Blog.EmealsForYou

by Lisa Ronco MS, RD, CDN

Diabetes is on the rise in the US. Whether you have “Type 1″ or Insulin dependent or “”Type 2″ non-insulin dependent, a healthy diet is critical for controlling diabetes.

A few basic rules to remember:

Exercise: Helps in weight control and stress reduction not to mention the cardiovascular and physical benefits.

Glucose monitoring: Frequent checking of blood glucose can help you keep diabetes under control.

Nutrition: To keep blood glucose or sugar stable, it is better to eat several small meals per day instead of sporadically grabbing “something” on the go. Ideally eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with a small snack in between each with a p.m. snack before bed. Whether you have diabetes or not; eating several small meals per day can help you consume the recommended servings of all food groups.

One of the easiest ways to eat “right” with diabetes and keep blood sugar well controlled is to follow the exchange system, which many diabetics do. Others may prefer to do carbohydrate counting. Whichever method you prefer, the outcome is basically a well balanced diet throughout the day. I prefer the exchange system for its ease of use.

As we know blood sugar increases more when we eat carbohydrates or “carbs.” Carbs are found in dairy products (lactose), fruits (fructose) and grains and starchy vegetables. Each of these foods has about the same amount of carbs …12grams /serving and is thus “exchangeable.” This doesn’t mean eat only fruit or only dairy products, instead choose food from each group.

So a typical day would look like this:

Sample Menu:

Breakfast:

Snack:

Lunch:

Snack:

Dinner:

Snack:

Keep in mind this is just a template for a “typical” day. The beauty of using the exchanges comes in handy for those special occasions such as a birthday. For example you want to have a slice of birthday cake at dinner; so one way to incorporate the cake is to “use” some exchanges for the cake. During the day possibly use the breakfast milk in exchange for the cake. As long as you use all the exchanges during the day, you will keep your blood sugar consistent. Use more than allowed; your blood sugar goes to high and by not using enough exchanges your blood sugar drops too low.

Lisa Ronco MS, RD, CDN

Lmr5091@nyu.edu

(www.emealsforyou.com Recipes/Sodium Reduced/Chicken Piccata)

This post is in conjunction with Lisa’s St. Paddy’s Day post below, “Don’t Pass the Salt”. Most people I know are constantly trying to lose weight or watch their weight. A good percentage of these have been told by their doctors to lower their sodium intake. The majority of these think their food enjoyment days are over. Well I am here to call “bs” on this. As Lisa says, moderation and walking away from processed food where possible is key to a healthier life style.

You can keep ALL the flavor in the foods you eat simply by cooking from scratch and adding the spices and herbs you prefer to your meals. At www.emealsforyou.com we are currently posting a category of Sodium Reduced recipes; these are our great recipes redone with an eye to reducing sodium and not flavor. Most of these can be prepared in less then 30 minutes and are “good” enough to feed to the entire family; no need to prepare food for dad and another meal for the kids. We have recipes for everything from Southwest Chicken to Peach Melba Sorbet.

I will make you a deal. If you find a recipe in one of our other 23 recipe categories, with hundreds of recipes, and would like us to make it reduced sodium just send us an email. I truly believe once you get used to cooking from scratch and not from cans you will enjoy the food more and more importantly improve your health. Don’t pass the salt but do pass the flavor.

March 16, 2008 by Lisa Ronco, MS RD CDN

Don’t Pass the Salt Excessive salt can make your blood vessels and body tissues swell and fill with fluid. This puts an extra strain on your heart and can increase blood pressure.

We Americans consume more salt than we should… an average level of 3,300 milligrams (mg) per day (about 1.5 teaspoons). The current recommendation is to consume less than 2,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. That equals 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt a day. The 6 grams includes all salt and sodium consumed; including that used in cooking and at the table.

Adopting a low sodium diet for hypertension can reduce blood pressure. Combining a low sodium diet for hypertension with what’s known as the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) can reduce blood pressure by an amount similar to that seen with medication. Studies show that people consuming diets of 1,500 mg of sodium had even better blood pressure-lowering benefits. A low sodium diet for hypertension also can keep blood pressure from rising and help blood pressure medicines work more effectively.

Most sodium is consumed in the form of sodium chloride, which is table salt. Other forms of sodium are also found in food; so watch out for salt AND sodium. Kosher salt and sea salt are just that… salt. Don’t forget to include them when adding up your sodium intake for the day. Processed foods account for most of the sodium and salt consumed.

Tips to remember:

-Check food labels… sodium is in some foods you might not expect; such as soy sauce and some antacids.

-Buy fresh, plain frozen or canned “no salt added” vegetables.

-Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat rather than canned or processed.

-Use fresh herbs and spices and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table.

-Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium.

-Cut back on frozen dinners, pizzas, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths and salad dressings… these often have a lot of sodium.

- Cook rice, pasta and hot cereals without salt.

-Cut back on instant or flavored rice, pasta and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.

-Rinse canned foods such as tuna to remove some of the sodium.

- When available buy low-sodium, reduced-sodium or no-salt added versions of foods.

-Choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereals that are low in sodium.

Following a low sodium diet is actually quite easy as long as you are mindful with the salt shaker and Read the Labels!

February 27, 2008 by Lisa Ronco, MS RD CDN

During the winter months, when it is cold outside, we just want to be warm and snuggly in our bodies and in our tummies. Thus the term comfort food or hearty foods come into our weekly if not daily vocabulary. It is not uncommon for folks to “put on a little winter weight” or just continue to add to the “holiday weight” during the cold and dark months of winter.

The key to enjoying your favorite hearty comfort foods like rich thick stews, soups and chili is not to avoid them, but rather to eat them just as you would any “rich or nutrient dense foods” such as cheese or birthday cake in moderation. Not only does moderation mean portion size but also frequency. It wouldn’t make sense to eat cheesecake every night would it? No, but if you monitored your portion size and frequency, you could easily enjoy a small slice of cake once a week.

Please keep in mind, this means you are active during the day, and not racking up hours on the couch. So go ahead and enjoy the foods of winter, but just like icy roads: proceed with caution!

emealsforyou strives to provide useful information and inspiration for meal planning and preparing. Through our affiliation with registered Dietitian Lisa M. Ronco, MS RD CDN, we provide our “Diet-Friendly” recipe category; a 4-week weight loss program complete with shopping lists, to help you reach your health goal. This plan offers great food based on portion control; but don’t worry you won’t go hungry. Three complete meals plus two daytime snacks will keep that growling stomach away. Additionally, we have “Watching Our Waists” a complete category of low carb recipes and meal plans. For those with a doctor’s orders to cut back on salt we have “Sodium Reduced” designed to make it easy to maintain your healthy lifestyle and still truly enjoy your food. All this and great recipes for “Appetizers” through “Desserts” your family will love.

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