Healthy Living

See below for all dietetics-related Healthy Living Tips

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November 1, 2008

Let’s continue our look at the Nutrition Facts Panel. Remember, all of the information on the panel is based on one serving. The next items listed are Calories and Calories from Fat. Calories measure how much energy you get from a serving of this food. Knowing the calories in a serving is helpful so that you do not consume an excess of calories which can result in weight gain.  For our label one serving provides 280 calories. Now, look at the Calories from Fat, which is 120. You can use this information to determine what percent of the food’s calories is contributed from fat. Divide 120 by 280 = 45%. Too much fat in our diet can be unhealthy and also contribute to weight gain so you should try to keep this percentage to below 30%.

October 15, 2008

Refer to the example of a Nutrition Facts Panel as each part is discussed over the next few months. Let’s start with the Serving Size. This tells you the measure of one serving and is used as a basis for all of the other information on the panel.  For our label, the serving size is 1 cup. Be aware, that this may not be the amount you normally eat so you need to measure that amount to determine how many servings you usually eat. Right below is listed the servings per container which often times is more than one. For our label the number of servings per container is 2. This number is important to know because it will impact how you interpret the rest of the label information. For example, if you consume this entire package you will need to double all of the information on the label. 

October 1, 2008

How do you know what is in the foods you so you can make healthier choices?  Use the nutrition facts panel on the food label. This is a table of contents to what is in the food. It also will help you determine the “nutrient density” of foods. A “nutrient dense” food gives you a large amount of nutrients for a small amount of calories per serving. On the other hand an”empty calorie” gives you little or no nutrients for in the calories consumed.

May 1, 2008

Obesity in kids is now an epidemic in the United States. The number of children who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades. Currently, one child in five is overweight. The increase is in both children and adolescents and in all age, race and gender groups. Obese children now have diseases like Type 2 diabetes that used to only occur in adults. And overweight kids have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight adults, continuing to put them at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

April 15, 2008

Consider the facts: Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20-74. This translates into 12,000-24,000 new cases every year. Also, diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease accounting for 43% of new cases each year.  Finally, about 65% of deaths among people with diabetes are due to heart disease and stroke. Some good reasons to Defeat Diabetes One Step at a Time.

April 1, 2008

The total annual economic cost of diabetes in 2002 was estimated to be $132 billion, or one out of every 10 health care dollars spent in the United States. As insurance premiums soar for businesses, introducing employee wellness programs and monetary incentives for maintaining a healthy lifestyle are on the rise.  Over the next few years, Community Health Network in Indianapolis, Indiana, will implement some bonus payments for employees’ with positive screening results, deduct $30.00 from each biweekly paycheck if an employee does not prove they are working to improve their health, and an additional $5.00 will be deducted every two weeks if they smoke. Bottom line--it pays to be healthy.

March 15, 2008

Can a person with diabetes eat sugar? For almost every person with diabetes, the answer is yes! Eating a piece of cake made with sugar will raise your blood glucose level. So will eating corn on the cob, a tomato sandwich, or lima beans. The truth is that sugar has gotten a bad reputation. People with diabetes can and do eat sugar. In the body, it becomes glucose, but so do the other foods mentioned above. With sugary foods, the rule is moderation. Eat too much, and 1) you'll send your blood glucose level up higher than you expected; 2) you'll fill up but without the nutrients that come with vegetables and grains; and 3) you'll gain weight. So, don't pass up a slice of birthday cake. Instead, eat a little less bread or potato, and replace it with the cake. Taking a brisk walk can help burn calories as well.

March 1, 2008

Diabetes often goes undiagnosed for long periods of time because the symptoms are unknown. For symptoms of diabetes click here. On this site you can also take the online diabetes test to see if you are at risk for developing diabetes in the future. Knowledge of the disease and its symptoms can enable you to get help early if you should ever need it.

February 15, 2008

Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before but who have high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women-- about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States each year. Many women who have gestational diabetes go on to develop Type 2 diabetes years later. Gestational diabetes and Type 2 diabetes both involve insulin resistance. Certain basic lifestyle changes may help prevent diabetes after gestational diabetes such as weight loss, exercise and healthy food choices.

February 1, 2008

Before people develop Type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "pre-diabetes." Pre-diabetes occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes There are 54 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes. Research has also shown that if you take action to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes from ever developing.

January 15, 2008

To help make healthier food choices use the Nutrition Facts Panel on product labels. Here you will find information on the nutritional content for the stated serving size of that product. Go to http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html for an easy to understand description from the Food and Drug Administration. This information will shed light on exactly what is in the product. It also allows you to compare similar products to determine which one gives you the most nutrition. Next time you buy a product, check out its nutrient content on the Nutrition Facts panel.

January 1, 2008

What should you know about trans fatty acids, or trans fat? Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats such as shortening and hard margarine. This process is called "partial hydrogenation." Clinical studies have shown that this type of fat tends to raise total blood cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as lower HDL (good) cholesterol. These cholesterol changes increase the risk of heart disease and stroke and may also be linked to a greater risk for Type 2 diabetes. To reduce your intake of these potentially harmful fats, limit your intake of commercially baked and fried foods, and avoid using margarine and shortening whenever possible.

December 15, 2007

You can estimate how many calories you need each day. First, click here to find your ideal weight/weight range, and then use your weight in the following formulas: Multiply your weight by 13 if you do not exercise at all; if you do 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week, multiply your weight by 15; and if you exercise more than 30 minutes every day, multiply your weight by 16. The number you get tells you how many calories a day you should consume to achieve a healthy weight.

December 1, 2007

One pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. If you overeat by just 10 calories a day, in one year you will have gained one pound. Studies show that the average American gains one to three pounds a year. This steady addition of weight can lead to obesity. Put down the fork, even if it means leaving just one bite on your plate. It could be those 10 calories you don’t need!

November 15, 2007

Being overweight or obese is a leading risk factor in developing Type 2 diabetes. To know if you fall into a risk category, you need to determine your Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height. For adults, a BMI between 18 and 25 is considered a healthy weight, a BMI of 26-29  is considered overweight and a BMI greater than 30 places you in the obese category. To find out your BMI, go to www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/smi/index.htm

November 1, 2007

How does being overweight put you at risk for developing diabetes? Being overweight puts you at risk for becoming obese. Obesity is linked to insulin resistance in the body. If someone is insulin resistant, his or her body is unable to use insulin and that can result in high blood glucose levels. Over time, this may develop into Type 2 diabetes. The combination of a weight loss of just five to ten percent, plus the addition of 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day has shown a 58 percent reduction in the risk for developing diabetes.

October 17, 2007

Too much sugar does not "give" you diabetes. Rather, persons with diabetes are unable to utilize sugar as a person without diabetes does. This is because they are unable to produce insulin (which occurs in Type 1 Diabetes) or they become insulin resistant (which occurs in Type 2 Diabetes). Insulin is necessary for our bodies to use sugar (glucose) as energy. Risk factors for developing Type 2 diabetes include family history, sedentary lifestyle, and being overweight or obese.

October 1, 2007

In a study published in the June 2007 Archives of Internal Medicine, public health researchers from Harvard, England and the Netherlands jointly evaluated the effect of diabetes on longevity. They found that diabetic women, age 50 and older, had their lives cut short an average of 8.2 years. For diabetic men age 50 and older, life expectancy was reduced by an average of 7.5 years.