Momof4gr8kids
11-22-2006, 01:19 AM
The artical below has angered me on so many different levels. No wonder we can't get past the stupid comments.
http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/NEWS/611190302/1004/LIFE01
The holidays are a maze of family dinners, parties and other occasions that center around food.
Most of us indulge, then resolve to lose the extra pounds in January.
But for diabetics, it’s not that simple. Eating too much of certain foods isn’t a matter of gaining a few extra pounds; it’s a matter of health.
“Basically, the diabetic diet now is healthy eating and portion control,” said Meredith Pate, a registered dietitian at Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield. “Diabetics are now taught they can have sweets in moderation. It’s still going to turn to sugar just like potatoes would; it can cause a higher blood sugar. All they hear is ‘You said I could eat sweets.’ ”
Since 1999, the American Diabetes Association has recommended that those with diabetes count carbohydrate intake instead of mere sugars. When it comes to a Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas party, that means making careful choices and having at least a general idea of nutrition data for certain foods.
“The biggest thing is to find out what their calorie level should be from their doctor or a dietitian,” said Kristen Leaming, assistant director of patient services at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence.
“So, they should get the blood work done, have somebody analyze how many carbohydrates they can eat in a day. That’s the main thing they need to go by is watching the amount of carb exchanges they have.”
Fifteen grams of carbohydrates is considered one carbohydrate exchange.
“For example, with an 1,800-calorie diabetic diet, which is probably the most common, they can have five carbs in the morning, four at lunch and four at dinner,” Leaming said.
“The carb can really be any kind of fruit or carb they want. Fruit is a carbohydrate. A small piece of fresh fruit or a ˝ cup of canned fruit is one carb exchange. It’s not so much the sugar they need to be watching anymore, because the fruit converts to sugar just as much in your body.”
So, for those with diabetes, it might be a choice between the mashed potatoes, roll and stuffing or the pecan pie. Though sweets in and of themselves aren’t forbidden, those high in sugar content – like the favorite pecan pie – come with a price.
“A serving of cake is a two-inch by two-inch square,” Pate said. “When it comes to a piece of cake, we always tell them to go for the center piece, not the end piece with the icing. A very small piece. … That pecan pie – one-tenth slice has enough carbohydrates for the entire day.”
Pate does recommend steering clear of sweetened drinks, whether it be tea, juice or sodas.
“They’re not going to do anything but skyrocket their sugar,” Pate said.
Monitoring sugar levels
Pate stressed that it’s especially important during holidays for those with diabetes to keep their blood sugar monitored.
“If they eat lunch at noon, their blood sugar should be back below 180 by 2 p.m.,” Pate said. “You have to be a little bit more strict with people who are not on insulin.
People who are on insulin are usually on a sliding scale and can adjust that. With an oral tablet, you’ve got to be so in control of your diet.”
Meal timing is important, too.
“One of the main things with controlling diabetes is eating about the same time every day and trying to avoid sporadic eating,” Pate said. “If they can try to plan to eat at those same times it will help.”
One of the ADA’s recommendations is to eat several small meals throughout the day to help keep sugars monitored. Leaming said that fits well with the holidays, when people often travel from home to home for meals or appetizers. The key, she said, is moderation.
“They have to eat consistently throughout the day to keep their blood sugars level,” she said. “So, if they nibble a little at each house that they go to and keep track of how many proteins and carbohydrates they eat … Their best bet is to eat a protein and a carbohydrate at each place to keep their blood sugars level. Just eating those two together helps keep their sugar level.”
As for holiday parties built around appetizers, it might be a good idea to eat a small meal before you go, then choose lower-carbohydrate offerings and water or a diet drink.
“If you’re hosting something, obviously you care about the people you’re inviting to share the holidays with you,” Leaming said. “It’s a good idea to make sure there are healthy options for everyone and use lower-fat ingredients in
cooking.”
That includes, Pate noted, making sure there are sugar-free drinks other than water available.
Portion control
The big thing for diabetics or anyone watching their food intake is portion control.
“Everything fits into your diet plan,” Leaming said. “You just need to watch portions. It’s not a buffet that you can just keep going up and getting more.”
She suggests filling half of your plate (most dietitians suggest eating from a salad plate, not a large dinner plate) with vegetables, one-fourth with meat and the remaining one-fourth with any side dish – or several small portions of different side dishes.
“(Turkey) is the leanest meat out of all proteins, especially if it’s skinless and white,” Leaming said.
To get an accurate idea of exchanges, use these portion sizes:
# Protein (meat) – Three ounces, or the size of a deck of cards.
# Fats (margarine, butter, etc.) – One teaspoon, the size of a die.
# Carbohydrates (starchy vegetables, sweets) – One-half cup, the size of half of a baseball.
On the Net
www.diabetes.org
“Portion control is the huge thing,” Pate agreed. “If they overeat, it just dumps a ton of sugar into their blood.”
The good news is that many traditional holiday foods can be very healthy.
“If you think about it, there a lot of healthy foods,” she said. “It’s just what we do with them when we prepare them.”
