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We know that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United
States, and we know that without the proper intervention, many people
will see this as something they cannot manage on their own. Although
there are real problems with the medical technology that is not
accessible to us, blind diabetics can and do live independently, and
communicating this message and the work that remains to be done is the
reason we are holding the knowledge is Sweet seminar.<br><br>
<br><br>
Our seminar, sponsored by our Diabetes Action Network, will be held on
Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, 2024. We'll be meeting at the
Hilton St. Louis Airport located at 10330 Natural Bridge Rd, St. Louis,
MO 63134. The cost of a room is $111 a night, and when you book, the room
block is under the name National Federation of the Blind. To reach the
hotel call 314-426-5500. We tried it, it works, and registering only
begins the fun.<br><br>
<br><br>
The board is working on the agenda, and we are trying to get doctors,
dietitians, drug manufacturers, and the people who make devices we use in
administering those drugs and in checking our blood sugar. We already
have one of our keynote speakers, Gary Taubes. For those of you who may
not know him, he is a journalist who looked into the science of obesity
and the diseases it makes us susceptible to getting. Conclusions he draws
from often overlooked scientists are: <br><br>
• Obesity is
not an issue of those who have willpower and those who don't<br><br>
• The
assertion that weight maintenance, weight loss, and weight gain is not
nearly as simple as calories in vs calories out<br><br>
• The idea
that eating fat will make you fat seems to have a ring of truth about it,
but the supposition is not supported by studies and the way we digest and
use food for energy<br><br>
• A calorie
is a calorie is much too simplistic when it comes to food<br><br>
• The
prescription to eat low-fat high-carbohydrate foods provably does not
work for most people<br><br>
• We eat much
too much sugar, and this excess is responsible for many of the problems
we haveproblems which were once called the King's Disease because only
people of wealth could afford sugar in significant amounts<br><br>
• Science
tries to be driven by facts, but even it falls prey to inertia. Popular
opinions get published; unpopular ones must look to places other than
scientific journals for real airing and discussion<br><br>
<br><br>
The purpose of our seminar is to promote thought and discussion; it is
not to endorse or debunk any point of view, because we do not consider
ourselves experts on nutrition, exercise, or even diabetes. Our goal is
to share, to learn, and to give people tools that they are free to use or
not. Our mission is to send one message clearly and concisely: In your
blindness and diabetes, you are not alone. We will share our stories with
the hope that they will add to the independence and freedom all of us
want.<br><br>
<br><br>
Please register with the hotel as soon as you can. For a copy of the
Knowledge is Sweet Registration form, write to Debbie Wunder,
<a href="mailto:debbiewunder@charter.net">debbiewunder@charter.net</a>.
Alternatively, text or call me at 573-268-6989. The cost will be $99, and
this fee will entitle you to four plated meals and all
presentations.<br><br>
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<a name="Start"></a><br>
<a name="Complete"></a>I am excited, and I hope you are as well. I don't
enjoy the disease we share, but I love the work we can do to help blind
people learn to live and thrive with it.<br>
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