LONDON, 2010 -- One in 10 women in Britain admit they've received medical attention or been hospitalized because of wearing trendy shoes, a survey indicates.
The survey of 3,000 women in Britain who wear high heels was conducted by Hotter Shoes, a British shoe manufacturer.
Nearly half of women say they have twisted their ankle because of their footwear and two-thirds admit wearing shoes that have caused them injury. The most frequently reported injuries caused by shoes were broken ankles, twisted knees, infected blisters, bunions and torn tendons.
"As a comfort shoe maker we were amazed to discover the pain and discomfort that women were prepared to endure for a pair of killer heels or an ill-fitting impulse sale bargain," Lisa McCarten of Hotter Comfort Concept Shoes says in a statement. "Nothing can ruin a day more than sore and tired feet, every person in our design and technical team works hard to ensure that our shoes are stylish and comfortable."
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Type 1 Diabetes Death Rate is Falling But….
Average rate is still 7 times higher in people with the disease vs. those without it....According to a new study, death rates have dropped significantly in people with Type 1 diabetes. Researchers also found that people diagnosed in the late 1970s have an even lower mortality rate compared with those diagnosed in the 1960s.
The study's senior author, Dr. Trevor J. Orchard, a professor of epidemiology, medicine and pediatrics in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stated that, "The encouraging thing is that, given good diabetes control, you can have a near-normal life expectancy."
But, the research also found that mortality rates for people with Type 1 still remain significantly higher than for the general population -- seven times higher, in fact. And some groups, such as women, continue to have disproportionately higher mortality rates: women with Type 1 diabetes are 13 times more likely to die than are their female counterparts without the disease.
Insulin replacement therapy isn't as effective as naturally-produced insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes often have blood sugar levels that are too high or too low, because it's difficult to predict exactly how much insulin you'll need. When blood sugar levels are too high due to too little insulin, it causes damage that can lead to long term complications, such as an increased risk of kidney failure and heart disease. On the other hand, if you have too much insulin, blood sugar levels can drop dangerously low, potentially leading to coma or death.
These factors are why Type 1 diabetes has long been associated with a significantly increased risk of death, and a shortened life expectancy.
However, numerous improvements have been made in Type 1 diabetes management during the past 30 years, including the advent of blood glucose monitors, insulin pumps, newer insulins, better medications to prevent complications and most recently continuous glucose monitors.
To assess whether or not these advances have had any effect on life expectancy, Orchard, along, with his colleagues, reviewed data from a Type 1 diabetes registry from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The registry contained information on almost 1,100 people under the age of 18 at the time they were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The children were sorted into three groups based on the year of their diagnosis: 1965 to 1969, 1970 to 1974 and 1975 to 1979. As of January 2008, 279 of the study participants had died, a death rate that is 7 times higher than would be expected in the general population.
When the researchers broke the mortality rate down by the time of diagnosis, they found that those diagnosed later had a much improved mortality rate. The group diagnosed in the 1960s had a 9.3 times higher mortality rate than the general population, while the early 1970s group had a 7.5 times higher mortality than the general population. For the late 1970s group, mortality had dropped to 5.6 times higher than the general population.
The mortality rate in women with Type 1 diabetes remained significantly higher, however, at 13 times the rate expected in women in the general population.
In addition, blacks with diabetes had a significantly lower 30-year survival rate than their white counterparts -- 57 percent versus 83 percent, according to the study.
Although Orchard said it isn't clear why women and blacks have higher-than-expected mortality, Barbara Araneo, director of complications therapies at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, said that both discrepancies have been found in other research, and that one theory is that blacks may have a greater genetic susceptibility to heart disease or high blood pressure. And, for women, she said previous research has shown that, "women with diabetes lose their innate protection against [heart disease], similar to the loss sustained in postmenopausal phases of life." But, she said, it's not clear how diabetes causes this loss.
The overall message of the study, however, is a positive one.
"The outcome of this study shows that diabetes care has improved in many ways over the last couple of decades, and as a result people with diabetes are living longer now," said Araneo, adding, "Managing and taking good care of your diabetes is the surest way to reduce the risk of developing complications later in life."
"What we're seeing now is incredibly encouraging, but it's not necessarily the full story yet," said Orchard, who noted that improvements in diabetes care should continue to lower mortality rates in people with Type 1 diabetes.
