Culinary Expert Nathan Fong Challenges Canadians Living with Diabetes to
Enter First Ever OneTouch(R) Breakfast Challenge

BURNABY, BC, Oct. 20 /CNW/ - Rise, test, shine! Each morning provides an opportunity to start the day off right, and for people living with diabetes that may mean making lifestyle choices like checking blood glucose levels and eating a balanced breakfast. Food is one of the main factors that directly impacts blood glucose levels — and one that can be managed.

Starting today, culinary expert Nathan Fong is inviting Canadians to put their creative and convenient diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes to the test in the first ever OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge. To enter, Canadians can visit www.OneTouch.ca/BreakfastChallenge and submit their recipes for a chance to win the Chef's Guest for a Day Experience in Vancouver.

"As someone who was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and has built a life and career around food, I know that it's important to eat the right foods at the right times - especially breakfast - in order to maintain healthy blood glucose levels throughout the day," says Nathan Fong.* "Due to busy lifestyles, it can be challenging to make good food choices, which is why eating a nutritious breakfast can help me start the day off right. I am inviting Canadians to share their own diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes with me in the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge."

Starting the day off right may also mean checking blood glucose levels in the morning. According to a recent survey, 61 per cent of Canadians living with diabetes surveyed said that without testing, it's difficult for them to know what their blood glucose levels are.¹ 

"While proper nutrition goes a long way in managing diabetes, the only way to be certain of blood glucose levels is with accurate and reliable testing. By testing blood glucose levels before and after breakfast, patients can make informed choices about food, exercise and medication," says Nina Hirvi,* registered dietitian and diabetes educator. "Only OneTouch® Ultra® Blue Test Strips with DoubleSure™ Technology test each blood sample twice to confirm the result, providing patients the certainty they may need to be sure of their blood glucose results."

Three million Canadians are living with diabetes in Canada. If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including: heart disease, kidney disease, eye disease and nerve damage.²

About the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge

To enter, Canadians can visit www.OneTouch.ca/BreakfastChallenge and submit their creative and convenient diabetes-friendly breakfast recipes between October 20, 2010 and November 10, 2010. Entries must be submitted during this period in order to be eligible. Voting is open from October 20, 2010 to November 12, 2010. The top 10 voted recipes will be judged by Nathan Fong and a panel of healthcare professionals. Recipes will be judged based on simplicity to create, diabetes dietary considerations and creativity. The grand prize winner will be announced during National Diabetes Awareness Month in November.

The Grand Prize Winner and guest will win a trip to Vancouver, with two nights accommodation at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The Winner and guest will start the day off right with an exclusive guided tour of Granville Island's Public Market - Vancouver's most famous food market - with culinary expert Nathan Fong and a healthcare professional. On the tour they will learn tricks and tips for shopping for diabetes-friendly foods. Following the tour, the Winner and guest will visit Nathan in his home where he will prepare a private lunch, made with all the delicious and diabetes-friendly ingredients from the tour. After lunch, the Winner and guest may return to their room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel to enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the spa.

For more information about the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge or Nathan Fong, please visit www.OneTouch.ca/BreakfastChallenge.

Survey Design and Methodology

Conducted by Leger Marketing and sponsored by LifeScan Canada Ltd., the survey consisted of an online survey, conducted among Canadian adults diagnosed with diabetes. The patient survey was conducted between March 13 and March 21, 2010, using a national random sample of 812 respondents from Leger Marketing's Web panel. This method simulates a probability sample which would yield a maximum margin of error of +/-3.4%, 19 times out of 20.   

About LifeScan Canada Ltd.

LifeScan, the manufacturer of OneTouch® blood glucose monitoring products, is dedicated to creating a world without limits for people with diabetes. For information about diabetes care and OneTouch® products and services, visit www.OneTouch.ca.

* Nathan Fong and Nina Hirvi are compensated for their participation in the OneTouch® Breakfast Challenge.

Trademarks owned by Johnson & Johnson and used under license.

© LifeScan Canada Ltd. Burnaby, BC V5C 6C6  AW096-329A  09/10

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¹ Leger Marketing. Diabetes Study. April 1, 2010.

² Canadian Diabetes Association. Diabetes Facts. Available at: http://www.diabetes.ca/files/Diabetes_Fact_Sheet.pdf. Accessed on March 30, 2010.

For further information:

Rosalind O'Connell, Alana Lipton 
Edelman     
647.261.1401, 416.849.1114
rosalind.o'[email protected], [email protected]