The Best of ASweetLife 2010

This month marks one year since we launched ASweetLife.   We’re proud to say that we have over 100 feature stories, 75 recipes, and 400 and some blog posts behind us.  For this we need to thank all of our contributors, bloggers, medical experts, and of course, we thank our readers.

Over the last few weeks we’ve been trying to choose our favorite essays and recipes to re-feature in a “best of” list.  It’s been an incredibly difficult task – really!  And there are many, many runners-up.  The posts listed below (alphabetically) are pieces that we think anyone – with or without diabetes – will enjoy.  So here you have it, the Best of Year One.

Essays

Brave New World of Avatars: I fell in love with Jane Kokernak’s work after reading her essay “Tethered To The Body” in the Bellevue Literary Review.  Jane gave us permission to republish “Tethered,” and if you haven’t already read it, you should.  In “Brave New World,” Jane wonders about an avatar world with room for different physical attributes.

Climbing Over a Diabetes Diagnosis: After her brother’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis, Emily Patton was enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Trial at the age of 12 and remained an active participant through 2003.  Everything seemed okay until early this year when a follow-up visit revealed she had a fasting blood sugar level of 263.  Emily is currently enrolled in the Protégé Encore study (and blogging about it!).

Eating Like A Caveman: An Interview With Eric Devine: The essay Why I Eat Like A Caveman, one of our most popular essays of the year, convinced Michael Aviad to give the Paleolithic diet  (a diet that requires giving up dairy, grains, sugar, and processed food) a try.  He had an opportunity to learn more about this diet and how it can affect insulin requirements from long-time devotee, Eric Devine.

Islet Sheet Technology: Elizabeth Snouffer’s interview with Scott King, pioneer diabetes biotechnology analyst, and founding President of Cerco Medical.  Scott is determined to find a cure for diabetes, and more specifically, he is leading the development of a new technology that aims to provide stable blood glucose levels without injected insulin or immunosuppressive drugs.

Neonatal Monogenic Diabetes: Cameron Lundfelt’s Story: Alissa Lundfelt, mother of Cameron, tells the story of her baby’s diagnosis with a very rare form of diabetes, which until recently was unknown.  After the correct diagnosis, Cameron was able to transition from insulin therapy to oral medication.  Honest and moving, this is probably the most touching story of the year.

Unraveling The Mystery of The ACCORD Study: Karmel Allison attended the ADA’s 70th Scientific Sessions in Orlando last June.  She reported for us on what some researchers believe might account for the unexpected number of deaths among ACCORD study patients.  In this essay you will read about one patient’s story, as well as surprising research conclusions.
Yacon: The Root of Sweetness: In one of our funniest pieces to date, Catherine Price, searching for something more natural than Splenda to sweeten her food, details her yacon root powder experiments. “If you do not want to mix your Thanksgiving yams with breakfast sweeten your shakes with something else.”  Find out what Catherine thinks about yacon root powder in her tea.

Recipes

Bacon Wrapped Shiitake Mushrooms

Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing

Jerusalem Artichoke and Leek Soup

Oven Baked Cauliflower

Parchment Baked Scallops and Asparagus

Ragout of White Beans and Red Chard

Yogurt Fritatta

Jessica Apple

Jessica Apple grew up in Houston. She studied Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan, and completed an MA in the same field at the Hebrew University. She began to write and publish short stories while a student, and has continued to write essays and fiction while raising her three sons (and many pets).

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Jessica Apple

Jessica Apple grew up in Houston. She studied Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan, and completed an MA in the same field at the Hebrew University. She began to write and publish short stories while a student, and continues to write essays and fiction while raising her three sons (and many pets). Jessica’s work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Financial Times Magazine, The Southern Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, Tablet Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the diabetes correspondent for The Faster Times. In 2009 she and her husband, both type 1 diabetics, founded A Sweet Life, where she serves as editor-in-chief. Jessica loves spending time with her sons, cooking with her husband, playing with her cats, reading, biking, drinking coffee, and whenever possible, taking a nap. Follow Jessica on Twitter (@jessapple)