The study's senior author, Dr. Trevor J. Orchard, a professor of epidemiology, medicine and pediatrics in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stated that, "The encouraging thing is that, given good diabetes control, you can have a near-normal life expectancy."
But, the research also found that mortality rates for people with Type 1 still remain significantly higher than for the general population -- seven times higher, in fact. And some groups, such as women, continue to have disproportionately higher mortality rates: women with Type 1 diabetes are 13 times more likely to die than are their female counterparts without the disease.
Insulin replacement therapy isn't as effective as naturally-produced insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes often have blood sugar levels that are too high or too low, because it's difficult to predict exactly how much insulin you'll need. When blood sugar levels are too high due to too little insulin, it causes damage that can lead to long term complications, such as an increased risk of kidney failure and heart disease. On the other hand, if you have too much insulin, blood sugar levels can drop dangerously low, potentially leading to coma or death.
These factors are why Type 1 diabetes has long been associated with a significantly increased risk of death, and a shortened life expectancy.
However, numerous improvements have been made in Type 1 diabetes management during the past 30 years, including the advent of blood glucose monitors, insulin pumps, newer insulins, better medications to prevent complications and most recently continuous glucose monitors.
To assess whether or not these advances have had any effect on life expectancy, Orchard, along, with his colleagues, reviewed data from a Type 1 diabetes registry from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The registry contained information on almost 1,100 people under the age of 18 at the time they were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The children were sorted into three groups based on the year of their diagnosis: 1965 to 1969, 1970 to 1974 and 1975 to 1979. As of January 2008, 279 of the study participants had died, a death rate that is 7 times higher than would be expected in the general population.
When the researchers broke the mortality rate down by the time of diagnosis, they found that those diagnosed later had a much improved mortality rate. The group diagnosed in the 1960s had a 9.3 times higher mortality rate than the general population, while the early 1970s group had a 7.5 times higher mortality than the general population. For the late 1970s group, mortality had dropped to 5.6 times higher than the general population.
The mortality rate in women with Type 1 diabetes remained significantly higher, however, at 13 times the rate expected in women in the general population.
In addition, blacks with diabetes had a significantly lower 30-year survival rate than their white counterparts -- 57 percent versus 83 percent, according to the study.
Although Orchard said it isn't clear why women and blacks have higher-than-expected mortality, Barbara Araneo, director of complications therapies at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, said that both discrepancies have been found in other research, and that one theory is that blacks may have a greater genetic susceptibility to heart disease or high blood pressure. And, for women, she said previous research has shown that, "women with diabetes lose their innate protection against [heart disease], similar to the loss sustained in postmenopausal phases of life." But, she said, it's not clear how diabetes causes this loss.
The overall message of the study, however, is a positive one.
"The outcome of this study shows that diabetes care has improved in many ways over the last couple of decades, and as a result people with diabetes are living longer now," said Araneo, adding, "Managing and taking good care of your diabetes is the surest way to reduce the risk of developing complications later in life."
"What we're seeing now is incredibly encouraging, but it's not necessarily the full story yet," said Orchard, who noted that improvements in diabetes care should continue to lower mortality rates in people with Type 1 diabetes.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Half of U.S. Could Have Diabetes or Prediabetes within Ten Years
More than half of Americans will have diabetes or be prediabetic by 2020 at a cost to the U.S. health care system of $3.35 trillion if current trends go on unabated, according to analysis of a new report released last week by health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc....
Diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10% of total health care spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of almost $500 billion -- up from an estimated $194 billion this year, according to the report titled "The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead." (See this week's Tool for Your Practice.)
The average annual health care costs in 2009 for a person with known diabetes were about $11,700 compared with about $4,400 for non-diabetics, according to new data in the report drawn from 10 million United Healthcare members.
The average annual cost nearly doubles to $20,700 for a person with complications related to diabetes, the report said.
Diabetes, which is reaching epidemic proportions and is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the United States, currently affects about 26 million Americans. Another 67 million Americans are estimated to have prediabetes, with more than 60 million unaware that they have the condition, according to UnitedHealth.
The 52-page UnitedHealth report also focuses on the growing obesity epidemic as that condition is a leading cause of diabetes.
