diabetes Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc.

Benefits and Dangers of Celebrity Endorsed Intermittent Fasting

February 4, 2020 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Every year with the “New Year New You” announcements come new fad diets. One of the most popular new celebrity-touted trends is intermittent fasting. Most notably a 16:8 fast. Fasting has been around for centuries, but it’s not right for everyone.

What is fasting?

Before you consider fasting as part of your diet and exercise plan, educate yourself on the different types of fasting. Religious fasts often include not eating for many days or even weeks at a time. This type of fasting can be particularly dangerous for people with diabetes.

Intermittent fasts are broken down by when you restrict food intake. A 5:2 fast allows you to eat your regular diet five days a week and restricts calories to 600 calories a day for men and 500 calories for women on the two fasting days. The popular 16:8 fast means you fast for 16 hours a day and eat all your daily calories in the remaining 8 hours.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Some dieters find the freedom of eating regular meals five days a week makes up for two days of strict fasting, or that they aren’t really all that hungry when they eat three meals in eight hours instead of stretching out their meals and snacking over the entire day. The diet plan is easy to follow because it doesn’t include any measuring of food or counting of calories.

A few very limited studies have shown intermittent fasting to lower A1C levels and increase weight loss.

Dangers of Intermittent Fasting

Every diet has pros and cons. Intermittent fasting may help prevent type 2 diabetes, but it’s not a good option for those who already have the disease. Fasting may cause lower blood sugar levels, which can have dangerous side effects.

Because intermittent fasting does not involve measuring serving sizes or counting calories, many people will gorge on the foods they love or eat unhealthy foods during their non-fasting days.

Fasting may also be dangerous for people with a history of eating disorders or mental health disorders.

Good Eating Habits Haven’t Changed

Regardless of whether you try eating all your meals in one eight hour stint or not, what you put in your mouth matters. Filling your plate with fruits and vegetables, adding lean protein, substituting complex carbs in place of sugary carbs, and including a few healthy fats helps you lose weight and manage diabetes and other medical conditions. The limited studies show no greater weight loss in groups who fasted than from groups who ate regular, healthy meals.

Before You Try Any Diet

Always consult your medical provider before you start any new diet or exercise routine. Your personal health conditions and medications influence how exercise and diet affect your body. We have a nutritionist on staff who can help you find the best way to manage your diet so it has the most positive effect on your health. She hosts Witcher’s Weightloss Warriors every Monday evening. It’s a free program that teaches participants how to lose weight in healthy ways. Call our clinic to learn how you can join.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: diabetes, fasting, weightloss, Wellness

20 Ways to Keep Your 2020 Fitness Resolutions

December 17, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

walking, tennis shoes, fitness resolutions

Something about the clean slate of a new year lures us into believing we might just be able to do things differently this time. In a few short weeks, we’ll not only have the promises of a bright, shiny new year, but a whole new decade to fill with our hopes, dreams, and goals. If you’re planning new fitness resolutions this year, keep reading.

The trouble is, we’re still the same person on January 1 that we were on December 31. If that person didn’t eat well or exercise regularly then jumping into a new fitness routine on January 1 is likely to lead to frustration. We want you to succeed in your fitness goals in 2020 not just on January 1 but on February 15 and May 23 and all the days beyond.

The key to successful navigation of your News Year’s fitness goals is preparing now. Why wait until January 1 to start taking more walks or joining a gym? Get started now with these simple steps.

