Kovler & Centered Chef: InTransit Teen Cooking Class

The Kovler InTransit Teen Advisory Board held their fall meeting at Centered Chef, a Chicago based cooking school that shares our concern for healthy eating and our passion for educating the community. Today, we are excited to share a guest blog post from the team at Centered Chef about their experience partnering with Kovler.

In a society where there are over 20 million people living with diabetes, it is imperative that we begin to learn what foods can help prevent diabetes and manage overall wellness. At Centered Chef, we have innovative cooking classes and workshops that educate, entertain and a  healthy lifestyle, by blending culinary arts with nutrition.

Instead of looking at nutrition like a restriction, we focus on the opportunity of eating more healthfully.  In letting go of the foods you can’t have as a philosophy, we focus on the foods you can have and why!

So, when it comes to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, it is important that you eat balanced amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with clean proteins. Since understanding how to eat healthfully can be overwhelming, Centered Chef excels in creating experiences around eating optimally.

“As part of our educational outreach, we were proud to partner with the University of Chicago’s Kovler Diabetes Center, Teens In Transit Advisory Board,” said Centered Chef’s founder and CEO, chef Ryan Hutmacher. “During an incredibly impactful and educational day at Centered Chef, teens as well as, their parents explored the challenges and opportunities that are encountered when living with Type 1 Diabetes.”

In Centered Chef’s innovative culinary studio, chef Melissa Schwenk and adjunct dietitian, Lyndsay Riffe (RD/LDN, CDE), who’s also a Type 1 diabetic, worked with the teens to prepare several diabetic friendly recipes.  In this hands-on cooking class, the teens prepared chicken rosamarino skewers, whole grain quinoa griddle-cakes, grilled green beans and a spinach salad.  As part of the final experience, the teens showcased their meal to both parents and Kovler Diabetes Center staff, proving that healthy food can be simple and delicious!

Family members of the InTransit teens taste the final products!

“It was an amazing to see the teens in action, and in the end, the buffet they created looked amazing!” explained chef Melissa.  “As we look to empower people to make healthy decisions around food, there’s no doubt these teens learned some amazing tools around eating clean.  I look forward to working with the Kovler Diabetes Center in the future, and continuing to support their Teens In Transit Advisory Board!”

Special thanks to Ryan, Melissa, and the entire Centered Chef team! 

Kovler's Spring/Summer Newsletter is Out!

Kovler Diabetes Center’s Spring / Summer Newsletter is now LIVE on our website.  Our bi-annual newsletter is Kovler’s way to share the incredible people, community members and organizations who are making a difference across the globe for those living with diabetes, including right here in Chicago.  Be sure to be on the lookout later this summer for our new MONTHLY e-newsletter.

This issues highlights include:

·   Kovler ’s team traveled the globe this winter, speaking on the latest in diabetes care and research

·    Feature articles showcasing Kovler leadership, Claire from Kovler for Kids, and InTransit’s Adventurous Alex

·   Introducing KovlerKrew, Kovler’s newest volunteer effort

·   Recent community events and upcoming events this fall that will benefit Kovler Diabetes Center’s vital work

·   Expanding Clinical Trial Efforts and so much more

Please visit www.kovlerdiabetescenter.org to see the latest newsletter and while there, be sure to join our mailing list at “Connect With Us” for our new e-newsletter.

Kovler Diabetes Center is committed to helping families, individuals and our community to live their best life with diabetes throughout their lifespan.

Visit our Facebook Page to let us know how we can help YOU.

Kovler for Kids is Improving Care for Newly Diagnosed Diabetics

I am sure you remember the day your child was diagnosed with diabetes.  You can probably remember the exact date and location where this happened.  You may remember the weeks prior to diagnosis and wondering, “Why is my child so tired?” “Why are they loosing weight?” “Why are they so thirsty and urinating so much?” A diagnosis of diabetes was probably the last thing on your mind.

You may also remember how you felt when the diagnosis was confirmed; perhaps it was disbelief, fear, panic, anger, or all of the above and more. Although nothing can make receiving a diagnosis of diabetes stress free, the team at the Kovler Diabetes Center for Kids are doing all we can to make the process as smooth as possible.

When a child is admitted to Comer Children’s Hospital with a new diagnosis of diabetes, a team of providers become involved in the care.  Heading the team are the Pediatric Endocrinologists and Pediatric Endocrinology Fellows, in collaboration with the Pediatric Medical Service. Other members of the team include Critical and Acute Care Nurses, Certified Diabetes Educators, Registered Dietitians, Pharmacists, Social Workers, and Discharge Planners. We work together to ensure all of the patient’s needs are met during their hospitalization.

Over the past year we have developed an Inpatient Diabetes Multidisciplinary Work Team with the purpose of improving the care we give our kids who are newly diagnosed or admitted for complications related to diabetes.  We have representatives from all of the involved disciplines.

This year, some of the accomplishments of the group include:

• An admission informational sheet for families, outlining hospital course.
• An educational PowerPoint for residents.
• A discharge prescription-ordering sheet for diabetes medication and supplies.
• An informational take home kit.
• A 4-hour in-service program for nurses caring for newly diagnosed children.

Ongoing projects we are working on include:

• A DKA policy revision and standardization for ER, ICU, Gen floor.
• Standardization of insulin orders.
• A thorough policy for insulin pump use during hospitalization.
• Continued improvements in menus to improve carbohydrate-counting clarity, and encourage healthy food choices.

Our goal is to continue to improve the services we provide to our kids and families, so that we can offer the best possible care during this critical time. Hopefully we can make it just a little less stressful for both our patients and their families.

We would love to hear about your experiences and welcome any suggestions and ideas you may have.

Susan McLaughlin, RN, BSN, CDE
Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator

Susan.McLaughlin@uchospitals.edu