The authors of the report contend the skyrocketing cost forecasts are not inevitable but only if the crisis is tackled aggressively, including early intervention to prevent prediabetes from becoming diabetes.
"Because diabetes follows a progressive course, often starting with obesity and then moving to prediabetes, there are multiple opportunities to intervene early on and prevent this devastating disease before it's too late," Deneen Vojta, senior vice president of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said in a statement.
The report also focuses on obesity and its relationship to diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of the primary risk factors for diabetes, and with more than two-thirds of American adults and 17 percent of children overweight or obese, the risk is clearly rising. In fact, over half of adults in the U.S. who are overweight or obese have either prediabetes or diabetes, and studies have shown that gaining just 11-16 pounds doubles the risk of Type 2 diabetes and gaining 17-24 pounds nearly triples the risk.
"What is now needed is concerted, national, multi-stakeholder action," Simon Stevens, chairman of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said in a statement. "Making a major impact on the prediabetes and diabetes epidemic will require health plans to engage consumers in new ways, while working to scale nationally some of the most promising preventive care models." Stevens added.
If solutions for tackling the epidemic offered in the report were adopted broadly and scaled nationally it could lead to cost savings of up to $250 billion over the next 10 years, according to the UnitedHealth analysis.
Diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10% of total health care spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of almost $500 billion -- up from an estimated $194 billion this year, according to the report titled "The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead." (See this week's Tool for Your Practice.)
The average annual health care costs in 2009 for a person with known diabetes were about $11,700 compared with about $4,400 for non-diabetics, according to new data in the report drawn from 10 million United Healthcare members.
The average annual cost nearly doubles to $20,700 for a person with complications related to diabetes, the report said.
Diabetes, which is reaching epidemic proportions and is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the United States, currently affects about 26 million Americans. Another 67 million Americans are estimated to have prediabetes, with more than 60 million unaware that they have the condition, according to UnitedHealth.
The 52-page UnitedHealth report also focuses on the growing obesity epidemic as that condition is a leading cause of diabetes.
The authors of the report contend the skyrocketing cost forecasts are not inevitable but only if the crisis is tackled aggressively, including early intervention to prevent prediabetes from becoming diabetes.
"Because diabetes follows a progressive course, often starting with obesity and then moving to prediabetes, there are multiple opportunities to intervene early on and prevent this devastating disease before it's too late," Deneen Vojta, senior vice president of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said in a statement.
The report also focuses on obesity and its relationship to diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of the primary risk factors for diabetes, and with more than two-thirds of American adults and 17 percent of children overweight or obese, the risk is clearly rising. In fact, over half of adults in the U.S. who are overweight or obese have either prediabetes or diabetes, and studies have shown that gaining just 11-16 pounds doubles the risk of Type 2 diabetes and gaining 17-24 pounds nearly triples the risk.
"What is now needed is concerted, national, multi-stakeholder action," Simon Stevens, chairman of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said in a statement. "Making a major impact on the prediabetes and diabetes epidemic will require health plans to engage consumers in new ways, while working to scale nationally some of the most promising preventive care models." Stevens added.
If solutions for tackling the epidemic offered in the report were adopted broadly and scaled nationally it could lead to cost savings of up to $250 billion over the next 10 years, according to the UnitedHealth analysis.
Curbing the Diabetes and Prediabetes Epidemic
By the year 2020, 52% of adults in the U.S. could be prediabetic or diabetic, up from about 40% today according to a new report....
The report recommended strategies for curbing these costs, particularly lifestyle interventions and programs to increase medication adherence. Instituting such programs could save as much as $250 billion over 10 years, including $144 billion in savings for the federal government, authors of the report estimated.
Simon Stevens, executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, and chairman of the Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said in a statement, "Our new research shows there is a diabetes time bomb ticking in America, but fortunately there are practical steps that can be taken now to defuse it."
"What is now needed is concerted, national, multi-stakeholder action. Making a major impact on the prediabetes and diabetes epidemic will require health plans to engage consumers in new ways, while working to scale nationally some of the most promising preventive care models."
Weight loss among individuals prone to prediabetes is one area targeted in the report. "Our simulation suggests that a five percent weight loss (the target recommended by the American Heart Association) could reduce prediabetes gradually, leading to a 10% reduction by 2020," the authors wrote. Some reduction in conversion to diabetes also would occur, they suggested.