Start with a wellness check-up. Getting clearance from your medical provider before starting an exercise routine is particularly important if you have a chronic illness such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma. Let your provider know you’d like to start exercising more and ask for his or her suggestions.
Purchase a pair of good athletic shoes. Exercise doesn’t have to involve pricy gyms or expensive equipment. You will need the appropriate footwear. Your flipflops or slippers won’t cut it here. Choose shoes with good support that are made for the activity you’ve chosen. Running shoes will be lighter while cross-trainers will offer more support. Now’s the perfect time to put these on your Christmas wish list!
Set a baseline. Every great goal starts by acknowledging where you are now. Take your resting heart rate. Record how long it takes you to walk 1 mile. Sit in the floor with your legs straight in front of you and see how far toward your feet you can reach without bending your knees. Count how many standard or modified push-ups you can do at one time.
Choose activities you like and that offer easy access for you. Saying you’re going to ride your bike for thirty-minutes a day when you don’t own a bike won’t help you set your goals. If you plan to join a gym, choose one near your home or office so you have one less excuse for not going.
Set specific goals. Planning to exercise more is a great resolution, but what exactly does more mean? A goal to walk 1 mile three times a week is both specific and reasonable, especially if you haven’t exercised much in the last year. If you already exercise but want to increase what you’re doing, build on where you are.
Set realistic goals. In addition to specific goals make them realistic. Will you really get up at 3 a.m. to walk a mile every morning? Can you actually go to the gym after work if you have to pick up the kids? Know yourself and what you’re willing to do. Making fitness easy and accessible increases the chances you’ll stick with it.
Set new goals every three months. Instead of setting a goal to stick with this fitness routine for a year aim for one month or three months. Re-evaluate after three months to decide if you like your current routine if you’re sticking with it, and what you may need to change.
Be flexible. You thought you’d like swimming every day during your lunch hour, but cleaning up afterward puts you late getting back to work. Or maybe you still don’t feel comfortable at your gym after a month of going. You have more options. Choose another activity, another time, or another gym. Don’t quit one without a plan for how to fill your fitness time, but do allow yourself to change your mind.
Reward yourself. We’re not talking about eating a cupcake after your fitness session. Choose other rewards like taking yourself to the movies, having a massage or purchasing that book you’ve been dying to read after you complete a certain number of exercise sessions in a row. Your reward don’t have to involve money. You might spend 30 minutes in a hot bath listening to music or allow yourself to watch an episode of your favorite television show.
Put it on your calendar like any other appointment. You wouldn’t skip your doctor’s appointment or hair appointment. Put your exercise time on your calendar like any other appointment. If it’s written it’s more likely to get done.
Tell your family and friends. If taking 30 minutes to walk after work will affect the schedule of other people in your family talk to them about what you’re doing a why. Better yet, invite them to join you! Find supportive family and friends who will ask you if you’ve exercised or will text you encouragement when they know you’re working out.
Join a fitness class. Lack the motivation to workout alone? Most gyms offer group fitness classes led by trained instructors. Many allow you to try a class free before you join. The end of December is a great time to try new classes before you join in January. Use your time wisely!
Exercise with friends. This one gets a little tricky. Some friends will push you to work harder, others will spend the entire time gabbing and you won’t actually work out. Find friends who also have fitness goals to reach and work together to get healthy.
Use a fitness app to track your progress. Many free fitness apps for smartphones will track your exercise and estimate the number of calories you’ve burned. If you’re wearing a fitness tracker like FitBit or Apple Watch these devices will pair with your apps for even more information. You can also set fitness trackers to remind you to move periodically throughout the day.
Drink more water. If you’re increasing your exercise, you need to increase your water even in the cold months. Choosing water over sports drinks, sodas, or sweet tea also reduces your calorie intake. And if you’re drinking more water you’ll have to walk to the bathroom more often which increases your step count. Win-win-win.
Add variety to your workouts. Walking is a great, low-cost fitness option, but make sure to add some resistance training as well. Multiple repetitions with small hand weights or resistance bands build muscle without requiring a lot of fancy equipment. YouTube and Facebook offer plenty of videos from fitness experts. This type of exercise gives you a break on cold or rainy days when you can’t walk outside.
Listen to your body. “No pain no gain” isn’t the right exercise message. Reaching your fitness goals shouldn’t hurt. As your abilities increase you may push yourself to work harder but start off easy. If your body is out of breath or tired take a break. Allow yourself a day to rest if you had a restless night or you are sick. Don’t use 1 or 2 days off as an excuse not to return to your exercise routine.
Put on exercise clothes when you get home. Just putting on your exercise clothes and shoes is sometimes all the reminder you need to keep your commitment. If you’re exercising in the evening set your gym bag by the door to take with you to work or lay out your workout clothes so you see them when you get home. Remove as many excuses as possible.
Monitor your progress. Remember that baseline you recorded? Go back every six weeks and record your progress. It might be small at first, but every extra push-up counts.
Remember the best exercise you can choose is the one you’ll actually do.

