season. So much tasty food that you mustn't eat! And then there's the challenge of making dishes that are diabetic-friendly, but that don't scream "I Have a Medical Condition!" to other party-goers. Hosts and guests alike can always turn to the Web for inspiration. This recipe for Roasted Veggie Chili from the Kraft Foods website looks good. It uses BOCA and lots of veggies instead of meat. I love Boca burgers, but beware, the fake meat deal could turn off your guests depending on how traditional their tastes run. (I've tried to accept that my fake meat creeps them out as much as their real-deal meat makes me shudder.)

For a more elegant affair, try the Diabetic Gourmet recipe for Grilled Ginger Tuna. Their website says it's great for guys who are dyed-in-the-wool Red Meat Men. It's satisfyingly big and meaty with a juicy marinade, but much healthier than a steak. On the other hand, this would only suit a smaller gathering of adults because of the price of those tuna steaks! This site also has some terrific suggestions for scrumptious yet filling summer salads.

Other sites with summer recipes worth checking out include DLife, Better Homes and Gardens and AllRecipes.

Bottom line: the best recipe for relaxed summer BBQs? Plan on a good mixture of dishes. Don't do just burgers and coleslaw. Do provide at least one filling and healthy diabetic-friendly main dish and a couple of types of snacks too. One could be super-simple, like a fruit plate. This is your best insurance policy to ensure everyone chows down happily and leaves content!

If you've been around the diabetes online community you've certainly heard of Amy Tenderich. Her award-winning site is touted as one of the most influential diabetes sites out there. If you're looking for a gold mine of straight talk and encouragement -- Diabetes Mine is your destination. And now is your chance to speak to the celebrity herself! Amy will be chatting live on Tuesday, May 22, 9pm EST on Diabetes Talkfest.

Her charm comes through, loud and clear, in her cynically optimistic view of the trials of living with diabetes. Her journalistic flair derives from the heart and covers topics like breaking news and inside looks at diabetes research, as well as daily life with diabetes and uncovering the diabetics' deepest hopes and fears. Her all inclusive panache, along with her comedic nuances, make every moment of reading worth it.

Diabetes Mine has been featured in the Wall St. Journal, the UK Guardian, TechCrunch, NPR's Future Tense, and a number of other publications. The most recent feather in Amy's cap was added when she collaborated with Dr. Richard Jackson, a leading physician from Joslin Diabetes Center, to co-author the book Know Your Numbers, Outlive Your Diabetes. True to form, the book is hailed as the first-ever straightforward guidebook providing a clear strategy for living well with diabetes and avoiding the long-term health damage it can cause. I look forward to the opportunity of chatting with Amy. Hope you all can join us!

dLife is inviting all budding artists to send in their designs for its 2007 holiday cards. Up to 10 winning designs will be made into greeting cards to support the dLife Foundation's Holiday Cards for a Cause.

In addition to the bragging rights of being a contest winner, there will be 10 prizes awarded: 5 people will get a $100 Best Buy Gift Card and 5 people will get a $50.00 Best Buy Gift Card.

It's not hard to enter. Any non-professional artist is eligible - kids, teens, even adults. If you have diabetes or you have a loved one with diabetes and you would like to dedicate your work to them, you are free to enter. You can draw or submit any theme that you would like to see as a holiday greeting card. (Sorry, if you have ever received payment for any of your artwork, you are ineligible.). All artwork must be received by June 21, 2007 for consideration. See dLife for all the details of the contest. Thanks to Gina of Diabetes Talkfest for letting me display her card submitted for the contest - isn't it beautiful? Good job, Gina!!

An "incredible story of dedication and perseverance" is how dLife pitches its upcoming story on US Army Sergeant First Class Mark Thompson (pictured at right). It does sound like an awesome story and definitely worth a look. Says dLife, Thompson, who is diabetic, ended up in battle in Iraq and trying to manage his diabetes even when under fire. Talk about your tough challenges. Thompson was diagnosed with diabetes after becoming a combat arms commander and he didn't want to give all that up because of the disease. No, sir. He continued to serve and ended up joining his comrades in Iraq.