In addition, the report said that if all of the recommendations were enacted, increases in workplace productivity and increased wages resulting from the health improvements would be worth an estimated $239 billion over 10 years.
The report, "The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead," (See this week's Tool for Your Practice.) produced for November's National Diabetes Awareness month, offers practical solutions that could improve health and life expectancy, while also saving up to $250 billion over the next 10 years, if programs to prevent and control diabetes are adopted broadly and scaled nationally. This figure includes $144 billion in potential savings to the federal government in Medicare, Medicaid and other public programs.
Key solution steps include lifestyle interventions to combat obesity and prevent prediabetes from becoming diabetes and medication control programs and lifestyle intervention strategies to help improve diabetes control.
Solutions:
The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead focuses on four categories of potential cost savings over the next 10 years:
• Lifestyle Intervention to Combat Obesity: There is an opportunity to reduce the number of people who would develop prediabetes or diabetes by nearly 10 million Americans, through public health initiatives and the wider use of wellness programs to combat obesity.
• Early Intervention to Prevent Prediabetes from Becoming Diabetes: Evidence from randomized controlled trials and UnitedHealth Group's own experience demonstrates that the use of community-based intervention programs -- such as the UnitedHealth Group Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in partnership with the YMCA -- could reduce the number of people with prediabetes who convert to diabetes by an additional 3 million. The DPP is based on the original U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the CDC, which demonstrated that with lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction, individuals with prediabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by 58 percent.
• Diabetes Control through Medication and Care Compliance Programs: Better management of diabetes through improved medication and care compliance programs can help control the disease and reduce complications, such as UnitedHealth Group's Diabetes Control Program (in partnership with community pharmacists).
• Lifestyle Intervention Strategies for Diabetes Control: The wider use of public-private partnerships to develop the infrastructure to scale nationally the promising learnings of the Look AHEAD Trial.
The report recommended strategies for curbing these costs, particularly lifestyle interventions and programs to increase medication adherence. Instituting such programs could save as much as $250 billion over 10 years, including $144 billion in savings for the federal government, authors of the report estimated.
Simon Stevens, executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, and chairman of the Center for Health Reform & Modernization, said in a statement, "Our new research shows there is a diabetes time bomb ticking in America, but fortunately there are practical steps that can be taken now to defuse it."
"What is now needed is concerted, national, multi-stakeholder action. Making a major impact on the prediabetes and diabetes epidemic will require health plans to engage consumers in new ways, while working to scale nationally some of the most promising preventive care models."
Weight loss among individuals prone to prediabetes is one area targeted in the report. "Our simulation suggests that a five percent weight loss (the target recommended by the American Heart Association) could reduce prediabetes gradually, leading to a 10% reduction by 2020," the authors wrote. Some reduction in conversion to diabetes also would occur, they suggested.
In addition, the report said that if all of the recommendations were enacted, increases in workplace productivity and increased wages resulting from the health improvements would be worth an estimated $239 billion over 10 years.
The report, "The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead," (See this week's Tool for Your Practice.) produced for November's National Diabetes Awareness month, offers practical solutions that could improve health and life expectancy, while also saving up to $250 billion over the next 10 years, if programs to prevent and control diabetes are adopted broadly and scaled nationally. This figure includes $144 billion in potential savings to the federal government in Medicare, Medicaid and other public programs.
Key solution steps include lifestyle interventions to combat obesity and prevent prediabetes from becoming diabetes and medication control programs and lifestyle intervention strategies to help improve diabetes control.
Solutions:
The United States of Diabetes: Challenges and Opportunities in the Decade Ahead focuses on four categories of potential cost savings over the next 10 years:
• Lifestyle Intervention to Combat Obesity: There is an opportunity to reduce the number of people who would develop prediabetes or diabetes by nearly 10 million Americans, through public health initiatives and the wider use of wellness programs to combat obesity.
• Early Intervention to Prevent Prediabetes from Becoming Diabetes: Evidence from randomized controlled trials and UnitedHealth Group's own experience demonstrates that the use of community-based intervention programs -- such as the UnitedHealth Group Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in partnership with the YMCA -- could reduce the number of people with prediabetes who convert to diabetes by an additional 3 million. The DPP is based on the original U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the CDC, which demonstrated that with lifestyle changes and modest weight reduction, individuals with prediabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by 58 percent.
