Posted: 11/20/2017
Enjoy mouth-watering meals, maintain health goals
November marks two big events for people with diabetes – first, it’s National Diabetes Awareness Month, focusing attention on this serious disease that afflicts 86 million Americans. Second, it’s the beginning of the holiday season, a challenging time for anyone watching their diet.
“Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather together to celebrate over food — lots and lots of food. Unfortunately, many family traditions include over-eating, carb-loaded dishes and high-sugar desserts. All those food temptations make dietary adherence difficult for those with diabetes,” said Sharon Cox, a registered dietitian with Parkland Health & Hospital System.
Cox teaches weekly classes in nutrition and diabetes education, devoting special attention this time of year to helping patients prepare for holiday eating. “Making a Thanksgiving game plan is essential,” she said. “You need to decide ahead of time what and how much you are going to eat.”
Hazel Sheldon, 67, of Duncanville, has taken that advice to heart. Sheldon enrolled five months ago in a weight management class taught by Cox at Parkland’s Bluitt-Flowers Health Center. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure 30 years ago, Sheldon said that until recently she wasn’t able to control her diabetes, despite the fact that she walks several miles daily.
“I used to eat anything I wanted. I loved bread, desserts, all the foods that weren’t good for me,” she said. “But my doctor finally told me I had to get serious about my diet.”
Now, Sheldon has a new attitude, a better understanding of nutrition — and a smaller waistline. Since joining Cox’s class, she has lost 30 pounds, lowered her A1C, her blood pressure is normal and she totally changed her eating habits.
On Thanksgiving Day, which she’ll spend with her brother in Austin, Sheldon plans to enjoy a traditional feast of family favorites, but there won’t be any fried foods, she said. “I know what they’re cooking and I’m planning what I can eat and what I can’t. We’ll have grilled chicken. I won’t eat any potatoes, but I’ll have plenty of vegetables. And I’ll choose between either a small dessert or a piece of bread. If I have any of the egg custard pie, it will be a child-size portion.”
Portion control is crucial to controlling her diabetes, Sheldon has learned. “You really have to pay attention to how much food you’re putting on your plate,” she said.
Cox offers her class the following tips for making mindful food choices at Thanksgiving:
• Start the day off with breakfast; avoid skipping a meal to save up for the holiday dinner.
• Drink more water to stay hydrated. Avoid sugary drinks.
• Snack on raw vegetables with hummus or low-fat dip before the meal.
• Look at all the food on the table before you start filling your plate.
• Fill half your plate with green leafy vegetables, Brussels sprouts, broccoli or green beans. Start with the vegetables to help curb your appetite.
• Avoid vegetables in creams, gravies and butter to avoid fat calories.
• Choose the white meat over dark meat to consumer less fat.
• Cut back on high-fat, high-carbohydrate appetizers before the holiday meal.
• Make fat-free gravy to drizzle over food; skim the fat off the top after the broth has cooled to reduce fat, but keep the flavor.
• If you are planning to have dessert, skip the dinner rolls, cornbread and other starchy foods to control carbohydrate intake.
• Make cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries to avoid the added sugar in canned sauce.
• Limit alcohol to avoid drops in blood sugar levels and weight gain. Eat before drinking alcohol.
• Eat slowly, talk to family and friends between bites of food, put the fork down, and take time to enjoy the meal and company.
Parkland dietitian Maggy Boyd, RD, suggested that cooking your own diabetes-friendly foods allows you to keep your blood sugars under control while still fully enjoying the holiday. “When you prepare your own dishes, you have control over what goes into or stays out. This makes it easier for you to enjoy foods without guilt and to know just how much sugar is really in it.”
Before the big family meal in Austin, Sheldon will take her usual 5-mile walk, as she does every morning. And when the holiday ends, she is already planning what she’ll bring home with her, in addition to happy memories.
“No leftovers, except some of the grilled chicken,” she vowed.
The Healthy Living with Diabetes Education Program at Parkland is recognized by the American Diabetes Association. To learn more about Parkland’s Global Diabetes Program, visit www.parklandhospital.com or call 214-590-7219. For more diabetes-friendly recipes and information about preventing and managing diabetes, visit Parkland’s new informational website, www.ParklandDiabetes.com