In its press release, dLife says that Thompson was told he could never be deployed to Iraq. Seems he wrangled it anyway. He found the idea of quitting "unacceptable." Says Thompson, "diabetes was not going to stop me from being who I wanted to be." He came up with a plan for managing his diabetes in the field, and successfully plugged that plan to his superiors. The caveat: that he could serve under strict guidelines and could be sent home at any moment if necessary. The first problem was discovered immediately: the more than fifty pounds of gear Thompson has to lug around crushed his automatic insulin pump. D'oh! Worse, he knew it would take over a month for a new one to arrive by mail. Even bigger d'oh! Left with no other choice, Thompson resorted to doing things the old fashioned way, with near-constant blood tests and administering up to fourteen insulin shots a day.

The dLife story on Thompson promises to dish more amazing details and has a happy ending: he served his entire year in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious achievement in service. Says dLife creator Howard Steinberg, "I have a new hero. Plain and simply put, the story of Army Sergeant Mark Thompson is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard. This was not only a good story for the dLifeTV, it was an honor to present." Wow.

If you want a job done right, you do it yourself. That's apparently the way dLife founder and CEO Howard Steinberg went about bringing stem cell research to the fore, and did so by personally heading straight to Capitol Hill. Meeting with the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Steinberg discussed the importance of the DeGette-Castle stem cell research bill's passage.

But, what about the Big Guy? No, not God -- although He factored into the discussion, as well. I'm talking about President Bush. While he has promised to veto any stem cell related bill, Pelosi hopes that he will ultimately opt against doing so. In furtherance of prior legislation, this new Stem Cell Enhancement Act of 2007 will increase the amount of lines from which stem cells can be sourced for research purposes. So, fingers crossed on that one, folks.

Stem cell research continues to be a widely debated topic, one that may also play a crucial role in the upcoming 2008 elections. And, as Madam Speaker explained to Steinberg in their recent interview, embryonic stem cell research is now receiving bi-partisan support, thereby making it far less politically divisive than it once was. The hope (well, I can at least say my hope) is that the new Congress, the new President, and the new year will hasten change in favor of supporting stem cell research. Again, fingers crossed. Maybe a toe or two as well, providing you are that dexterous. Whatever the case, and whatever the crossed extremity, the key word here is Change. And, thanks to the dedicated efforts of people like Nancy Pelosi and Howard Steinberg, it seems to be well underway.

**Be sure to check out the full dLife interview of Nancy Pelosi here: www.dlife.com/pelosi

Valentine's Day. Sure is a tough day to be diabetic if you have to fight a yearning for sugary treats that are nutritional no-nos. Is is possible to have a sweet Valentine's Day without sugar? Well, maybe. For starters, check out the DLife website. The folks over there have posted some handy hints on how to get by on the big, red, heart-shaped day without giving in to a candy craving. Their advice includes trying low-carb candies and (for couples in lurve) focusing on romance, flowers and the like.

As for helping diabetic kids to deal with the sugar deluge associated with V-Day, here are a couple of good suggestions: have them distribute non-foodie gifts with Valentine cards at school. Think along the lines of little, inexpensive items like stickers. They also advise stashing any candy your diabetic child may receive as a gift and keeping it to be distributed a little at a time.

You have to wonder if parents with diabetic kids have a particularly difficult time on holidays like this, which are so tied up with sticky treats. Must be hard to talk the little ones into going without. Seems to me the best solution for kids and adults is to refocus onto "safe" foods that are still fun and Valentine's Day-themed. Okay, you'll have to use your imagination a little, but life is full of challenges! For example, I liked the website Pioneer Thinking's suggestion: whipping up a big hot potful of spicy Gazpacho soup. It's healthy, affordable, red-hot and can be enjoyed by all. There's just no candy in it. Nor is it heart-shaped. (As I said, you need to use your imagination for this to work...) But what a great idea! I can see it now: in a future, alternate-universe America, people spurning red boxes of candy in exchange for hot and spicy cuisine. A bowl of chili and a bunch of roses for your True Love? Stranger things have happened in this world...

Mike Huckabee is a politician, an award winning "Health Crusader", and a successful loser of over 100 pounds.

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2002, his doctor gave him two oral meds and a stern warning. His doctor told him the condition of his health, the lifestyle he leads and the stress level of his job would likely put him six feet under within 10 years. At 48 years of age he was one of the youngest governors in the Nation. He knew he could win this fight -- and he did. After losing 110 pounds, the Governor of Arkansas reversed his diabetes and serendipitously assumed a role in the war against obesity.

