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Healthy for All During American Diabetes Month
By Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension, Lucas County
The Truth Contributor
American Diabetes Month in November is a good time to assess
healthy habits for yourself as well as your family. Even if
you do not have a diabetes diagnosis, it is possible that
you have a loved one who does. There are some factors that
cannot be controlled and there are many factors that you can
address to minimize your risk for diabetes.
Prediabetes has no clear symptoms but before people develop
type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes. The
American Diabetes Association (ADA) shares that prediabetes
is when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not
yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Please check
with your doctor and get tested if you think you might have
diabetes or prediabetes. Your chances of having prediabetes
go up if you:
·
Are 45 or older
·
Are Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian
American or Pacific Islander
·
Have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
·
Are overweight
·
Are physically inactive
·
Have high blood pressure or take medicine for high blood
pressure
·
Have low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglycerides
·
Had diabetes during pregnancy
·
Have been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome
The good news is that having prediabetes does not guarantee
that you will develop type 2 diabetes, especially if you
work with your health care providers and makes some healthy
lifestyle choices related to food choices and increasing
physical activity.
Although one of the risk factors of prediabetes is increased
age, the other reality is that people can be diagnosed with
diabetes at any age. In 2020, the National Diabetes Month is
focusing on taking care of youth who live with diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in
school-age youth in the United States. While the following
tips are specific to youth with a diabetes diagnosis, check
out the recommendations for healthy living at any age. The
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases makes the following recommendations:
·
Manage blood glucose levels. Make
sure your child or teen takes their medicines as prescribed,
at the right time, and the right dose—even when they feel
good or have reached their blood glucose, blood pressure,
and cholesterol goals.
·
Encourage healthy habits. Follow
a healthy eating plan (especially if your youth is taking
insulin), get enough sleep, and aim for regular physical
activity. Youth with type 1 diabetes should also check their
blood glucose levels before, during, or after physical
activity.
·
Stay prepared for emergencies. A
basic “go-kit” could include
·
medical supplies and equipment (at least a week’s worth)
·
emergency and health care professional contact lists
·
a medication list, including doses and dosing schedules, and
an allergy list
·
Face coverings, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes may
also be added to your “go-kit” during a pandemic.
·
Monitor for diabetes complications. Early
diagnosis and treatment can help reduce risk for heart
disease, vision loss, nerve damage, and other related health
problems.
·
Seek mental health support. Encourage
them to connect with other youth who have diabetes. Youth
may not be used to talking about feeling anxious or alone
about their diabetes. Speak with your health care team for
help.
The following recipe is from the Mayo Clinic under their
list of Healthy Recipes, Diabetes meal plan recipes. They
note that it is not always easy to follow a diabetes meal
plan day after day, but a variety of tasty recipes and menu
ideas might help. This recipe is called Easy Pizza for
Two.
Ingredients
1/2 cup chunky no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 ready-made whole-wheat flatbread (about 10-inch diameter)
2 slices of onion, 1/4-inch wide
4 slices red bell pepper, 1/4-inch wide
1/4 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Directions
Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a baking pan with
cooking spray. Spread tomato sauce over the flatbread. Top
with the onion, pepper, mozzarella, and basil. Place the
pizza on a baking pan and bake until the cheese is melted
and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
Dietitian's tip:
Use any variety of herbs on this pizza: cilantro (Mexican),
oregano (Italian) or rosemary (French). Also try different
vegetables, such as green onions, thinly sliced tomatoes,
eggplant, hearts of palm, mushrooms, or asparagus tips. For
variety, try roasting the vegetables first.
Nutritional analysis per serving, Serving size: 1/2 pizza,
Calories163, Total fat5 g, Saturated fat1 g, Saturated fat3
g, Trans fat0 g, Monounsaturated fat1g, Cholesterol1 mg,
Sodium296 mg, Total carbohydrate26 g, Dietary fiber6 g,
Total sugars8 g, Added sugars0 g, Protein8 g
Information from the
National Institutes of Health, American Diabetes
Association, and the Mayo Clinic.
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