Valentine's Day is all about hearts and love — and that includes loving your heart to keep it healthy!
That's why we partnered with the For Your SweetHeart campaign. Their spokesperson, Anne, is living with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, so she’s careful — even with Valentine's treats! — to make heart-healthy choices with her food.
"I do everything I can to manage my diabetes, but even then, my doctor said I’m still at high risk of having another heart-related event," says Anne, who had a minor heart attack in 2001. "Because diabetes can get worse over time, I make sure to control my blood sugar, follow the treatment plan my doctor put together for me, exercise and eat right to stay as healthy as possible."
But not everyone's quite as cautious! According to the campaign's studies, people with type 2 diabetes spend over 1,000 percent more time planning Valentine’s Day — that's 3.5 hours on average! — than they spend talking to their doctor about diabetes (just 19 minutes per visit).
Beyond that, 79 percent want their loved one with type 2 diabetes to take them to dinner at a restaurant — even though that can make healthy choices tricky!
And only 40 percent prefer to have a discussion about seeing a healthcare provider to discuss how they can manage their heart disease, so that restaurant bit gets even more complicated.
But Anne's here to help! She whipped up a healthier take on strawberry shortcake that's perfect for Valentine's Day. (It's even heart-shaped!)
Her delicious recipe layers moist angel food cake with luscious whipped cream and strawberries (and you’d never know it’s made with zero-calorie sugar substitute and protein powder). Just look at this beauty!
Get the recipe for Anne’s Flour-Free “Oopsie” Angel Food Cake Served Strawberry-Shortcake Style here!
(As Anne explains, the “Oopsie” is an angel food cake dessert made without flour or sugar -- oops! But still delish.)
And remember, people with type 2 diabetes should talk with their healthcare providers about their heart disease risk. Head to ForYourSweetHeart.com for more information about type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
For Your SweetHeart is a Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company campaign.
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