We’re cheering for you and your 2020 fitness goals. Our providers are ready to talk to you about staying healthy this year and for years to come.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: diabetes, nutrition, weight

Ethnicity Overrules Weight in Diabetes Risks

November 5, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

We’ve long associated Type 2 diabetes with being overweight. In fact, excess weight is one of the prime risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. This risk factor may not play as key a role in diabetes in some races.

A new study published in Diabetes Care, a journal of the Americal Diabetes Association, found Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans have a higher rate of Type 2 diabetes at a lower weight.

Medical providers usually reserve diabetes screening for those overweight patients. The results of this study, however, suggests providers should look at more than a patient’s weight and BMI. Minority patients should receive diabetes testing earlier, even when they are not overweight.

Providers calculate whether or not a patient is overweight based on their BMI. A BMI of 25 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 is considered obese.

As a patient, you know your body best. Know and recognize the symptoms of diabetes.

Urinating often
Feeling very thirsty
Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating
Extreme fatigue
Blurry vision
Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
Weight loss—even though you are eating more (type 1)
Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

Regardless of your weight, if you have these symptoms, it’s time to see your medical provider. If you are of a minority race talk to your medical provider about diabetes testing regardless of your weight and age.

The best way to treat diabetes is to find it early.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: diabetes, weight

Your BMI’s Role in a Healthy Future

September 10, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

If you need to lose weight to manage your diabetes or simply get healthier and reduce your risks of conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high bad cholesterol, start by calculating your body mass index (BMI).

What is the BMI scale and How Do I Use It?

The body mass index uses weight x’s height to calculate your BMI number. The number, measured on a scale, indicates if a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.

BMI Scale

Underweight = <18.5
Normal Weight = 18.5 – 24.9
Overweight = 25 – 29.9
Obese = 30 or greater

You can calculate your BMI at home. Luckily, you don’t have to be great at math to do it, thanks to handy online calculators. Try this one from the National Blood Heart and Lung Institute. You’ll find other links here including the BMI table, which shows you where your weight lies on the scale and the ideal weight number for your height. You’ll also find information on how to get started controlling your weight and recipes to help you eat healthier.

The keys to weight loss are support and an organized plan to not only lose weight but keep it off for good. Our Witcher’s Weightloss Warriors meet every Monday to support one another and learn healthy habits. The best news? The program is free! Contact Mantachie Rural Healthcare today to schedule an appointment to discuss your results and learn how to sign up for our Witcher’s Weightloss Warriors!

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: diabetes, nutrition, Wellness

Disaster Preparedness for Diabetes and Chronic Illness

July 23, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

In Mississippi, we typically identify natural disasters in the spring and fall when flash floods, high winds, and tornados. In July, we more commonly face high temperatures and high electric bills from running our air conditioner 24/7. We designate July as the perfect month to put together your disaster preparedness for diabetes and chronic illness plan. You’re not under the gun to gather supplies before bad weather hits tomorrow and can reserve some time to consider your options.

What exactly do you need in your disaster preparedness kit?

The list in this image covers our diabetic patients, but what about those with other chronic conditions?

Food, water, and medical supplies to last for 72 hours. Store a small box of non-perishable items in a pantry or closet for easy access. These include bottled water and canned goods Medical supplies could include over-the-counter medications in addition to prescription. Some ideas include pain relievers, antibiotic ointment, bandaids, hand sanitizer, gloves, and other first-aid kit needs.

Prepare 7-10 days of prescription medication. Should a natural disaster force you from your home, this kit allows you to access all your medications until you can reach a pharmacy for refills or return home. Store all prescription medications in a waterproof container.

Copies of important documents and medical records. Asthma patients need their asthma action plans. Cancer patients will need information about their doctors and treatment plans. All patients with a chronic illness will need lists of current medications, contact information for providers, copies of insurance cards and IDs.

Updating your disaster preparedness kit

Once you’ve assembled your kit and stored it in a place where you can easily access it, you need to check the contents once a year. Even non-perishable foods have an expiration date as do over-the-counter medications and prescription medications. If your insurance cards, provider contact information or IDs have been updated, add those new documents to your disaster kit.

