Diabetes: Nutrition

at 11:55AM, 1:55PM, and 3:55PM

The good news about diabetes is that it can be medically treated—but don’t forget, you have to treat yourself, too. Good nutrition and exercise are important for everyone. However, for those with diabetes, it is particularly important to be diligent.

Diabetes Nutrition Specialist Linda Sartor visits Suzanne to help construct a health-appropriate diet for the approximate 17 million Americans afflicted with diabetes.

What is Diabetes?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and is needed for your body to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy. When someone has diabetes, excessive sugar builds up in the blood as a result of the body’s inability to generate and properly use insulin. Therefore, it is vital to acquire insulin through other ways, such as injection.

While diabetes strikes those of all ages and races, it is most prevalent in African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian-Americans and the senior population.

The cause of diabetes remains a mystery, but genetics and physical traits such as obesity and lack of exercise are said to be contributing factors. It often goes undiagnosed because the symptoms may seem so common and harmless. Education is the key to prevention.

Diabetes Diet

According to Linda Sartor, portion control and monitoring total amount of fat and carbohydrates are the most important components to a healthy diet. To build the proper diabetes regime, Linda takes us through each food group step-by-step.

Meats: Eat 3-4 ounces of lean meat, chicken or fish. If the size of the meat is much larger than the palm of your hand, the portion is too much. Purchase lean meats. The way you cook meats can add or lessen fat content—broil, grill, roast or stir-fry using minimal butter and oil or none at all. Eat turkey or chicken without the skin.

Starches: Be careful not to eat too many starches—they are loaded with carbohydrates. At the same time, it’s safe to eat starches; don’t be swayed. Again, portion control is the underlying factor. Starches include breads, grains, cereal, pasta and some vegetables. Linda suggests include high-fiber starches, such as baked potato with skin or brown rice, on ¼ of your dinner plate.

Fruits & Vegetables: Vegetables are healthy for everyone and should be eaten every day. They give you vitamins, minerals and fiber and are low in calories. Linda suggests filling half your plate with high fiber, low starch vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, or green beans. Limit high starch vegetables like corn. Fruits also give you energy, vitamins and minterals. But don’t forget—fruits are also high in sugar…so again portion control is key.

Reading the Labels

Remember, controlling your diet portions allows you to control your blood sugar. A healthy weight also helps lower your blood pressure. Make sure to read the labels in the grocery store before getting yourself in trouble.

Use Linda’s Rule of Three: Look for foods with no more than 3 grams of fat per 100 calorie serving. And for carbohydrates, look at the line on the label marked “Total Carbohydrates” and get as close to 15 as possible.

Why Exercise?

In addition to helping to maintain a healthy weight, exercise helps your body to use insulin efficiently. Again – important for everyone, but vital for the diabetic.