Diabetes: Eating Healthy – Eating Well

Guest Post: Chef Terry Madigan, owner of Just No Thyme

A diagnosis of diabetes doesn’t mean you have been sentenced to a life of bland, boring food. Instead, by making just a few simple changes you can improve your diet, overall health, and those ever-important blood glucose levels.

You may not be able to completely treat your diabetes strictly through diet and exercise, however by following these basic culinary tips you may be able to better manage the rise and fall of your glucose levels throughout the day. This advice can make you feel better, more in control of your health, and you may be able to reduce your reliance on medications in managing your diabetes.

Tip 1:  Build Your Team
A critical first step is surrounding yourself with people who can help. Don’t try to do this all alone. Today, most hospitals and medical groups offer diabetes support/education groups. These groups will help you meet others, share what works, and you will learn that you are not alone in managing your diabetes. Equally important, ask your doctor and diabetes educator for the name of a dietician or nutritonist who can work individually with you to understand your diabetes and help to develop and maintain a meal plan specifically for you. 

Become an active member of your own team. Learn all you can about your diabetes and the vast array of resources to help.  The website for the American Diabetes Association is a great place to start. This website is loaded with tips, recipes, and resources to help you manage your diabetes.

Tip 2:  Limit Your Carbs
When most people hear diabetes they assume they simply need to reduce the amount of sugar they eat.  What most people fail to realize is that sugar is simply a form of carbohydrates. All carbohyrates in your body will impact your blood glucose levels. It is important that you work with your dietician or nutritionist to understand how your body processes different types of carbohydrates and set a healthy level of carbohydrates in your diet.

Tip 3:  Really Read Food Labels
Don’t belive everything you read on the front of the package. When you are shopping, be sure to carefully read the nutrition food label rather than relying on the “marketing speak” on the front of the package. “Reduced Sodium” for example, only means that they reduced the amount of sodium from their standard product, and does not necessarily mean that it is low in sodium. Furthermore, many products reduce sodium and add fat and sugar to easily replace the flavor. Your only protection is to completely read and understand food labels.

Tip 4:  Fresh is Best
Rather than focusing your meals on meat and potatoes, about half your meal should be fresh, non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, green beans, or broccoli. To maximize variety and vitiamins, focus on a rainbow of colors when making your vegetable choices. 

Tip 5:  Portions are Key
A steak the size of a car tire may look tempting, but it is far from a healthy portion of meat. Work to limit your protein portion to about one quarter of your meal. A healthy portion size of lean meat is about the size of a deck or cards or the palm of your hand (3 to 4 ounces). A good tip is to choose cuts of meat with “loin” in their names (tenderloin, sirloin); these will be some of the leanest cuts. You should try to eat lean fish as least 2 to 3 times a week, and if you are choosing poultry (chicken or turkey), always remove the skin and cut any extra fat off the meat.

By following these simple tips and maintaining a regular exercise plan, you can begin to take control of your diabetes rather than letting it control your life.

Try the following recipe as a quick and healthy way to jump start your new menu plan.

Chicken with Provencal Sauce
Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence
1 t easpoon butter, unsalted  (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on one side until browned (do not turn over). Transfer pan to oven and cook until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Deglaze with white wine, scraping browned bits off bottom of pan, reduce till almost dry.  Add broth and herbes de Provence; bring to a boil. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat; add butter (optional) and lemon juice, stirring until butter melts. Serve.
 

Terry Madigan is a Personal Chef in Pasadena, California, and owner of Just No Thyme, a Personal Chef service. He is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu program at the California School of Culinary Arts and has completed classwork in Paris and in Provence, France. Just No Thyme provides a full range of culinary services including preparing meals for clients with special dietary restrictions. www.JustNoThyme.com