Tag Archives: diabetes

Is Diabetes Your Destiny?

My father, my mother’s mother, and my brother were all affected by diabetes. Genetically, for me, that’s like waiting to be summoned for jury duty; you know you may eventually be called, but you don’t quite know when it will be your turn.

But if diabetes is going to tap at my door, I’m refusing to put out a welcome mat. An estimated 25.8 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, which arises when either the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin or the insulin produced isn’t being used adequately, often called insulin resistance. Roughly 79 million American adults have pre-diabetes, where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to warrant a diagnosis. What’s more, 7 million people don’t even know they have the condition. These statistics are frightening, especially because type 2 diabetes—which used to be considered an adult disease—is increasingly affecting children.

There is good news though: Studies have shown that many people who have pre-diabetes can prevent or slow down the onset of full-blown diabetes by losing weight and adding regular physical activity into their routines. Below, 7 lifestyle keys to staving off the disease: Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged destiny, diabetes, dietitian, family, genetic, history | Leave a comment

The Mañana Diet

The food on Paula Deen’s plate is under a media microscope. For now, it seems like Paula Deen has decided to embark upon the same diet that many Americans religiously adhere to: The Mañana Diet.

If you haven’t heard of it, it’s real easy to follow. Here are the rules: Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged celebrity chef, chef, diabetes, diet, doctor, donuts, nutrition, Paula Deen, The Daily | Leave a comment

Paula Diabetes Deen

Paula ‘Diabetes’ Deen: In a few short days, it’s almost as if the disease became her middle name. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, web sites or tabloids, you won’t find a story today without seeing her name and diabetes used in the same sentence.

The first time I saw Paula Deen she was making a frosting for a cake. “And now just add a box of confectioner’s sugar,” she said. These words rolled off her tongue as easily as butter melts in a hot pan. She is known for her sugar-filled, fat-laden style of cooking, and for portraying these meals as everyday foods instead of decadent “sometimes” treats. Her approach to food preparation could exacerbate diabetes rather than control it.

So now that her hidden 3-year-old medical issue has become public knowledge, where will she go from here?

Will Paula Deen continue to be afflicted with “Cleopatra Syndrome,” as a patient of mine calls it, and live in de-Nile? Or will she take advantage of the incredible power she now has to change what goes on the forks of her loyal fans? As Spiderman said, “With great power comes responsibility.”Paula is not just a celebrity chef — she is a role model. She can inspire millions of people who have diabetes to learn that all foods can fit, if you learn to balance what you eat with how you move. She could rely on a dietitian instead of a drug company to help slash blood sugar numbers so that she could perhaps not even need any medication.

Imagine her on the Food Network promoting food for her friends that will please their palates and their doctors. She could talk about proper portions. And perhaps most of all, she could show how she could tweak her own recipes to create a safer state of wellbeing without deprivation.

It is predicted that by 2050, 1 of 3 U.S. adults will have diabetes, and I predict that many of those people will be sitting on the couch watching TV. Paula, I’d be happy to help you demonstrate how the words “delicious” and “healthful” can coexist.

Posted in General | Tagged celebrity chef, cooking, cuisine, delicious, diabetes, facebook, Food Network, healthy, Paula Deen, recipes, Twitter | Leave a comment

D-I-E-T is a Four Letter Word

The headline in Food Navigator USA on read, “Weight Management 2011: Diet is out but zero is in…” The reporter, Elaine Watson sited, “The number of new products launched in the US market featuring the term ‘diet’ in the brand or product name has plummeted in the last five years as weight conscious shoppers seek out more positive messages.” It also seems that claims like ‘low-fat’ and ‘low-calorie’ are no longer shoppers’ wish lists either.

Does this info come as a surprise? Consumers are saturated with stories about what not to eat. They are tired of plastic- and cardboard-tasting foods that are supposed to be “good” for them…and they don’t want to be duped by misleading labels. The tricky terms that bug me the most are highlighted in my book, Read It Before You Eat It. Food labels that entice you into falling for the words on the front of pack may not necessarily reflect the facts on the back. Fat-free products are often laden with sugar and sugar-free items can carry more fat than you bargained for. Serving size listings could be misleading, creating portion distortion resultignin overeating. With “55% of Americans trying to lose weight,” according to a 2010 Datamonitor survey, and “22% trying to maintain their weight,” truth in labeling is in demand.

You shouldn’t have to be a mathematician, librarian, or dietitian to put healthy food in your cart. A healthy, balanced diet is imperative to help Americans feel better and prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, which drive health care costs up and keep a sense of well being at bay. Perhaps the best place to find the most effective “diet” foods is the produce aisle of your store; ironically these foods don’t even wear labels.

Posted in General | Tagged cancer, consumers, diabetes, diet, dietitian, food labels, Food Navigator USA, heart disease, shoppers, shopping, supermarket, weight loss | Leave a comment