This post is sponsored by One Touch as part of their nationwide Eating Healthy With Diabetes campaign. All opinions are mine.
Healthy Eating with Diabetes
Bridget Swinney MS, RD, LD
Before we talk about eating well if you have diabetes (or pre-diabetes) let's review a few facts:
- 29 Million people in the US have diabetes, but 8 MILLION DON'T KNOW THEY HAVE IT
- 86 million people have pre-diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes is directly linked to obesity
- Diabetes used to be a disease of mid-life and old age--not anymore
- Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of blindness, kidney disease, heart disease, and earlier death
Now that I've got your attention...
How can we eat well with diabetes--and more importantly, can how can we eat well to PREVENT diabetes?
It's all about food choices--and most of our food choices happen at the grocery store.
LEARN MORE BY SIGNING UP FOR A FREE GROCERY TOUR!
That's why I'm excited about my partnership with One Touch & Albertsons to provide FREE local grocery tours in El Paso focused on Eating Well with Diabetes. The tours are actually happening in March around the country at Albertsons, Safeway, Tom Thumb and other stores and facilitated by a Registered Dietitian and Pharmacist. Your store pharmacist is an important person who can also help you manage diabetes.
HOW TO REGISTER:
For a list of available tours in your area, and to register, go to diabetesdigest.com/EHWD or call 1-877-728-6655. Or simply click on the poster at the bottom of the page.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN ON THE TOUR?
From the Dietitian:
- How to plan a healthy plate
- General nutrition tips
- How to use a food label to count carbs
- How to make your diet heart-healthy
From the Pharmacist:
- Which tools can help you stay healthy
- How to easily increase physical activity
- How to prevent diabetes
- What's considered a healthy blood glucose range
Who Should Attend a Tour:
- People with diabetes or pre-diabetes
- Family members/caregivers of people with diabetes
- People with family history of diabetes
5 QUICK TIPS ON EATING WELL--
whether you have diabetes or not!
EAT MORE VEGGIES!
Non-starchy veggies have few calories, are full of filling fiber and have lots of disease-fighting antioxidants. Start your meal with a veggie like mini carrots and broccoli with low-fat dip, cucumber spears, some cherry tomatoes or a green or cabbage salad. Just watch out for the dressing--it can turn a healthy dish into calorie overload!
EAT SMART CARBS
Brown rice, whole wheat bread, quinoa, barley, farro, beans, oatmeal and other whole grain cereals,lentils and fresh fruit. All these carbs are rich in fiber, so they are digested more slowly and have a lesser impact on blood glucose.
EAT A VARIETY OF PROTEIN
I'm not biased when it comes to choosing protein--it's all good--as long as it's lean! Be it beef, pork, chicken or beans--it's critical to choose right and cook it right to keep saturated fat to a minimum. What to look for? When choosing beef, choose cuts like loin and round. A list of American Heart Association approved lean beef cuts can be found here. If eating chicken, slip off the skin before you cook it. Pork? Bacon may be the latest food trend but it's full of salt and saturated fat, so best to choose pork loin instead.
Most of us don't eat enough seafood. It's recommended that we eat seafood at least twice a week for the healthy omega-3 fat it contains. Omega-3 fats are great for your heart, during pregnancy for fetal brain development and may even help prevent alzheimer's. Here is where it's better to choose a fattier fish like salmon--because it contains more healthy fats. (Click here for the recipe for the pictured Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce and other recipes from the National Fisheries Institute.)
Beans really are magical and you should try to eat some type of bean or legume daily. Hummus anyone?
THINK YOUR DRINK! This advice hasn't changed!
You know what I'm talking about...that means ditch the sugar-sweetened drinks like soda, juice drinks, and sweet tea. Most of your fluids should be water, but moderate amounts of tea and coffee have healthy benefits too. Just watch what you put in them.
WATCH PORTION SIZES
Even if you have diabetes, most any food fits into a healthy diet--if you watch your portion size. Stay away from super-sizing unless you want a super-sized waistline and a super-sized blood glucose level to go with it! Sushi contains easy-to-digest white rice and also contains seaweed, as well as other sauces, which can add a lot of sodium. It's a good thing sushi comes in tiny portion sizes!
NOW TAKE THE NEXT STEP--
SIGN UP FOR A GROCERY TOUR!