It took a sobering message, dedication and commitment to bring Mike the healthy lifestyle he enjoys today. On the next dLifeTV, learn how Governor Mike Huckabee is winning the battle against diabetes. dLifeTV airs every Sunday on CNBC at 7PM Eastern, 6PM Central and, 4PM Pacific.

One of the many shining stars of dLife, and a father of a type 1 diabetic, Tom Karlya, shares his reflections on 2006 through a satirical piece where he personifies 2006 and pays respect to the accomplishments of the diabetic community.

Reflections include the Team Type 1 fundraising event. The mission of Team Type 1 is to increase the general public's awareness of diabetes as a disease that can be managed effectively - allowing those with this condition to continue active, healthy lives and permitting them to perform well in athletic events. Another monumental accomplishment this year was a DVD created for the Public Health Foundation. The DVD addresses a topic most people consider unspeakable. You have to watch the video teaser online to get the picture. Last but certainly not least, Tom mentions the controversial but promising cure research of Dr. Denise Faustman.

Tom makes a great point when he says, "Same actions will never yield different results. .. Show me something that was not a biomedical finding funded by private industry." Take a minute to indulge in the victorious ending of 2006. Ring in the New Year with an optimistic smile of what's to come in the days ahead.

It's terribly unfair. Your sugar drops. You can feel it. The primitive instincts that do not qualify as being on our best behavior sometimes spill out in the subliminal advertising of a low sugar. When your blood sugar drops to hypoglycemic levels, your body goes into survival mode and only lends energy reserves for the nature of survival-unfortunately social graces and reason do not register high on that list.

dLife has put together a guide to help take the guesswork out of treating a low sugar. Too often we tend to over treat lows and end up on the other side of the 80/120 fence, It's difficult to master the twin deficits: too little sugar or too little insulin. But as Kerri (Six Until Me) points out-there is no such thing as a perfect diabetic...we can only do our best.

With that in mind, dLife suggests a few good ways to treat a low, without going too far. Their Rule of Thumb emphasis the 15 grams per 15 minutes rule. This simply means after consuming 15 grams of a fast acting carbohydrate, wait fifteen minutes before re-testing. If your levels are still too low, repeat and retest. Good sources of fast acting carbohydrates include: Glucose tablets (read packaging for equivalent of 15 grams carb) , sugar-sweetened soda (read packaging), 3 small Smarties rolls , 8 Sweet Tarts, or 1 Tablespoon of honey.

It is with great pleasure that I have the opportunity to blog about someone I consider to be a first string player in the sport of diabetes. Her name is Kerri, and her position is all over the place! Yes, you read that correctly. Kerri is a trifecta of talent. She currently works as an editorial assistant for dLife, where she writes a monthly column, "Generation D." She also finds time to contribute as a co-editor for EXIST Magazine, an online resource of CNN news with an MTV voice. You might recognize her co-editor (who is also her ever-supportive boyfriend) Chris Sparling. But the main event that drew my attention to Kerri was her blog, Six Until Me.

She started SUM in May of 2005 after Googling "diabetes" and finding not much more than a list of complications and the American Diabetes Association website. She was one of the pioneering blogs in the diabetes community. When she first set it up, SUM was one of 5. Nowadays you'll find more than 150 diabetes blogs out there in cyberspace. SUM has become reassurance for Kerri that she is not alone in dealing with diabetes. Having that kind of reassurance means the world to her, as I'm sure it does for those of us reading. Kerri puts her heart and soul into SUM and I invite any of you who spend a few minutes there to prove me wrong.

Throughout her twenty-something years of experience as a type 1 diabetic, Kerri insightfully shares her tricks of the trade in diabetes management. Grab a pen because this girl knows what she's talking about! First, she says to test often. Yes ma'am. You can't argue logic and that seems to be the only avenue open these days to tight control. Her second suggestion is just as important, but far more effective: personal forgiveness. Kerri says: diabetes is a very psychological disease... There is no such thing as a perfect diabetic. But you can be one that tries your best. Don't do yourself the disservice of calling certain foods "bad," because you don't deserve that. If your management takes a tumble, dust yourself off, forgive yourself, and move on. Life is too short to be saddled with guilt. Kerri, your words epitomize the emotional exuberance we all need to withstand diabetes. You inspire me. You share your wisdom in ways that make me proud to have you along for the ride on the D-train. That alone, should win you the Diabetes OC Awards, for which you have been nominated. Good Luck and congratulations on your ever-growing success!

