Breast Cancer Awareness Month Checklist
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close this October, it’s a good time to reflect on the actions you’ve taken for your own breast health.
National Diabetes Month - Nutrition!
In this post:
One of the most important ways you manage your diabetes is by managing how you eat! Diabetes is a health condition that affects how your body manages blood glucose. Blood glucose comes from the food you eat, and some types of foods contribute more to blood glucose than others. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of the food you eat, and choose foods that are diabetes-friendly—even on Thanksgiving and during the winter holiday season, whatever you celebrate!
Managing your diabetes through food doesn’t mean you have to eat tasteless, boring food, either. You can find plenty of great recipes and expand your awareness of diverse types of food with many different flavor profiles with a little experimentation. There are many wonderful resources for healthy eating for people with diabetes, including recipe lists and tips for tasty and healthy substitutes at diabetes.org/food-nutrition.
Need more information on diabetes? Check out our pages here and here.
If you’re new to the world of eating for diabetes health, here are some quick do’s and don’ts for your eating choices:
DO:
- Eat non-starchy vegetables as the foundation of your meal
- Eat lean proteins and plant-based sources of protein, like soy or nuts
- Eat quality carbohydrates like starchy vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat milk
- Eat healthy fats
- Lower the amount of sugar you add to your meals or pre-made food with added sugar
- Drink lots of water
DON’T:
- Sweets like candy, soda, cake, or pie
- Salted and processed meats
- High carbohydrate foods like white bread
- Trans fats
- High cholesterol dairy and protein
Some of the items on the ban list may feel like a loss, particularly around the holidays, but healthy substitutes are easier to find than you might think, and tastier than you expect. Sugar in particular is addicting, but once you’ve stopped eating so much of it, you’ll find you don’t crave it the way you used to, and things like fresh fruit will seem much sweeter and more delicious than the artificial flavoring you were used to before.
Remember also that it’s okay to have a little bit every now and then. If you’re following a healthy diet most of the year, a small slice of pie on Thanksgiving or Christmas probably won’t hurt you—just don’t go overboard!
There are tons of online resources for healthy eating and nutrition – so many that it can be hard to figure out which ones to listen to! That’s why we recommend choosing one like diabetes.org that specializes in the needs of people like you with diabetes, and talking to your primary care doctor, endocrinologist, or diabetes health educator for nutritional advice suited to your individual needs.
Remember that your primary care or family doctor can help explain any lifestyle changes you need to make to manage your diabetes, and refer you to local resources or other local specialists for more education, more intensive management, or help with nutrition and securing healthy food. Many people with diabetes don’t need a specialist, and a family doctor can manage all aspects of your diabetic care – other than making lifestyle changes for you, because only you can do that!
If you’re an Alaskan looking for a way to make significant lifestyle changes to better manage your diabetes, or to prevent diabetes, and you don’t know where to start, reach out to the Fresh Start program at freshstart.alaska.gov. They can provide eligible Alaskans with a free health coach, a diabetes specialist, a personalized plan for managing or preventing diabetes, and even free blood sugar monitors.
Your doctor can also refer you to the Food is Medicine program through the Fairbanks Food Bank if you are struggling to afford fresh produce for your diabetic management needs.
If you’re looking for free online resources for how to cook healthier at home, you can also go to the American Diabetes Association and sign up for free cooking classes, diabetes-healthy recipes and meal planners, and lots of education regarding diabetes.
Questions? Call 907-455-4567 to make an appointment with a health care provider today!
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