American Diabetes Month: Tips for Managing Diabetes through a Healthy Diet

November 03, 2009

November is American Diabetes Month. In honor of that fact, HealthRock is featuring its diabetes song. You can hear the song at http://www.healthrockwomen.com/music.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes. This equals 7.8% of the U.S. population! In addition, 57 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes. 1.6 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year in people who are 20 or older.

If you are one of the millions of people with diabetes, there are steps you can take to manage the disease. For example, eating well is an important part of managing diabetes. The American Diabetes Association recommends the following diet tips:

• Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.
• Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice instead of white. Substitute whole wheat bread for white.
• Eat fish 2 – 3 times a week.
• Select leaner cuts of meat like those that end in "loin."
• Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
• Eat non-fat dairy.
• Drink water and calorie-free non-carbonated beverages.
• Use liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats.
• Cut back on high calorie snacks like chips, cookies, cakes, and regular ice cream. Look for baked chips and reduced calorie snacks. Or have a piece of fruit instead.
• Watch your portion sizes. Even too much "healthy" food can cause weight gain.
Compare labels of similar foods, then choose the one with smaller amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
• Adults should eat less than 2400 mg. of sodium per day. If you have high blood pressure, you should aim for even less.
• Try adding herbs and spices in your cooking to take the place of salt for enhancing flavor.