We never want to think about disaster striking our home or community, but we’ve witnessed the devastation left in the wake of tornadoes, flash floods, and hurricanes many times over the last twenty years. If disaster strikes your body will endure under enough stress coping with the sudden changes and decisions. Being prepared allows you a better chance at staying healthy while managing the chaos disaster brings with it.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: diabetes

Diabetes and Gastroparesis

June 25, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

We’ve written and talked a lot about nerve damage due to diabetes. Most of the time we discuss nerve damage to the feet, but nerves all over the body are subject to damage from diabetes. The vagus nerve, which controls the functions of the stomach, is another nerve that can be damaged if blood glucose levels stay too high for too long.

The vagus nerve controls stomach muscles, prompting them to move and digest your food after you eat. When the nerve is damaged, food doesn’t digest as quickly as it should or sometimes at all. This further complicates diabetes because the stomach may digest food at unpredictable rates, which means blood sugar becomes harder to control. This damage causes gastroparesis and it affects both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics.

Symptoms

When food lingers in the stomach longer than it should, patients often experience

Heartburn
Nausea
Vomiting of undigested food
Early feeling of fullness when eating
Weight loss
Abdominal bloating
Erratic blood glucose (sugar) levels
Lack of appetite
Gastroesophageal reflux
Spasms of the stomach wall

These symptoms may be present every time a patient eats, only when they eat certain foods or at random times. When nausea and vomiting persist for too long, patients may need IV fluids or hospitalization.

Treatment

The bad news is gastroparesis has no cure. The goal of treatment is to manage the disease. Each case of gastroparesis is unique and patients who think they may have gastroparesis should talk to their providers.

Medical providers may prescribe medications which can aid in digestion. They may also suggest diet changes. Eating smaller meals and consuming foods low in fiber and fat can also speed digestion. Some patients benefit from sitting up or walking after meals instead of lying down.

In severe cases, a feeding tube may become necessary.

Prevention

Now that we’ve given you the worst-case scenario, let’s talk about how to prevent Type 2 diabetes and gastroparesis if you already have diabetes.

Since gastroparesis is caused by damage to the vagus nerve from high blood glucose levels, one way to prevent gastroparesis is to keep blood glucose levels under control. If you’re struggling to manage your diabetes talk to your medical provider or a nutritionist to create a routine that helps you manage your blood sugar levels.

If you do not have diabetes find out how to create a lifestyle that reduces your risk of diabetes. Not only will you possibly save your stomach but all the nerves in your body. Eat a balanced diet low in sugar and processed foods. Stay active. Don’t smoke. Lose weight if you need to. All these activities give your body one more layer of protection against many chronic illnesses.

Diabetes isn’t the only risk factor for gastroparesis. People who have had abdominal surgery, who take certain medications such as narcotic pain medications, have an underlying nervous system disease or hypothyroidism maybe also experience a slow emptying of the stomach.

If you have any of these symptoms see your provider and discuss what might be the cause and how to treat your stomach problems so you feel better faster.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: diabetes, nutrition, Wellness

True Cost of Diabetes Reaches Beyond the Patient

April 9, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Families of diabetes patients understand too well the true costs associated with the management of this disease. From increased doctor’s visits to the purchase of insulin to specialized shoes, the costs of diabetes reach far into their pockets. Many people without diabetes do not realize how large those costs truly are and how they affect people beyond the patient.

Increasing Costs

A year ago the American Diabetes Association released a report detailing the full cost of diabetes. The results of their research showed the total cost of diabetes to Americans increased by 26% between 2012 and 2017. The report also says “1 in 4 health care dollars in the U.S., and more than half of that expenditure is directly attributable to diabetes.”

Individually, an average of $9,601of a diabetes patient’s medical costs are attributed to diabetes care. That’s an average of $800 a month spent on diabetes care. When you consider the median home mortgage is $1030, that’s a big chunk of a person’s monthly budget.

Government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid or the military cover the majority of these costs. Private insurance picks up another 30%. A small minority of patients have no insurance and spend less on physicians visits and medication, but more on emergency room visits due to complications from the disease.

Indirect Costs

What do these numbers mean if you’re one of the fortunate ones not buying diabetes supplies and paying hospitalization bills? The costs we’ve discussed so far cover the direct costs of managing diabetes. The indirect costs impact anyone who works with or employs someone with diabetes by loss of productivity, increased absenteeism, inability to work and loss of productivity due to early mortality.

