Avoiding gluten might seem to be just a dietary rage, but a gluten-free diet is not a fad if you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. And if you have diabetes in addition to celiac disease, figuring out what to eat can seem like a monumental task. Learn some helpful tips and tricks to make managing celiac (or gluten intolerance, which is treated like celiac) and diabetes a little easier. What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is a disorder that damages the small intestine. Eating foods that contain gluten, a type of protein, will trigger a digestive reaction. If you have celiac disease, you need to avoid foods that naturally contain gluten, such as wheat, barley and rye, including bread, pasta, cookies and cakes. In addition, gluten is found in many pre-packaged foods. You might be surprised to know that gluten is an ingredient in many non-food items, such as lip balms and lipsticks, hair and skin products, toothpastes, dietary supplements, and even some medicines. Why do you need to avoid gluten if you have celiac disease? If you have celiac disease and eat a food that contains gluten, the body launches an immune response that can damage villi [...]]]>
Some of you may remember the “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” campaign that debuted in 1992. Twenty-six years later, beef is still a mainstay of the American diet, and that doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2017 Americans ate, on average, about 55 pounds of beef. That’s up from about 54 pounds in 2016. Clearly, we love our beef. Beef’s Benefits The smell of a steak or burger sizzling away on the grill can make just about anyone’s mouth water. And, yes, beef (and red meat in general) has gotten somewhat of a bad rap over the years. But you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that beef has a lot going for it when it comes to nutrition. First, the beef that most of us eat today is leaner than in years past, thanks to breeding practices, feeding cattle more grass than grain, and trimming more fat from beef. Second, beef contains a number of important nutrients, including: Protein Iron Zinc Selenium B vitamins If your goal is to lose weight, don’t count out beef: a 3-ounce serving (about the size of a deck of cards) of sirloin [...]]]>
Another summer has ended and fall is here! Cool nights, falling leaves, football games and Jack-o'-lanterns announce the arrival of autumn. Fall also brings seasonal foods that can be a healthy and tasty addition to your diabetes eating plan. Here are three fall foods that can help you manage your blood sugars, lower your risk of heart disease, and reach your weight goal, as well.]]>
If you’re on a mission to eat “clean,” or simply trying to eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods, you deserve a round of applause! A diet packed with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins can work wonders for your health, and fight off a host of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. But there’s a (somewhat) darker side to eating all of those nutritious foods. Don’t stop eating them, but make sure you choose and prepare your foods in a safe way. Check out the foods below and learn how you can safely fit them into your eating plan.]]>
Summer is here, along with all those sweet and juicy summer fruits at your local grocery store or farmers’ market. But what about the sugar in fruit? Won’t that cause your blood sugars to go too high? It doesn’t have to, if you choose lower glycemic index fruits.]]>
There’s something soul-soothing about flipping through a cookbook — looking at the photographs, flagging recipes you want to try, and envisioning how delicious they’ll be when your family sits down to enjoy them. Although many of us love finding recipes online, it can’t replace the simple pleasure of using a real book.]]>
Do you know how much sugar you eat and drink every day? You may be getting a lot more than you think. Sugar is often added to sauces, dressings and soups, in addition to baked goods, candies, sodas, ice cream and alcoholic drinks. According to the World Health Organization’s new nutrition guidelines, you should have no more than 12 teaspoons of added sugar each day to avoid obesity and tooth decay. On average, the researchers at the WHO say that you should not get more than 10% of your daily calories from added sugar. For most Americans and Europeans, this means slashing sugar intake by about two thirds. In a 2,000 calorie meal plan, you should aim for less than 200 calories from added sugar. However, the experts say that sugars from whole, unprocessed foods don’t count. These foods include: Milk Fruits (whole, not juice) Vegetables Starches like potatoes Whole grains When making changes to your meal plan, however, the researchers warn that going too low may not be best for your health. In an earlier version of the new guidelines, the WHO thought about making the target 5% instead of 10%. But, they said, there is no good evidence [...]]]>
In the hopes of losing weight and getting your health under control, it is very likely that you have counted calories, carbohydrates, or even grams of fat. With all of that counting, your weight loss journey may have become too much of a chore, and therefore may have ended before you reached your goal. A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that a new and easier way to eat healthy for weight loss may be counting fiber, and only fiber.]]>
Protein is an important nutrient in any heart healthy, balanced meal plan. Not only does it help you maintain lean muscle mass and keep you full between meals, it also supports many other important processes in your body. People with diabetes know that they must keep track of how many carbohydrates they eat each day, but protein may become lost in the carb counting. A recent study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition has found that those with diabetes may not be getting enough protein each day.]]>
When you start a heart healthy eating plan, you might think that you need to cut out fat. However, recent studies have shown that including heart healthy unsaturated fats, such as those found in nuts, seeds, fatty fish, olive oil, and avocado, can actually help improve health measures like your cholesterol levels. A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that an avocado a day can lower cholesterol levels, even when eaten as part of the average American meal plan.]]>
Chances are, you don’t think a whole lot about eating seeds, unless they’re those sesame seeds on top of your morning bagel. Seeds and nuts are often lumped into the same category, in terms of nutrients. But up until now, it’s been the nuts that have gotten all the glory. Seeds may be small, but they can pack a nutrition punch. Most seeds, like nuts, contain healthy fats, protein, fiber and minerals. In addition, eating seeds has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease, lowered inflammation and even weight loss. Tell nuts to move over and make room for these three seeds. Read on to find out why you should make them a regular part of your eating plan.]]>
Oatmeal may not seem like an exciting food. But if you learn how oatmeal can improve your health–and even make managing your diabetes a little easier–you may just change your mind.]]>
Could fiber possibly be the Fountain of Youth? According to a new study that included data from almost one million people, those who ate the most fiber were 16 percent less likely to die than people who ate the least amount of fiber. The researchers also discovered that for every 10-gram increase in fiber intake, there was a 10 percent drop in any cause of death.]]>