• Diabetes Control through Medication and Care Compliance Programs: Better management of diabetes through improved medication and care compliance programs can help control the disease and reduce complications, such as UnitedHealth Group's Diabetes Control Program (in partnership with community pharmacists).
• Lifestyle Intervention Strategies for Diabetes Control: The wider use of public-private partnerships to develop the infrastructure to scale nationally the promising learnings of the Look AHEAD Trial.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
NBA bans its first pair of shoes due to 'unfair advantage'
Though no NBA player actually professed an interest in buying these special Athletic Propulsion Labs vertical-influencing basketball shoes, you have to wonder if there are a series of floor-bound big men, the league over, that just had their Tuesday ruined by David Stern.
This is a press release, and not an actual report from the frontlines, but it's an interesting turn nevertheless.
The NBA has actually banned some shoes (which can be yours for only $300!) due to an apparent "unfair competitive advantage," which will no doubt send the sales of these Athletic Propulsion Labs' duds through the roof. I hope Messrs. Stern and Adam Silver bought some stock in this company before they made it infamous.
[Related: Basketball team faces 'desperate' shoe shortage]
To the release!
For the first time in its 64-year history, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has banned a new line of shoes based on the league's rule against an "unfair competitive advantage" that increases a player's vertical leap. The league's ban on Athletic Propulsion Labs' Concept 1 confirms the company's claims that the shoe, with its Load ‘N LaunchTM Technology, performs as advertised. No professional player will be allowed to wear the product in games for the upcoming 2010-2011 NBA season.
This action comes on the 25th anniversary of the NBA's ban on Nike's Air Jordan shoes, albeit for reasons of their colorful appearance rather than any performance advantage.
Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) was notified by a senior NBA official who stated, "League rules regulate the footwear that players may wear during an NBA game. Under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game ‘that creates an undue competitive advantage (e.g., to increase a player's vertical leap).' In light of that rule...players will not be permitted to wear the APL shoes during NBA games."
[Rewind: Trainer banishes Nike shoe]
Shoe companies, for decades, have promoted a sort of "unfair competitive advantage" through their shoes, from PF Flyers to the most recent set of Derrick Rose(notes)-brand adidas that we'll showcase here at BDL later this afternoon. But this is the first time that the NBA has borderline endorsed one brand of shoe being better than another, even if they won't allow its players to run in it.
This is a press release, and not an actual report from the frontlines, but it's an interesting turn nevertheless.
The NBA has actually banned some shoes (which can be yours for only $300!) due to an apparent "unfair competitive advantage," which will no doubt send the sales of these Athletic Propulsion Labs' duds through the roof. I hope Messrs. Stern and Adam Silver bought some stock in this company before they made it infamous.
[Related: Basketball team faces 'desperate' shoe shortage]
To the release!
For the first time in its 64-year history, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has banned a new line of shoes based on the league's rule against an "unfair competitive advantage" that increases a player's vertical leap. The league's ban on Athletic Propulsion Labs' Concept 1 confirms the company's claims that the shoe, with its Load ‘N LaunchTM Technology, performs as advertised. No professional player will be allowed to wear the product in games for the upcoming 2010-2011 NBA season.
This action comes on the 25th anniversary of the NBA's ban on Nike's Air Jordan shoes, albeit for reasons of their colorful appearance rather than any performance advantage.
Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) was notified by a senior NBA official who stated, "League rules regulate the footwear that players may wear during an NBA game. Under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game ‘that creates an undue competitive advantage (e.g., to increase a player's vertical leap).' In light of that rule...players will not be permitted to wear the APL shoes during NBA games."
[Rewind: Trainer banishes Nike shoe]
Shoe companies, for decades, have promoted a sort of "unfair competitive advantage" through their shoes, from PF Flyers to the most recent set of Derrick Rose(notes)-brand adidas that we'll showcase here at BDL later this afternoon. But this is the first time that the NBA has borderline endorsed one brand of shoe being better than another, even if they won't allow its players to run in it.
How Can Special Shoes & Insoles Help the Patients' Feet?
