Diabetic Friendly Thanksgiving Meal Elite Heart Surgeons

November is Diabetes Awareness Month – Make the Most of Your Thanksgiving Meal!

November 23, 2020 Elite Admin 0 Comment

Plan a Diabetic Friendly Thanksgiving Meal

With Thanksgiving just days away, planning the meal that’s diabetic friendly and delicious is easier than it sounds.  Just follow these steps for healthy thanksgiving eating:

  1. Appetizers like nuts, cheese, and veggies with hummus will be nutritious and help prevent overeating at the “big” meal.
  2. Turkey is naturally high in protein and when paired with carbohydrates and sugar, it will help prevent spikes in blood sugar and keep you feeling satiated.
  3. Stuffing is best when prepared with whole grain bread.  The high fiber content will help keep blood sugars at bay in spite of the heavy carb content.
  4. Sides like green bean casserole and sweet potatoes can be healthy and tasty and don’t need to be prepared with added sugars.
  5. Desserts are often made from fruit that require no extra sugar – especially when prepared with Greek yogurt, nut butter and dark chocolate.

Check out these great recipe suggestions from our friends at Cooking Light at: https://www.cookinglight.com/thanksgiving/how-to-cook-diabetic-thanksgiving

 

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose (sugar) is too high. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough (or any) nsulin or doesn’t use insulin well. The result is that glucose stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.  Diabetes!

 

Diabetes and the Heart

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems such as damage to the blood vessels and nerves that control your heart. People with diabetes are also more likely to have other conditions that raise the risk for heart disease, like high blood pressure, which increases the force of blood through your arteries and can damage artery walls.

 

Risk Factors of Diabetes

  • Have prediabetes, or slightly elevated blood sugar levels
  • Overweight, high belly fat
  • Physically inactive
  • Over age 45
  • Previous gestational diabetes
  • Black, Hispanic, American Indian, or Alaska Native
  • Immediate family with type 2 diabetes

 

Symptoms of Diabetes

  • Frequently urination
  • Increased thirst – drinking a lot
  • Increased hunger
  • Fatigue
  • Blurry vision
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Irritability, mood changes
  • Numbness / tingling in hands or feet

 

Conditions Caused by Diabetes

  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Kidney disease
  • Eye problems
  • Dental disease
  • Nerve damage
  • Foot problems

 

 

Preventing and Managing Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes were born without the ability to produce insulin and therefore can’t prevent it. People with type 2 diabetes make up 95% of all diabetes cases and develop the disease as they grow and is particularly common to appear in middle-age as a result of genetic predisposition and lifestyle (excess weight, diet and exercise).  The following lifestyle changes

 

Lifestyle changes are the most important

  • Maintaining a moderate weight
  • Working with your doctor to develop a healthy weight-loss plan, if you have overweight
  • Increasing your activity levels
  • Eating a balanced diet and reducing your intake of sugary foods or overly processed foods

 

If you have questions about diabetes and the heart, please contact the offices of Dr. Maniscalco at 281.803.8482 or [email protected] or click to Contact Us.