Vicki Pounders can be reached at vicki.pounders@timesaily.com or 740-5743.
http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/NEWS/611190302/1004/LIFE01
The holidays are a maze of family dinners, parties and other occasions that center around food.
Most of us indulge, then resolve to lose the extra pounds in January.
But for diabetics, it’s not that simple. Eating too much of certain foods isn’t a matter of gaining a few extra pounds; it’s a matter of health.
“Basically, the diabetic diet now is healthy eating and portion control,” said Meredith Pate, a registered dietitian at Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield. “Diabetics are now taught they can have sweets in moderation. It’s still going to turn to sugar just like potatoes would; it can cause a higher blood sugar. All they hear is ‘You said I could eat sweets.’ ”
Since 1999, the American Diabetes Association has recommended that those with diabetes count carbohydrate intake instead of mere sugars. When it comes to a Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas party, that means making careful choices and having at least a general idea of nutrition data for certain foods.
“The biggest thing is to find out what their calorie level should be from their doctor or a dietitian,” said Kristen Leaming, assistant director of patient services at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence.
“So, they should get the blood work done, have somebody analyze how many carbohydrates they can eat in a day. That’s the main thing they need to go by is watching the amount of carb exchanges they have.”
Fifteen grams of carbohydrates is considered one carbohydrate exchange.
“For example, with an 1,800-calorie diabetic diet, which is probably the most common, they can have five carbs in the morning, four at lunch and four at dinner,” Leaming said.
“The carb can really be any kind of fruit or carb they want. Fruit is a carbohydrate. A small piece of fresh fruit or a ˝ cup of canned fruit is one carb exchange. It’s not so much the sugar they need to be watching anymore, because the fruit converts to sugar just as much in your body.”
So, for those with diabetes, it might be a choice between the mashed potatoes, roll and stuffing or the pecan pie. Though sweets in and of themselves aren’t forbidden, those high in sugar content – like the favorite pecan pie – come with a price.
“A serving of cake is a two-inch by two-inch square,” Pate said. “When it comes to a piece of cake, we always tell them to go for the center piece, not the end piece with the icing. A very small piece. … That pecan pie – one-tenth slice has enough carbohydrates for the entire day.”
Pate does recommend steering clear of sweetened drinks, whether it be tea, juice or sodas.
“They’re not going to do anything but skyrocket their sugar,” Pate said.
Monitoring sugar levels
Pate stressed that it’s especially important during holidays for those with diabetes to keep their blood sugar monitored.
“If they eat lunch at noon, their blood sugar should be back below 180 by 2 p.m.,” Pate said. “You have to be a little bit more strict with people who are not on insulin.
People who are on insulin are usually on a sliding scale and can adjust that. With an oral tablet, you’ve got to be so in control of your diet.”
Meal timing is important, too.
“One of the main things with controlling diabetes is eating about the same time every day and trying to avoid sporadic eating,” Pate said. “If they can try to plan to eat at those same times it will help.”
One of the ADA’s recommendations is to eat several small meals throughout the day to help keep sugars monitored. Leaming said that fits well with the holidays, when people often travel from home to home for meals or appetizers. The key, she said, is moderation.
“They have to eat consistently throughout the day to keep their blood sugars level,” she said. “So, if they nibble a little at each house that they go to and keep track of how many proteins and carbohydrates they eat … Their best bet is to eat a protein and a carbohydrate at each place to keep their blood sugars level. Just eating those two together helps keep their sugar level.”
As for holiday parties built around appetizers, it might be a good idea to eat a small meal before you go, then choose lower-carbohydrate offerings and water or a diet drink.
“If you’re hosting something, obviously you care about the people you’re inviting to share the holidays with you,” Leaming said. “It’s a good idea to make sure there are healthy options for everyone and use lower-fat ingredients in
cooking.”
That includes, Pate noted, making sure there are sugar-free drinks other than water available.
Portion control
The big thing for diabetics or anyone watching their food intake is portion control.
“Everything fits into your diet plan,” Leaming said. “You just need to watch portions. It’s not a buffet that you can just keep going up and getting more.”
She suggests filling half of your plate (most dietitians suggest eating from a salad plate, not a large dinner plate) with vegetables, one-fourth with meat and the remaining one-fourth with any side dish – or several small portions of different side dishes.
“(Turkey) is the leanest meat out of all proteins, especially if it’s skinless and white,” Leaming said.
To get an accurate idea of exchanges, use these portion sizes:
# Protein (meat) – Three ounces, or the size of a deck of cards.
# Fats (margarine, butter, etc.) – One teaspoon, the size of a die.
# Carbohydrates (starchy vegetables, sweets) – One-half cup, the size of half of a baseball.
On the Net
www.diabetes.org
“Portion control is the huge thing,” Pate agreed. “If they overeat, it just dumps a ton of sugar into their blood.”
The good news is that many traditional holiday foods can be very healthy.
“If you think about it, there a lot of healthy foods,” she said. “It’s just what we do with them when we prepare them.”
Vicki Pounders can be reached at vicki.pounders@timesaily.com or 740-5743.