Special shoes can be prescribed to comfortably fit and protect your sensitive feet or can be specially made to fit softly around your feet or feet that have changed shape. These special shoes help protect your feet. Along with shoes, custom insoles can be made to perfectly fit your feet to protect them while wearing the special shoes. Medicare and other health insurance programs may pay for special shoes. Talk with your doctor about how and where to get them. Very often your doctor can take a scan of your foot to have the special insoles custom made for your feet. He or she may also be able to provide the special shoes for you at the same time.
Dinner Ideas for Type 2 Diabetes
You can create great dinners when following a diabetes diet. Substitute healthier ingredients for traditional ones and enjoy many of your favorite meals.
By Hedy Marks, MPH
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
To control type 2 diabetes, you must watch what you eat to keep your weight at a healthy level and avoid complications. But eating doesn't have to be a boring chore just because you have diabetes.
You can enjoy many healthy and tasty dinner choices. In fact, by keeping a few simple tips in mind and being creative, few meals are totally off-limits, even with diabetes.
Diabetes Diet: Start With Meal Planning
The name of the game with diabetes diet management is portion control — watch your portion sizes to avoid overeating. Advance planning helps, too. Spend a few minutes every weekend deciding on your meals for the following week and keep these strategies in mind:
• Eat more whole grains and starchy vegetables. Limit fats and sweets. Eat moderate amounts of lean meats, low-fat milk and dairy products, non-starchy vegetables, and fruit.
• Be creative when cooking by making substitutions. For example, use fat-free milk instead of whole milk and trans fat-free margarine instead of butter.
• Choose whole grains and brown rice over white or enriched bread or pasta products.
• Cook with healthy oils, like canola or olive oil.
• Cut back on salt, which can raise blood pressure.
• Avoid fried foods and foods in heavy sauces.
• Limit alcohol. One drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men is okay, but always consume alcohol with food.
Diabetes Menu: Healthy Dinner Ideas
Here are six easy dinners that will fill your tummy and still keep your blood sugar levels in check:
• Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. You can eat this classic "comfort food" meal, but keep it diabetes-friendly with a few smart substitutions. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef. When making the mashed potatoes, use fat-free milk instead of whole milk and trans-fat-free margarine instead of butter. You could also use fewer potatoes by folding in pureed cauliflower. Steam the green beans and season with a little salt and pepper, then top with a few almonds rather than a pat of butter.
• Chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli. Grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bake a whole chicken (don't eat the skin). Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing before grilling or season it with your favorite herbs before roasting it in the oven.
• Baked red snapper and mixed veggies. This dinner is a snap. Wrap a fish filet together with sliced vegetables — try a blend of zucchini, garlic, red peppers, onions, fennel, and tomatoes — with a drizzle of oil in parchment paper. Place in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with a whole-grain side dish of fast-cooking couscous or quinoa
• Pasta your way. Although people with type 2 diabetes have to be careful about the amount of carbohydrates they eat, pasta can still be a safe dinner choice. As with bread, whole-grain pasta is better than enriched pasta. Avoid heavy cream sauces like Alfredo, and stick to tomato-based sauces or olive oil and garlic. You can add chicken, shrimp, or fish to your dish for protein — even lean meatballs or turkey meatballs are allowed.
• Chili. When you make it yourself, chili becomes a very healthy choice. Start with ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef, or go vegetarian with beans only ‐ black beans and kidney beans. Add lots of diced vegetables to the pot, such as garlic, onion, red, green, and yellow bell peppers, and zucchini. Use no-salt canned tomatoes and low-sodium beef broth. Instead of serving the chili topped with traditional sour cream and cheese, use low-fat yogurt or fat-free sour cream, crumbled pecans, and cilantro. Serve with a garden salad with low-fat or non-fat salad dressing and whole-grain crunchy bread.
• Asian stir-fry. Make your own version of your favorite restaurant dish. Prepare your vegetables — any combination of green beans, broccoli, carrots, onion, snow peas, red and green peppers, and baby corn — then sauté in low-sodium soy sauce and garlic. Mix in chicken, shrimp, or tofu to add protein to your meal. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles.
Limiting sweets doesn't mean eliminating them. You can indulge your sweet tooth every now and then. Here are some tasty dessert ideas:
• Fresh fruit with low-fat topping
• Fat-free frozen yogurt
• Lower-fat cookies, such as ginger snaps, vanilla wafers, and graham crackers
• No sugar-added pudding or frozen fudge bars
Always keep portion size in mind so that you don't overdo the sweets. Even the most decadent desserts can be enjoyed in very small amounts on occasion.
