Vegetable Juices?

I recently received this question from foodpicker.org

Question: I have heard I should avoid fruit juice since I have diabetes.  What about vegetable juices?  Can I have tomato juice and other vegetable juices?

Answer: Yes, tomato juice and other vegetable juices can be a good addition to your diet. Tomato juice contains many vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and folate. Tomato juice also contains lycopene which is thought to have many health benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and macular degeneration. Just be aware of the carbohydrate content which is about 10g per cup. Most tomato juices also contain high amounts of sodium. There are low sodium tomato juices available which contain much less sodium, about 140 mg compared to 654mg in original tomato juice. The low sodium tomato juice is a much better option. Don’t forget to visit http://www.foodpicker.org/ for more diabetes and nutrition information!

Diabetes and Milk Substitutes?

I recently received this question from foodpicker.org

Question: I have type 2 diabetes and cannot tolerate milk.  What may I substitute for my recommended two milk servings per day?  Would I substitute a carbohydrate or a protein?

Answer: Milk and other milk products are very important for every healthy diet but it can be difficult to get in the recommended amounts if you are intolerant. There are so many milk substitutes available now that you shouldn’t have any problems. I would recommend starting off by trying a soy milk which is a great source of calcium. Keep in mind that the flavored soy milks contain more carbohydrate, usually around 23g per cup. The original soy milks contain only about 8g per cup. Other carbohydrate foods that are good sources of calcium are calcium-fortified cereals which can have anywhere from 236-1043mg of calcium and oatmeal which can have 99-110 mg of calcium. Be careful of serving sizes when substituting a carbohydrate food since they will have the greatest affect on your blood sugar.

There are many foods that are high in calcium that are non-carbohydrate sources and will not have an affect on your blood sugar. Collards, spinach, and turnip greens are good sources of calcium and contain about 124-178 mg of calcium per 1/2 cup. If you are looking for protein as a substitute, fish is the way to go. There are a few different types of fish that are good sources of calcium including sardines and salmon. There are many different ways to substitute milk but just be sure that you are getting at least 1,000 mg of calcium a day (1,200 for age 50 and older). As always, be sure to visit http://www.foodpicker.org/ for more nutrition information!

Diabetes and vegetables?

I recently received this question from foodpicker.org

Question: I have a very big issue when it comes to having diabetes and that is I do not eat vegetables.  I have tried.  I want control my diabetes and be around to raise my young children.  What suggestions do you have to add vegetables to my diet?

Answer: It is important to include vegetables into your diet since they provide many benefits. Vegetables contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are also a good source of fiber which will help keep you full longer and help maintain blood sugar levels. Consuming vegetables may also help reduce the risk of a stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as well as protect against some types of cancer. The daily recommendation for adults is 2-3 servings (or cups). If it’s the taste you don’t like, try preparing vegetables in different ways to improve the taste. A great way to hide the taste is to add vegetables to certain sauces. You might try adding bell peppers, mushrooms, and carrots to a marinara sauce or adding spinach to a pesto sauce to top whole grain pasta. You may also try a stir-fry type recipe including a variety of vegetables and serving over brown rice. One of my favorites is grilling vegetables brushed with a little olive oil. Taking small steps might also help such as finelychopping and adding into foods that may help hide the taste. Once you begin to get used to the taste you may want to add in raw vegetables such as spinach and tomato on a turkey sandwich. The options for preparation are endless. I think that creativity is the key here. Don’t forget to visit http://foodpicker.org/ for other diabetes and nutritional information!

newly diagnosed with pre-diabetes?

I recently received this question from foodpicker.org

Question: I found out I have pre-diabetes.  I’m very confused and don’t know what I should do to treat it.  My friend told me to avoid all fruits.  Could you help me with how to treat my new diagnosis and if it’s ok to eat fruit?

Answer: Being newly diagnosed can be scary and confusing but you have come to a great place to get information! In pre-diabetes glucose tolerance is impaired but glucose levels are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. The good news is there are many things you can do to improve your glucose tolerance. The first thing I would recommend is to increase your physical activity. Exercise has been found to improve insulin sensitivity as well as reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and control weight. Thirty to sixty minutes of aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity 3-5 days per week is a good place to start. Moderate intensity exercise can include a brisk walk, dancing, gardening, or cleaning.

Diet also affects your blood glucose levels. Making some changes can improve your glucose tolerance. Carbohydrate foods have the most effect on your blood glucose because they contain glucose or other types of sugars. Foods that are considered carbohydrates are grains, rice, pasta, breads, fruits, starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corn, yams), milk, yogurt, and sweets (cookies, candy, etc.) Including more complex carbohydrates that contain fiber such as whole grain bread will help to keep your blood glucose stable because fiber slows down the digestion of food. Simple carbohydrates are often more processed foods such as cookies, candies, white breads etc. and should be kept in moderation since they are broken down much faster in the body and can raise blood glucose levels much faster than complex carbohydrates. Including fruits in your diet is recommended. Fruits contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber which can be beneficial to your health. Be cautious of canned fruits because they may have added sugar. Consider buying ones with “light syrup” instead.  A good guideline to follow is to keep carbohydrate intake between 45 and 60 grams per meal and to aim for carbohydrates that contain fiber. Foodpicker.org is a great resource to get nutrition facts on different foods and can help when managing your carbohydrate intake.

Pizza & diabetes?

Here is a question I recently received from foodpicker.org

Question: Friday nights my family & I have dinner at our favorite pizza restaurant.  Now that I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes I don’t know what to order.  Could you help me with what (if anything) I can order?

Answer: Going out to eat can be difficult because often times restaurants don’t have nutrition facts available for the meals they serve. If it’s a chain restaurant you’re going to, you may want to ask if they have nutrition facts since they are making them more available for cutsomers. I would recommend ordering a thin crust pizza and loading it up with non-starchy vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Non-starchy vegetables have about 5 grams of carbohydrate in 1/2 c. cooked or 1 c. raw and most of the carbohydrate is fiber. If you want meat on your pizza try adding canadian bacon which has much less fat than pepperoni or sausage. You may also want to start out with a salad beforehand (be careful with the dressing!) that way you won’t be starving when your pizza arrives. I would recommend eating no more than 1/4 of a 12″ pizza or 2 small slices. If you have leftovers you can always take them home. I think the key here is to just try to be consistent with your carbyhydrate intake and try to keep your portion sizes the same as you would at home.

My first post

Hello everyone,

My name is Chelsea and I have a B.S. in nutrition from the University of Idaho and am currently working on a second bachelors in dietetics and a masters in public health at Idaho State University. Next year I will be applying for a dietetic internship and will be one step closer to becoming a Registered Dietitian! As a Registered Dietitian I hope to work in clinical nutrition with diabetic patients. My goal for this blog is to provide simple and accurate nutrition and diabetes information for readers. I am also a nutrition editor for http://foodpicker.org/ which provides excellent information for people with diabetes. Feel free to post any nutrition and/or diabetes questions or comments!