In order to answer this question, I made plans with my dear old friend of thirty years. Gosh, it's crazy to think we've known each other for that long. We first met when I moved on to her street many moons ago. And even though I now live in Toronto, we always manage to pick up right where we left off, as though distance and time had never kept us apart. It was just after Christmas so I dropped off the kids at my parents' in Hamilton and hung out at Limeridge Mall with my friend.


The main purpose of our visit to the mall was to return her gift of perfume. You see, she told her wonderful husband that she wanted Burberry London perfume when what she really wanted was the Original Burberry. Once she made the return, we went to a couple of shoe stores to check out some boots before heading across the street and checked in at McDonald's for a McCafé coffee break.

Did you know that more than 9 million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes? The scary thing is that this number is increasing. Since November is National Diabetes Month, it is a good time to talk about preventative measures and, since there is no cure, learn about the importance of managing the disease. Being proactive is the only way to treat Diabetes.

On November 10, the National Post will be releasing the fourth annual Report on Diabetes for World Diabetes Day, which is on November 14. It is an 8-page spread which will be available in circulation as well as online. The Report will discuss prevention and diabetes management and it will also feature Bret Michaels and his battle with Type 1 Diabetes as the cover story. Other topics will include The Importance of Exercise and Weight Loss, The Magnitude of Nutrition and Diet, Recognizing the Symptoms and much, much more. As with many major illnesses, awareness is an important part in preventing the disease. So keep your eyes out for the Report this Thursday.

I still recall living with my maternal grandmother who was diagnosed with diabetes just before she died. I remember sitting on the stairs and listening to the commotion that was going on her bedroom, not fully understanding what was going on. Gosh, I must have been barely four at the time. It wasn't until I first became pregnant that I learned about gestational diabetes and learned that my cousin had developed it during her pregnancy, making it all the more complicated. It has affected her life drastically. It has definitely made me more concerned about pre-diabetes and look into signs and symptoms.

In the National Post publication, Equal will be featured as the exclusive artificial sweetener and will have a recipe included in their 1/ 4 page spread. Even if you have Diabetes, there are still many options when it comes to food. You can find a whole bunch of recipes on Equal.com such as this Bittersweet Chocolate Torte that has 46% less calories than the traditional version thanks to Equal. Doesn't it look so good?


As part of this blog post, I have donated $25 towards Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada.
You can make a donation in someone's honour or loving memory, or you can choose to make a general donation towards critical research to help find a cure for diabetes and its complications.

Also, have a look in this week's Sobey's flyer. They will be having a sale on Equal and will also include a special "Baking Flyer" as well.


Facts About Equal

Equal is appropriate for use by individuals with diabetes. It is well-tolerated by both those with insulin dependent and non-insulin dependant diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2). Sugar Lite is also appropriate for use by individuals with diabetes, however they must keep in mind their total carbohydrate counts.
Equal is recognized as an acceptable part of a diabetes meal plan by both the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

*Traditional Equal products actually contain 4 calories and the carbohydrate content is just under 1 gram of carbohydrate per each two teaspoon serving. FDA labeling laws state that if a serving has less than 5 calories, it may be labeled as “0” calories.

Obesity is a Major Risk Factor For Diabetes

Substituting traditional Equal products for sugar in coffee* and on cereal* each day will save an unbelievable 20,440 calories per year. (*based on 2 teaspoons of sugar in coffee and 2 teaspoons of sugar on cereal each day.)


So if I substitute Equal for sugar in my coffee, it could really reduce my caloric intake. Food for thought...

Check out Equal.com for more information. You can connect with Equal on Twitter as well as on Facebook.



This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own. #CBias