Anna Key, Registered Dietitan, Huntsville Hospital Wellness Center
There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 develops when the immune system turns on itself and destroys cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin. There is no definitive cause for this type of diabetes that affects about 3 million Americans.
Type 2 diabetes, which affects a whopping 297 million Americans, can develop when you live an unhealthy lifestyle.
A nutritious diet can significantly manage or prevent type 2 diabetes. Here are a few tips to help you better control blood sugar whether or not you currently have the disease.
- Eat every 4 to 5 hours. After the 5 hour mark, our blood sugar dips down. Some people experience hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Feeling shaky, tired or irritable are common symptoms. Also, when we get this famished, it's difficult to control portion sizes. Set your mobile phone alarm and be prepared with snacks whether you are at home, the office or in the car.
- Balance meals and snacks with protein and carbohydrate. Add one tablespoon of peanut butter to a small apple or banana mid-afternoon or choose Greek yogurt. Whatever you choose to eat, balancing protein and carbohydrate will lift your blood sugar slightly and keep it stabilized. Eating cookies will cause a spike up and then crash down causing you to want more sugar.
- Don't be afraid of carbs. It's not good to have a huge plate of spaghetti and two breadsticks plus desert, but do include a source of carbohydrate in your meals. A quarter of your plate should contain a source of lean protein, the other quarter a whole grain/wheat carbohydrate and the remaining half veggies. Choose complex carbs like brown rice, couscous, whole-wheat pasta, potatoes, beans or peas.
Try these ideas this Diabetes Awareness Month to lower your chances of developing this disease or controlling it better instead of it controlling you.