A HEALTHY FOOD PLATE

Take a look at your plate the next time you have a meal. It will most probably be more than half a plate of cereals - rice or chapathies-  along with rasam, buttermilk, pickles, pappads, chips and deep fried vegetables,a starchy vegetable, dhal, whole grams or maybe a few pieces of meat and a bowl of  something sweet. Eating this way will increase insulin resistance, lipid levels, and weight. It also becomes difficult for the body to control its blood sugar levels, and this increases the risk of diabetes complications. 

By changing the proportions of food on your plate,you can improve your health and trim your waistline. This will help you manage diabetes better.The American Diabetes Association recommends that half the plate should include non- starchy vegetables, one quarter should be filled with lean protein, and the other quarter should have some additional carbohydrates. This visual dietary control is called the ‘Plate Method’. You do not have to measure your food accurately. Just fill your plate to match the prescribed dietary proportions.

The Plate Method for healthy living and controlling diabetes has become quite popular. It is an easy and helpful way to plan meals for everyone, especially for those who wish to gain better control of their blood sugar levels, blood pressure and / or body weight. 

First:  You need to choose a plate. Plate sizes have grown over the years. An ideal size is 9 inches wide, no wider.

Second:  Fill half the plate with approximately 2 cups or more non – starchy vegetables An easy way to meet this requirement is to eat one bowl of salad along with your side vegetables.

Cabbage 

Broccoli

Carrots

Tomatoes 

Mushrooms

Cucumbers

Spinach

Greens (all varieties)

 Beans 

Cauliflower

Third:  Your plate should provide approximately 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrate, Choose whole grains over processed and refined grains. 

Whole Cereals

Rice 

Whole wheat Bread 

Potatoes

Yam

Tapioca

Fourth:  Fill the other quarter of the plate with protein such as :

Chicken

Fish

Egg

Lean meat

Dhal and whole grams,  nuts

Dairy products

Fifth: There are two more items. First, is a small glass of low fat or skim milk or small cup of yogurt  and next is a small piece of fruit 50 to 100 gms.

THE PLATE METHOD…

Strategies for changing eating habits in diabetes:

Avoid sugary drinks, added sugar (e.g., honey, brown and white sugar),  avoid high fat cooking methods ( i.e., shortening, butter, hydrogenated oil, margarine), use low fat oils ( e.g., olive, canola, safflower, etc.), eat less salt, eat lean cuts of meat, eat regularly. Use healthy cooking methods like steaming or boiling or stir- frying.

The Plate Method provides the following benefits:

• An eating style that is nutritionally sound

• A lower fat intake

• Improved carbohydrates distribution

• A greater intake of fiber

• More fruits and vegetables (antioxidants and photochemical)

The Plate Method works anywhere:

This approach also works well when eating out. Just visualize how the foods would fill up your plate. If you are lacking in vegetables, order up a salad. And if the meat portion looks too large, share it with someone.

Your diet can improve your health 

With the plate method, your meals will be high infibercontent and low in saturated fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates. It will…

• Maintain blood glucose and lipids as near normal as possible

• Provide appropriate calories for weight loss or weight maintenance

• Prevent or delay diabetes related complications through decreasing your risk of heart disease and    stroke

• Improve overall health through optimal nutrition

Plan your plate with your dietitian.

