UPCOMING EVENTS

Diabetes Support Group

Open to the Community

July 6th at 2pm TBD

Speakers: Elizabeth Fitzpatrick

Topic:  Advanced Care Planning

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Diabetes Self Management

Classes for July  2010

July 6th   at 3:30 pm

Introduction to Self Management of Diabetes

July 13th   at 3:30 pm

Prevention of Diabetes Complications

July  20th at 3:30pm

Meal Planning and Carbohydrate Counting

July  27th  at 3:30pm

Update and review self Management and Meal Planning

Please Note:   An MD referral is needed.

Classes offered by:

   Tammy Compasso,  R.N. C.D.E.

   Cathy Olmstead, M.S. R.D.  C.D.E.

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Recipe ……

Pesto  Sauce

¾ cup pine nuts

4 cups tightly packed basil leaves

½ cup Parmesan cheese

3 large garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ c extra virgin olive oil

Bake pines nuts at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Let cool and chop until fine.

In a blender or food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, cheese, salt pepper and all but 1 tablespoon of olive oil; process until the pesto is smooth and uniform.

Pour the pesto into an airtight container and add the remaining olive oil to the top to act as a protective barrier. Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To freeze pesto, place in a tightly sealed container. To freeze small amounts of pesto to use in recipes, put the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Once it is is frozen you can remove the pesto cubes and place them in sealed freezer bags.

Yields: about 3 cups

Serving Size: 1 tablespoon

Nutritional Analysis per serving:

Calories 36

Protein .93g

Carb     .55 g

Fat 3.58g

Cholesterol  .6 mg

Sodium  14.39 mg

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Ask the diabetes educator?

Do people with diabetes have to eat differently from the rest of the family?

People with diabetes can eat the same foods as the rest of their family.  Current nutrition guidelines for diabetes are very flexible and offer many choices, allowing people with diabetes to fit in favorite or special-occasion foods.  Everyone, whether they have diabetes or not, should eat a healthful diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein foods, and heart-healthy fats.  So, if you have diabetes, there’s no need to cook separately from your family.

If you have diabetes you should never give in to your food cravings?

Almost everyone has food cravings at some point, and people with diabetes are no exception.  It’s not uncommon for people with diabetes to cut out all sweets or even cut way back on food portions in order to lose weight.  In turn, your body often responds to these drastic changes by creating cravings.  Nine times out of ten, your food choices in these situations tend to be high in fat and/or sugar, too.  The best way to deal with food cravings is to try to prevent them by following a healthy eating plan that lets you occasionally fit sweets into your diabetes meal plan.  If a craving does occur, let yourself have a small taste of whatever it is you want.

Do people with diabetes have to cut out all starchy foods?

Starchy foods, such as bread, pasta, rice and cereal, provide carbohydrate, the body’s energy source.  Fruit, milk, yogurt and desserts contain carbohydrate as well.  Everyone needs some carbohydrate in their diet, even people with diabetes. 

If I have diabetes will I gain weight from too many starchy foods?

Weight gain occurs when you take in more calories than you burn off.  So, if you eat too much of any food, you’ll end up gaining weight.  The key is to follow portion control and to exercise to help keep blood glucose levels in a safe range and keep you at a healthy weight. 

Choose starchy foods that are whole grain and high in fiber for overall good nutrition.

Since fat is not a carbohydrate, can I eat all the fat I want?

Fat, found in margarine, oils and salad dressings, has little immediate effect on blood glucose levels  However, eating a fatty meal can slow down digestion and make it harder for your insulin to work, causing a possible high blood glucose level hours after your meal.  Some fats can raise blood cholesterol, increasing your risk for heart attack or stroke.  These fats are called saturated fat and trans fat and should be limited as much as possible.  Sources of saturated fat include:  butter, shortening, red meat, cheese and whole milk.  Tran’s fat is found in some margarines, snack foods and fast foods.  Also, fat is very high in calories and should be limited if you’re trying to lose weight.

Should all people with diabetes follow a low sodium diet?

Having diabetes doesn’t mean you have to cut salt and sodium from your diet.  However, people with diabetes should cut back on their sodium intake since they are more likely to have high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease, than people without diabetes. 

Even if you don’t have high blood pressure, it’s not a bad idea to watch your sodium intake, since some people are “salt sensitive” and may experience an increase in blood pressure after eating salty foods.

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(Joslin center for Diabetes Management)