Prior to meeting my girlfriend, who is an insulin-pump wearing type 1 diabetic, I didn't have all that much exposure to the disease. I remember my friend's mother having diabetes (though I didn't know at the time that she had type 2, and that there was a difference between type 2 and type 1), and years later a friend of mine dated a girl that was type 1 (who also wore a pump). I may or may have not mentioned her in the past, but she once threw a pumpkin at his car -- not because she was diabetic, but because she was a lunatic. Anyway, the point is that my exposure to, and understanding of, the diabetes was very limited. But now that I am used to being around someone with diabetes, I find myself more tuned in to the statistics, news stories, research, etc. that was always out there, but for some reason never seemed to get picked-up by my signal. I also catch myself quite often almost "looking for it."

Case in point: I was on the subway the other day when a young girl jumped on with a decent sized .mp3 player on her hip. I didn't notice the headphone cord stemming from it right away, so I almost immediately thought that it was an insulin pump. This actually happened a few different times, only with cell phones and other hip-attached items. Another time, I sat next to an older man on the subway and noticed his medic alert bracelet. Call me nosy, but I sort of glanced over at it to see it mentioned him being diabetic. It didn't, but for some reason I sort of just expected that it would. Trying to make sense of where my sudden ultra-awareness is coming from, I can only think that it comes from the most obvious place that it possible could: My Mind. The place where this new knowledge has been stored. Knowing that the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is growing tremendously with each passing year, my mind logically leads me to draw conclusions -- sometimes inaccurate ones, but others being right on the money. Like the time the guy who looked like he was skipping onto a new song on his iPod when, in fact, he was actually programming something into his pump -- bolusing, perhaps. I was right about that one. I'm not sure what me being right about that means, but I consider it a good thing, chiefly because I don't feel as ignorant about the topic as I clearly once was.

Far more funding must go into diabetes research, but before that ever happens, the public at large is going to have to know what it is. Plain and simple. For people with diabetes, and for people who are very close to people with diabetes, the education on the topic comes free (and based on how much it costs to maintain the disease with test strips, insulin, etc., that's about the only thing that seems to come free). As a result, it is understandable how it could then become assumed that just because you know just about everything there is to know about diabetes, everyone else must, too. But, I represent only one example of someone who knew almost nothing -- until I met my girlfriend, anyway. Now, armed with a great deal of knowledge on the topic, I am in the strange position of knowing how little the public actually knows, but at the same time knowing how much some people with diabetes think that the public knows. The truth is, the public does not know much. It's time they learn, don't you think? It may lead to more people staring at each others' iPods on the subway, but we'll just have to live with that.

What is all the diabetic buzz about these days? Byetta and Exubera are certainly two biggies. My intention is to tantalize your interest in these juicy topics and leave a little to the imagination. Don't fret, I have a direct route to the quickest answers to any burning questions about these monster topics.

Byetta is getting a lot of attention nowadays. It comes from a poisonous lizard, the Gila monster. So quite literally, it really is monstrous. But don't let that discourage you from looking into it as a potential enhancement to your diabetes management. Many people have been pleased with its appetite suppressing, weight reducing attributes. Call it a shot of heroism -- since you must take it by injection. Traditional drugs to treat type 2 diabetes tend to cause a surge in appetite and weight gain. Could Byetta be the brute force to reckon with these dispiriting effects?

Exubera, what do you have to say for yourself? You can start by bragging that over 90% of the patients who tested you in clinical trials have chosen to continue using you. So the question is does this stuff work? It sounds like the answer is a resounding YES. Exubera is the newest form of insulin to hit the market since the debut of insulin, around 1890 (but please, don't quote me). You inhale it! The common concerns for this delivery of insulin include: how accurate is the dosing? What will be the long-term effects on your lungs? How long does the inhaled dose last? Will it need to accompany injections of longer-acting insulin? View the dLife TV interview with Dr. David Nathan, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Ed a type 2 diabetic who has used Exubera for 9 years.

dLifeTV clears the air with answers to some of the common questions about Byetta and Exubera. Watch dLifeTV, airing every Sunday evening on CNBC, 7:00 PM on the East coast, 6:00 PM Central time and every Sunday morning on DIRECTV channel 251 at 7.30 AM Eastern time zone.