The Rusing family of Tucson, Arizona, run a remarkably successful lemonade stand. The stand began as a way to keep the kids occupied, but turned into a bit of a money maker. It's been so successful, in fact, that it's now in the running for the title of Best Lemonade Stand in America. Yes! There is such a thing. Cute, huh?

The Rusings donate the proceeds from the stand to diabetes research. The stand is named "The Mighty Quinns" for Quinn Rusing. Quinn, who is four-years-old, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age three. He helps run the lemonade stand, along with mom, Carolyn, and six-year-old twin sisters, Cali and Olivia. The secret to their success appears to be the free cookies. That's right. Free Famous Amos cookies with each 25-cent glass of lemonade purchased.

Spot anything odd about this story? Lemonade stand with free cookies as a diabetes fundraiser?? Um, what about all that sugar?! I spotted this story about the Rusings on the Tucson Citizen website. Another reader has posted this comment: "With 60 grams of sugars in a 12 ounce glass, the shareholders of Bristol-Myers-Squibb and Merck are gonna be in real good shape."

Yes, that's what it says: curbing the diabetic epidemic with 6 oat waters. CeaProve® is a new test for the early detection of pre-diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance that may help curb the diabetes epidemic. For those of you who have endured a glucose tolerance test - you'll understand the pivotal importance of this new diagnostic test. Ceapro has developed a test that identifies people at risk of type-2 diabetes as early as 5 to 10 years before the disease is diagnosed.

The simple test involves eating 6 oat-wafers and undergoing a finger prick. The test - when repeated at six month intervals - can also show if lifestyle changes are being effective or if more treatment is needed. Ceapro has tested CeaProve in the workplace of several prominent businesses in Edmonton that are interested in helping their employees monitor and preserve their health. Over 90% of tested volunteers were unaware of their risk for diabetes. Of the population studied, 60% were overweight, 56% were over the age of 40, 44 % had a family history of diabetes and over 57% had more than two risk factors for the disease. Although Ceapro is a Canadian-based company, they expect to have Ceaprove available in commercial quantities within the next 45 days. The product will likely be released through regional health initiatives and may also be available through pharmacies and medical laboratories.

Can such a simple test have such a significant impact on the future of one's health? The results tell people, years ahead of time if they are heading down the path to diabetes. With dietary modifications, regular exercise, and an overall improve in lifestyle - wouldn't it be worth it to you?

It's that time of year, again. I see my mom frantically sifting through her not-so-organized holiday recipes. I know what's coming and it will come in the form of delegating responsibility via a tattered index card. As we all sheepishly duck into dark corners, avoiding the medly-relay handoff of our assigned task for the dinner table , I'm going to take the initiative and get a head start.

Whether you are looking for the perfect, low-carb side dish or a sugar-free cookie recipe - look no further. dLife has gone the mile, once again. Filled with over 1,100 recipes that are delicious, diabetes-friendly, and complete with nutritional analysis, the dLife Recipe Box can help you enjoy the holiday festivities. To give you an idea of what you'll find, they've got recipes for: eggnog, cranberry sauce, Passover cake, fudge brownies (a decadent delight), Chaunakah dishes, Holiday Cornbread, Christmas stuffing...the list goes on and on.

Low and behold, I was wondering where I could find myself a good old fashioned Pineapple Upside Down Cake. Thanks be to Kwanza! During the holiday season, the last thing we need is to stress over the food. Thank you dLife, for making the recipe shuffle a convenience to behold this holiday season.