In this exercise, the three of us – Mike Golic, Samantha Heller and Dr. Farhad Zangeneh – are your coaches, and we’ve designed The Game Plan to help you approach managing your diabetes in a whole new way.
We understand that one of the toughest things about managing type 2 diabetes can be the feeling that you have to change everything about your lifestyle, all at once. It doesn’t have to be that way, and that’s where The Game Plan comes into play.
The Game Plan is an easy, step-by-step plan made up of four goals for you to tackle, one at a time, with the help of your diabetes healthcare team (including your primary care provider, endocrinologist and/or diabetes educator).
Get started by clicking on Goal No. 1 – Huddle – below!
You can also find out more about us (your coaches), and why we’re involved in The Game Plan, by clicking on our profiles on the right.
It’s time to get in the game. We know you can do it!
Mike Golic
Mike Golic is a co-host of ESPN’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning” and a former NFL defensive tackle who has type 2 diabetes. After nine years on the playing field with the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins, Mike understands the importance of always having a game plan – both on and off the field.
When I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I wasn’t sure where to start. When I played professional football, I looked to my coach for advice on how to play my best, so I decided to take the same approach with my diabetes healthcare team (including primary care provider, endocrinologist and/or diabetes educator) that continues to help me manage my type 2 diabetes. Together, we developed a game plan which focuses on one step at a time, and I’m here to cheer you on and show you that you can do it too.
Helping others with type 2 diabetes understand the importance of keeping blood sugar levels in check became a big priority of mine after a personal wake-up call: during a tough workout, I started to feel dizzy and shaky, and it didn’t go away until I sat down and ate something. I found out from my doctor that I had experienced an episode of low blood sugar, which can cause serious consequences if not treated quickly. As you can probably imagine, that experience made me realize that I needed to better manage my blood sugar levels – both high and low. Click here to learn more about my story.
I’m excited about The Game Plan because it is designed to help make your approach to managing type 2 diabetes easier, by taking things one step at a time in ways that make sense for you. I hope this program will help you take some small steps toward better management of your blood sugar levels.
So what are you waiting for? Get started now on the first goal of The Game Plan: HUDDLE.
Samantha Heller, MS, RD, CDN
Samantha Heller is a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist who brings more than a decade of experience helping type 2 diabetes patients reach their goals for healthy eating and physical activity to The Game Plan.
As a health and wellness expert, I help people lead healthier lifestyles through physical activity and healthy eating. A big part of that is helping people understand that it is not about overhauling your lifestyle all at once, but instead, becoming healthier by making small adjustments (like taking the stairs instead of the elevator). You’re more likely to reach your goals and stick with them if they feel realistic!
That’s why we developed The Game Plan, to help you take small steps toward healthy eating, meal planning and physical activity, which are key to helping you manage your type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk for serious complications, such as heart disease.
It is extremely important for you to take charge of your health instead of letting diabetes take charge of you! The small changes that you make today can have a lasting impact on your future. There’s no better time than right now to start with the first goal of The Game Plan – HUDDLE.
Farhad Zangeneh, MD, FACP, FACE
Dr. Farhad Zangeneh is a clinical endocrinologist and medical director of the Endocrine, Diabetes and Osteoporosis Clinic (EDOC) in Sterling, Va. He is also an assistant clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
As a clinical endocrinologist, I am an expert in the care of people with type 2 diabetes and have years of experience helping people manage the disease. I know that being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can be overwhelming, and that’s why I’ve teamed up with Mike Golic and Samantha Heller on The Game Plan to help you manage the disease with the help of your diabetes healthcare team (including your primary care provider, endocrinologist and/or diabetes educator).
By working with your diabetes healthcare team, you can learn more about blood sugar management (and how to help avoid low and high blood sugar) and the serious complications associated with diabetes (like heart disease). You can also find out how you’re doing now with managing diabetes and set goals that can help you get to where you need to be. For more advice from me about type 2 diabetes management and the importance of teaming up with your doctor, click here.
I am very excited about The Game Plan and hope that you find it to be a helpful resource. I know how important it is for people with type 2 diabetes to work with their their diabetes healthcare team to set personal goals and a plan for achieving them, and that’s exactly where you’ll start with the first goal of The Game Plan – HUDDLE.