By Hedy Marks, MPH
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
To control type 2 diabetes, you must watch what you eat to keep your weight at a healthy level and avoid complications. But eating doesn't have to be a boring chore just because you have diabetes.
You can enjoy many healthy and tasty dinner choices. In fact, by keeping a few simple tips in mind and being creative, few meals are totally off-limits, even with diabetes.
Diabetes Diet: Start With Meal Planning
The name of the game with diabetes diet management is portion control — watch your portion sizes to avoid overeating. Advance planning helps, too. Spend a few minutes every weekend deciding on your meals for the following week and keep these strategies in mind:
• Eat more whole grains and starchy vegetables. Limit fats and sweets. Eat moderate amounts of lean meats, low-fat milk and dairy products, non-starchy vegetables, and fruit.
• Be creative when cooking by making substitutions. For example, use fat-free milk instead of whole milk and trans fat-free margarine instead of butter.
• Choose whole grains and brown rice over white or enriched bread or pasta products.
• Cook with healthy oils, like canola or olive oil.
• Cut back on salt, which can raise blood pressure.
• Avoid fried foods and foods in heavy sauces.
• Limit alcohol. One drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men is okay, but always consume alcohol with food.
Diabetes Menu: Healthy Dinner Ideas
Here are six easy dinners that will fill your tummy and still keep your blood sugar levels in check:
• Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. You can eat this classic "comfort food" meal, but keep it diabetes-friendly with a few smart substitutions. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef. When making the mashed potatoes, use fat-free milk instead of whole milk and trans-fat-free margarine instead of butter. You could also use fewer potatoes by folding in pureed cauliflower. Steam the green beans and season with a little salt and pepper, then top with a few almonds rather than a pat of butter.
• Chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli. Grill boneless, skinless chicken breasts or bake a whole chicken (don't eat the skin). Marinate the chicken in Italian dressing before grilling or season it with your favorite herbs before roasting it in the oven.
• Baked red snapper and mixed veggies. This dinner is a snap. Wrap a fish filet together with sliced vegetables — try a blend of zucchini, garlic, red peppers, onions, fennel, and tomatoes — with a drizzle of oil in parchment paper. Place in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Serve with a whole-grain side dish of fast-cooking couscous or quinoa
• Pasta your way. Although people with type 2 diabetes have to be careful about the amount of carbohydrates they eat, pasta can still be a safe dinner choice. As with bread, whole-grain pasta is better than enriched pasta. Avoid heavy cream sauces like Alfredo, and stick to tomato-based sauces or olive oil and garlic. You can add chicken, shrimp, or fish to your dish for protein — even lean meatballs or turkey meatballs are allowed.
• Chili. When you make it yourself, chili becomes a very healthy choice. Start with ground turkey or extra-lean ground beef, or go vegetarian with beans only ‐ black beans and kidney beans. Add lots of diced vegetables to the pot, such as garlic, onion, red, green, and yellow bell peppers, and zucchini. Use no-salt canned tomatoes and low-sodium beef broth. Instead of serving the chili topped with traditional sour cream and cheese, use low-fat yogurt or fat-free sour cream, crumbled pecans, and cilantro. Serve with a garden salad with low-fat or non-fat salad dressing and whole-grain crunchy bread.
• Asian stir-fry. Make your own version of your favorite restaurant dish. Prepare your vegetables — any combination of green beans, broccoli, carrots, onion, snow peas, red and green peppers, and baby corn — then sauté in low-sodium soy sauce and garlic. Mix in chicken, shrimp, or tofu to add protein to your meal. Serve over brown rice or whole-grain noodles.
Limiting sweets doesn't mean eliminating them. You can indulge your sweet tooth every now and then. Here are some tasty dessert ideas:
• Fresh fruit with low-fat topping
• Fat-free frozen yogurt
• Lower-fat cookies, such as ginger snaps, vanilla wafers, and graham crackers
• No sugar-added pudding or frozen fudge bars
Always keep portion size in mind so that you don't overdo the sweets. Even the most decadent desserts can be enjoyed in very small amounts on occasion.
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