A Look At Health Food Through Heritage

The belief that picking superior foods may help these wanting a healthier life-style has damaged many civilizations during history. The concept of health food draws from moral, strict and political guidelines, although it is widespread understanding that a specified number of nourishment is vital for one to keep to call home. The ingredients one selects could disclose a lot about his lifestyle and beliefs. Moreover, it discloses values concerning the romance of what one eats and well being. With the variety of healthy food vendors popping out nowadays, employing websites like OrganicFinder can certainly help a whole lot.
In many destinations in the world today, the concern is not with all the quality of nutrition, but finding enough to provide nutrition to permit one to endure. Generally in most of the globe, people challenge to get enough to eat. Nevertheless, in richer countries, there is more matter regarding quality-of products taken.
The matter for better-quality foods has sources from your Jewish and Christian scriptures, where Jewish dietary regulations were viewed as a a part of a covenant with lord. The nutritional constraints were implemented to set apart the Hebrew folks from these inside the lands where they existed. These limitations were quite step-by-step, but did not enable the person to take such foods as rabbit, pork or shellfish.
Comparable varieties of constraints are observed in lots of different communities as well. The Pythagoreans averted eating legumes. The Hindus continue steadily to avoid consumption of meat. Pork is averted by both the Jews and the Muslims. In certain offices of Catholicism, the Sisters declare to occur simply to the Sacraments of bread and wine. Health limitations present protection for your voter from spiritual as well as physical hurt.
As technology started to focus on diseases caused by nutrient insufficiency, there is a returned focus on the grade of meals one's consumed. This result in the development of supplements. Products, such as for instance cod liver oil were suggested to improve the health of children from the 1920s.
Later developing spiritual sects, including the Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons taught their followers to avoid products for-a better lifetime and well-being. These incorporated alcohol, tea, espresso and cigarette. The rules were trained to guard the temple of-the human body.
Outside strict communities, there's been an increasing interest in reducing meat in vegetarianism. Some have become part through consideration for animals and others for political causes. The others follow the practice to boost balanced eating. One of the very contemporary choices would be to minimize one's diet to cereal grains in addition to seasonal develop from the nearby spot as health-food. Click here to see the set of organic food firms in your area.

Oral Hygiene Prevents Health Problems

Most of us know that oral hygiene is critical to healthy teeth, white smiles and first impressions. But not nearly as many are familiar with the extreme consequences of what can happen if you don't take care of your mouth.
Most individuals have some inflammation of the gums -- i.e. gingivitis -- that goes unchecked. A study published in the National Library of Medicine reports that 10 to 15 percent of adults will develop severe periodontitis, which is an advanced form of gum disease that begins to deteriorate bone, too.
"Gingivitis has always been a major concern for the public," explains Dr. Harold Katz, a bona fide dentist to the stars, who founded the California Breath Clinic in Beverly Hills. Katz, also a bacteriologist, has a legacy of oral care research, including creating the high-quality line of TheraBreath products (therabreath.com).
"But more studies are emerging that support the idea that dental health can reflect your overall health, too. Gum disease can contribute to an increased risk for heart disease, and it can worsen diabetes. Bad oral hygiene may even be a risk factor for dementia," Katz added.
According to Katz -- as well as mounting medical research -- poor oral hygiene can lead to many physical problems. The Journal of the American Geriatric Society just released a study showing that elderly people who brushed their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia, compared to seniors who brushed daily.
Dental check-ups can also point out other areas of concern among pregnant women. A professor at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's annual meeting suggested that gum disease can affect healthy conception much like obesity. Plus, pregnant women have a 65 to 70 percent chance of experiencing pregnancy gingivitis, where gums develop exaggerated inflammation and plaque buildup due to fluctuating hormones.
Expectant mothers with gum disease even suffer a higher risk of a premature birth. But oral hygiene can work toward prevention, too. Reuters Health just released findings that indicate pregnant women with gingivitis who use mouthwash have more of a chance of carrying their baby to full term.
Another study recently presented to the American Heart Association revealed that patients who received routine teeth cleanings had a 24 percent lower risk of heart attack than those who didn't maintain regular dental care.

Fruit for People with Diabetes

Mrs.Sheela Paul &Ms.Rohini, - DietitiansDiet Department.



 

























People with diabetes should avoid fruits as they contain “a lot of sugar”.This is not true. 

Fruit has been enjoyed by mankind from the very earliest of time. In terms of nutrition, fruits form one of the food groups in the daily diet and are very good sources of several vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and