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Diabetes Must be Watched 'Every Day,' Says Nutritionist
by Lucas Shivers
Ah, the holidays - complete with the aroma of turkey, stuffing, gravy, rolls and pies - it's
enough to make one throw caution to the wind and overindulge. But for people with diabetes,
particularly, that's a risky proposition.
A common and serious health condition, diabetes must be watched each day of the year, including
during the holidays, said Mary Meck Higgins, a human nutrition specialist with Kansas State
University Research and Extension.
Characterized by high blood sugar levels if uncontrolled, the disease results from a defect
in the body's ability to produce or use insulin. Insulin, which is produced by the pancreas,
helps convert food into energy.
"Two out of 25 adults age 20 and older have diabetes," said Higgins, a certified diabetes
educator. "An estimated 17 million Americans have diabetes, but as many as one third of
those who do - nearly six million - do not know it." A simple inexpensive blood test can
confirm the diagnosis or rule it out.
Adding 150 minutes, or about 30 minutes five days a week, of moderate exercise and losing
as little as 10 pounds may prevent someone from getting diabetes.
Early warning signs include the need to urinate often, blurred vision, excessive thirst,
itching, a slow-healing wound or nausea. These symptoms often go unnoticed or are ignored.
Over time, Higgins said, high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, which can lead
to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure or blindness.
Holidays Eating Tips for Diabetes - "Putting knowledge into action every day in making
choices about treatment plans and lifestyle options is not always easy to do," Higgins
said. Setting realistic goals and learning how to do diabetes problem solving can help
ensure a positive approach to diabetes-related situations.
This management and discipline skill involves certain behaviors, such as estimating food
portion sizes. Closely monitoring portions can allow individuals to continue to enjoy
traditional holiday foods.
"You can do it," she said. "Talk with your health care partners about how you feel.
Ask questions."
Special Holiday Considerations - Higgins said individuals should follow their usual
eating schedule and space meals and snacks regularly, instead of skipping meals. Eating
small portion sizes of certain foods, monitoring blood sugar levels and exercising often
throughout the holidays are other requirements in successfully managing diabetes.
"Weight gained during winter months is not usually lost during the rest of the year," Higgins
said. "Increasing physical activity over the winter can help control blood sugar and prevent
weight gain."
"Aim for balancing calories with physical activity to maintain, and not gain, weight," Higgins,
a registered dietitian, said. Several 10- minute walks a day or stationary bicycling helps burn
calories, reduce stress and regulate the appetite.
Appropriate Diabetes Foods - As a host at holiday parties, do not pressure guests to overindulge
on food if they eat just a small portion, Higgins said.
"Dietary considerations may take precedence over the amounts they can eat," she said. "By keeping
their diabetes under good control, they are much more likely to enjoy a long lifetime of your company."
Serve foods, such as fruit, nuts, pretzels or a fresh vegetable tray, to be enjoyed whenever guests
need to eat. Medications may require a person to eat a snack sooner than the meal can be served.
"If the meal becomes unexpectedly delayed, guests will appreciate the opportunity to have food
available without making a fuss," she said.
In planning the menu, a rule of thumb to follow is to provide 1/4 to 1/3 of the meal as protein
foods, and 2/3 to 3/4 of the meal as carbohydrate foods, Higgins said. Consider offering a buffet
rather than a served meal. Guests can choose their selections and control the portion size of each food.
"People with diabetes generally are advised to fill most of their plate with vegetables, whole grains,
and unsweetened fruits, with smaller portions of low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods, and very
small amounts, if any, of alcohol-containing, high-fat or high-sugar foods," she said.
Serve a variety of sugar-free beverages, including water. Limit butter, oil, cream or cheese added to any
food items, Higgins said. Provide fat-free cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, salad dressings or other
toppings as choices.
Provide a choice of low-sugar low-fat desserts. For example, substitute artificial sweeteners for part
or all of the sugar used in recipes. Using artificial sweeteners will decrease the carbohydrate content
of the food, allowing your guests to eat more carbohydrates in the rest of their meal. Invite guests to
bring a suitable favorite dessert to share with everyone.
For more information on health and nutrition, interested persons may contact their local K-State Research
and Extension office.
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station
and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the
well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension
offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is
on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
Source: Lucas Shivers, Communications Assistant
lshivers@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research and Extension
For more information: Mary Meck Higgins is at 785-532-1671
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