Good morning Qcity! November is American Diabetes Month. Did you know that diabetes is the number one cause of blindness among adults across the nation? Click here, to learn more facts about the disease and what you can do to prevent it.

It’s going to be a cool day in Charlotte. The weatherman is calling for a few early showers with mostly cloudy conditions later in the day and a high around 60°. Tonight, expect a mostly clear sky with temperatures in the low 30s.

Here’s what’s brewing in the news:

A food pyramid for black people

Diabetes, obesity and heart disease may be rampant in today’s African-American community, but the group Oldways says these diet-related illnesses are not a true part of African-American heritage. On a mission to reclaim good health in the black community, Oldways unveiled The African Heritage Diet Pyramid. The group says the pyramid provides a practical tool and dietary model to inspire healthy eating habits.

“In my work with the African-American community, I see a general lack of education in terms of the foods their ancestors prepared and enjoyed; today these food connections are all but lost,” said Constance Brown-Riggs, MSED, RD and author of The African American Guide to Living Well with Diabetes. "This pyramid is an important new educational tool; it is an innovative way that we, as health professionals, can communicate with, connect to and educate African-Americans."

The African Heritage Diet Pyramid emphasizes the consumption of leafy greens in addition to varied amounts of whole, fresh plant foods like colorful fruits and vegetables; tubers like yams and sweet potatoes; beans of all kinds; nuts and peanuts; rice, flatbreads and other grain foods, especially whole grains; healthy oils; homemade sauces and marinades of herbs and spices; fish, eggs, poultry and yogurt; and minimal consumption of meats and sweets.

The diet draws inspiration from the culinary traditions of the American South, the Caribbean, South America and Africa that the group says can all be accommodated by eating within the guidelines.
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Penn State trustees: Joe has to go!

Yesterday, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno announced that he planned to retire at the end of his 46th season. Hours later the university’s board of trustees met and decided Paterno had to leave now. Last night, Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were fired amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno has admitted that he should have done more when he was told that a graduate assistant saw Sandusky assaulting a boy in a school shower nearly a decade ago. Spanier claims he was unaware of the details of the attack. Sandusky denies the charges. Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley has been named interim coach, and Rodney Erickson will serve as interim school president.
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Black teens less likely to do drugs

A survey of more than 70,000 young people ages 12 to 17 found that African-American youth are less likely to use alcohol or other drugs than youth of other groups. The research team led by Li-Tzy Wu of Duke University Medical Center found that the highest rates of usage were among American Indians (48 percent), whites (39 percent), and Latinos (37 percent). Asian teens reported the lowest percentage of usage, at just 24 percent. Thirty-two percent of black teens reported usage. Researchers say the data will be helpful in changing stereotypes and revamping drug resistance and education programming. "There is certainly still a myth out there that Black kids are more likely to have problems with drugs than white kids,” said Dr. Dan Blazer of Duke’s Department of Psychiatry, a senior author of the study. He says the results of the study “clearly” show that the rate of “substance-related disorders among African American youths is significantly lower." The most reported drug of choice was marijuana. 
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Rick Perry has a brain fart

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry flubbed while describing part of his platform during last night’s debate. When naming the three agencies he would eliminate from government, the Texas governor could only name two. It took him nearly ten minutes to name the third one. In case you missed it, check out the video here. Question: If you were president, which departments would you get rid of?

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