Combatting Diabetes

The true cost of diabetes isn’t meant to shame those dealing with the disease on a daily basis. They already understand too well the costs associated with their disease. We know people who aren’t paying those bills have no idea what the true cost of the disease is. Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers managing their diabetes to keep up the good work. They’ll experience good days, bad days and setbacks along the way. Your encouragement keep them going.

The best way to reduce the direct and indirect costs of diabetes is to reduce the number of people dealing with Type 2 diabetes and to help those who are diagnosed to manage their disease.

We can all do more to reduce our risk of Type 2 diabetes by:

Losing excess weight (which we all know is easier said than done)
Replacing sugary drinks with good ole water (more H2O and fewer sodas will make the first suggestion a little easier)
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables
Moving more (start by walking farther across the parking lot to the store)
Decreasing stress (moving more can help with this)
Sleeping more soundly
Giving up smoking
Keeping wellness check-ups

Want to learn more about managing diabetes or supporting those around you with the disease? We host a Diabetes Education Class on the third Tuesday of the month in the community room of our dental clinic. Call us to confirm the day and time of our next class.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: diabetes, Wellness

Gut Bacteria and Your Health

March 19, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

gut bacteria

Most of the time when our medical provider talks about bacteria and our body it’s not a good thing. When it comes to the naturally occurring bacteria in your stomach, it looks like more can be better.

Somewhere between 300 and 500 different kinds of bacteria live in our intestines, and that’s a good thing. These bacteria work with other tiny organisms to make up the microbiota in our intestines. Researchers call the gut our “second brain”. The microbiota in our gut affects everything from our metabolism to our mood to our immune system.

Gut Bacteria Linked to Chronic Illness

Research into this gut bacteria shows differences between the types of bacteria in healthy people versus those with certain illnesses. While it makes sense what’s happening in our gut would affect chronic diseases such as colon cancer or Crohn’s disease, gut bacteria may also increase your chances for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, autism, and rheumatoid arthritis.

How to Encourage Good Bacteria Growth

What goes into our bodies affects how our bodies work. Encourage good gut bacteria by eating a nutritious diet high in fiber-rich foods. Processed foods and diets filled with red meats can kill certain gut bacteria. Having a variety of gut bacteria appears in research to be as important as having a lot of good gut bacteria.

Exercise can also increase the variety of gut bacteria so aim for 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. We’ve discussed the importance of exercise in controlling blood pressure, reducing heart disease and managing type 2 diabetes. All those illnesses may have some link to gut bacteria which can be affected by exercise.

Finally, only take antibiotics when your provider determines it’s necessary. Antibiotics will not help your cold or flu. Those viruses must run their course. Antibiotics not only kill the bad bacteria but the good gut bacteria your body needs.

Research is on-going to determine how certain gut bacteria affect disease and what we can do to increase it in our intestines. If you’d like to learn more about gut bacteria and the research surrounding it, we found this article by WebMD to be especially helpful.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: autoimmune, diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Mental Health, Stomach Problems

Diabetes and Heart Disease: A Deadly Duo

February 12, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Type 2 diabetes rarely arrives by itself. Instead, it travels with a host of additional medical conditions ranging from dry, itchy skin to an increased chance of heart disease. In fact, patients with Type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than people without Type 2 diabetes. In addition to monitoring A1C levels, your provider should monitor your risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Heart disease increases in people with Type 2 diabetes because high glucose levels can damage arteries causing them to become stiff and hard. When fatty materials build up on the inside of these arteries it can block the flow of blood to the heart or brain causing a heart attack or stroke.

Not the news you wanted to hear, we know. We’re not excited about it either. However, people with Type 2 diabetes can take a few steps to decrease both their blood glucose levels and their risk of heart disease all at the same time.

Get Moving

Whether you’re trying to improve your blood glucose levels, blood pressure, weight or energy levels, one recommendation remains a constant. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week. Break that down into ten-minute increments three times a day if needed, but get moving. Your future self will thank you.

