Balancing Diabetes This Holiday Season

The end of the year brings major holidays from a variety of backgrounds. And a large majority of these holidays will bring families around tables for some of the most impressive - and fattening - dinners of the year. While the high carb, calorie and sugary foods may be tempting and delicious, we should all limit our intake of holiday treats. This can be especially difficult for those with diabetes, as the typical holiday foods do not cater to dietary restrictions. However, you can still have a wonderful time eating with your family this holiday season. Here are some tips from the CDC to help you eat well during the holidays:

At parties and gatherings:

• You can still enjoy some of your favorite foods, just watch the portion sizes. Load your plate with good things with very small portions of the more fatty foods! 
• Watch out for "healthy" options with disguised added fats. Hams coated with glazes and vegetables packed with butter or sour cream can hide major calories. Instead, look for plain fresh vegetables and if there are no alternative options, cut the skin off of meats.
• Choose no sugar added fruit over cakes and pies. 
• In addition, if you do not know what options will be served, take the initiative to bring your own healthy options. Not only will you give yourself options, you will introduce your family to more healty choices!

In addition, If you are traveling, make sure to get a flu vaccine before you go. Make sure travel with double your medication just in case there are traveling issues or delays. In addition, make sure you keep up with your exercise regime, and don't be tempted to skip out on them! A little management can go a long way, helping you to still fully enjoy the holidays in a healthy way!

Click here http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesmanagement/ to read the full list of tips provided the CDC

A Great Visual for Pregnancy Nutrition

MyPlate is a visual for nutrition designed by ChooseMyPlate.gov that shows the ideal composition for a meal. It can be a useful tool for people of all ages, in helping them to understand what a healthy meal looks like. Now, Oregon Health and Science University has come out with "My Pregnancy Plate" to help pregnant women visualize their recommend intake of each food group. In addition, they also answer questions and give suggestions about snacks, sweet and food safety. Check out this great resource!

To see the full version Click Here

See the original MyPate at choosemyplate.gov , the site also includes many resources for healthy living and eating!

Diabetes Checklist

Written By: Renee E. Amori, MD

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to review your diabetes list of “Things to Do.”  Taking your medications, having diabetes education classes, and checking blood sugars are very important, but not the only things that people with diabetes need to remember.  Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you have to do some regular “maintenance” to reduce your chance of having complications develop.

Here are a few things that you should be doing as part of your regular diabetes care plan:

Have you had you had your eye exam?
Diabetes is a leading cause of vision loss.  You should have a dilated eye exam once a year

Do you check your feet daily or see a Podiatrist?
Daily foot care decreases the chance of infections, which can lead to amputations.  If you don’t know how to care for your feet, then seeing a Podiatrist for care is helpful.

Have you seen the dentist?
Regular dental visits reduce the chance of gum disease and tooth loss from high blood sugars.

Did you get your flu vaccine?
We recommend everyone with diabetes get the flu vaccine yearly.

Are you do for any other vaccine?
You may benefit from vaccines against other medical conditions.  Check with your doctor or health care provider to see if this applies to you.

It is important not only to do these things in November but all year long. Make sure your are keeping up with all of these and continue living a healthy life!