The amazingly talented, one and only, Tony Award-winning actor and Broadway legend, Ben Vereen is once again taking center stage this month, promoting his latest passion - diabetes awareness.

     Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007, Vereen has teamed with Sanofi-Aventis, a world leader in diabetic care, to spread diabetes awareness and encourage people living with diabetes to take an active role in their health.

     Take the Stage for Diabetes Awareness is a national campaign developed to educate people living with diabetes and their families about their condition and how they can live a healthy, active lifestyle. Awareness is the first step.

     Today there are an estimated 24 million Americans, 5.7 million undiagnosed, living with diabetes; 14.7 percent of those 24 million people are African American. "We just don't know, and once we know we can do something about it," says Vereen. "We need to become aware, and when you become aware you can live a wonderful life."

     Once in denial himself, Vereen was admitted to the hospital at the insistence of his daughter, Karon. "I was not taking care of myself. I stopped exercising, stopped going to dance classes... I just didn't feel well," explains Vereen, who received an undeniable wake-up call when doctors at the hospital told him he had diabetes and needed to start on insulin immediately.

     Scared and confused, he was fortunate enough to find a doctor (Dr. Michael Bush) who explained the importance of controlling his blood sugar levels, and was willing to work with Vereen to develop a treatment for living with diabetes, which includes routine exercise, a healthy diet, diabetes medication and frequent blood sugar level screenings. Vereen encourages people living with diabetes to work closely with their doctors to determine the right program for reaching their individual health goals.

     This month, Dr. Bush, a Beverly Hills endocrinologist and past clinical chief of the division of endocrinology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, is joining Vereen on the Take the Stage for Diabetes Awareness campaign to offer expert advice and tips to aid conversations with doctors. The awareness campaign is encouraging people to check their blood glucose levels at least once a year, and for those living with diabetes to make it a top priority.

     Part of the national campaign is to address common fears related to taking insulin and diabetes. "I had many doubts and fears about taking insulin," admits Vereen. "I always thought of insulin as a last option for treating high blood sugar, and was worried about insulin injections being painful and interfering with my daily schedule."

     After some gentle guidance from Dr. Bush, Vereen overcame those fears. "The addition of insulin to my overall diabetes treatment plan helps keep my blood sugar levels where they need to be -and it hasn't slowed me down."

          For more information on Ben Vereen and the Take the Stage for Diabetes Awareness campaign, please visit www.bensdiabetesstory.com.

1. Try to eat meals and snacks at regular times every day.

2. Make sure you eat breakfast everyday.

3. Share a single dessert.

4. When eating out, have a big vegetable salad, then split an entrée with a friend or have the other half wrapped to go.

5. Stir fry, broil, or bake with non-stick spray or low-sodium broth and cook with less oil and butter.

6. Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before your meal to take the edge off your hunger.

7. Make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. Try grilled chicken (remove skin) instead of a cheeseburger. Skip the french fries and choose a salad.

8. Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that you're full.

9. You don't have to completely cut out the foods you love to eat. Just cut down on your portion size and eat it less often.

10. Make less food look like more by serving your meal on a smaller plate.

11. Take the stairs to your office. Or take the stairs as far as you can, and then take the elevator

12. Park as far away as possible from your favorite store at the mall.

13. Cook with a mix of spices instead of salt.

14. Always keep a healthy snack with you, such as fresh fruit, handful of nuts, whole grain crackers.

15. Choose veggie toppings like spinach, broccoli, and peppers for your pizza.

16. Try to choose foods with little or no added sugar.

17. Eat foods made from whole-grains such as-whole wheat, brown rice, oats, and whole-grain corn-every day. Use whole-grain bread for toast and sandwiches; substitute brown rice for white rice for home-cooked meals and when dining out. 

18. Don't grocery shop on an empty stomach. Make a list before you go to the store.

19. Read food labels. Choose foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

20. Slow down at snack time. Eating a bag of low-fat popcorn takes longer than eating a slice of cake. Peel and eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice.

21. Try keeping a written record of what you eat for a week. It can help you see when you tend to overeat or eat foods high in fat or calories.