Lose Weight if You’re Carrying Extra Pounds

Not only does obesity decrease your body’s ability to manage insulin and increase your chances of diabetes, it puts extra pressure on your heart and lungs to do their jobs properly. And truth be told, it probably makes you feel bad which can prevent you from getting the exercise you need. It’s a vicious cycle that’s not easy to break. Work with a nutritionist, your medical provider, and an exercise coach if necessary to create a routine that helps you lose the weight and keep it off.

Stop Smoking

You know you need to. Cigarettes not only increase your chances for lung cancer but they decrease blood flow to your legs and feet which prevents healing. Smoking also increases your already high chances of heart disease. If you’ve tried quitting smoking unsuccessfully in the past, it might be time to ask your medical provider for help.

Talk to Your Provider about Aspirin Therapy

Aspirin therapy isn’t for everyone but for some patients a low-dose of aspirin every day reduces the risk of heart disease. The therapy comes with its own risks so talk to your provider about whether or not it might be option for you.

Improve Your Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Your diet, exercise, and weight affect more than just your blood glucose, but sometimes you need some extra help to bring your cholesterol and blood pressure under control. Ask your provider about monitoring these levels and whether medication would help you better control your cholesterol and blood pressure.

Eat Well

We all love eating good foods. Good foods can be healthy. With help from a nutritionist or website like diabetes.org, you can find great tasting recipes that meet the nutritional guidelines your body needs.

Diabetes may affect all aspects of your life, but it doesn’t have to cut your life short. Find renewed energy and health by focusing on just one of these strategies this month. If you do not have a provider to help you manage your diabetes and heart health, contact us. We’re happy to see you!

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: diabetes, heart disease, High Blood Pressure

Confused About Meal Planning?

January 15, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

If the term “meal planning” conjures images of hours spent chopping, prepping and packing meals for your week, you aren’t alone. Just the idea of planning out what you’ll eat for a whole week (let alone an entire month) can feel overwhelming. What if you don’t really want grilled chicken (again) on Tuesday? Or what if you forget to thaw the ground beef for tacos?

For anyone interested in eating healthier and especially for people with diabetes, high blood pressure or other chronic conditions, it’s important to have some idea of what you’ll eat for each meal of your day so you don’t end up eating another bowl of sugary cereal because you didn’t have something to eat in the house. It doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t change your mind.

Meal planning is as much about what’s on your plate as it is making sure you have the right ingredients and plenty of time to cook it. Try implementing just one of these tips to make your meal planning easier.

Look at Your Calendar First

Some nights lend themselves to cooking more than other nights. If you know you’ll be home later one night, plan for a quick meal or leftovers. Plan to eat out one night? Check out the restaurant’s menu online and choose your meal based on your dietary needs. Take into consideration who will eat with you each night and their preferences as well.

Choose Your Meals

Most of us have a few go-to meals. If yours don’t meet the guidelines for your specific diet, look at ways to rework the recipe or search for similar recipes online. For instance, bake or grill those chicken strips instead of frying them. Use ground turkey meat in your chili for a lower-fat recipe. Substitute a baked sweet potato with a small amount of butter or margarine for a white potato.

Don’t forget your side items. In addition to a plate that includes ¼ protein and ¼ carbohydrates, you’ll need to fill ½ of your plate with vegetables.

If you can bring foods from home for lunch, try cooking more of your recipe to ensure leftovers and make creating a healthy lunch plate easier than ever. For breakfast, prepare your meal ahead of time or consider a healthy breakfast protein shake to consume the nutrients you need in a timeframe that doesn’t require waking up an hour early.

Create a Shopping List

The key to successful meal planning is making it easy to follow. If you already have all the ingredients you need for a healthy meal, you’re more likely to cook what you planned. That means grocery shopping with a list of what you’ll need for each recipe you chose above. Lucky for you, many stores like Kroger and some Walmart stores offer online orders for groceries. You can put all your items into your online cart, check out and pick up your groceries ready to go.

Finally, Be Flexible

Keep a few quick meal ideas in your freezer or pantry for those nights when nothing seems to go right. A can of tuna or shredded chicken combined with raw baby carrots or celery sticks and a few crackers can fill the gap for the big meal that didn’t happen because your oven element burned out.

If you need help with exactly what types of foods to put on your plate, check out these diabetes-friendly recipes and make an appointment with one of our providers to discuss your diet and whether or not a nutritionist could help.