I witness first hand what my husband has to go through each day in order to maintain a semi-normal life.  While there have been great advancements made in the medical field in regard to diabetes treatment, nothing can compare to a healthy pancreas that secretes insulin normally.  My husband’s biggest challenge, as with most diabetics, is keeping his blood sugar stable.  Everything impacts it.  What he eats, how much he eats, how much he exercises, stress, if he has a cold or infection–the list is endless.  When his sugar goes too high he gets irritable and his stomach and muscles ache.  What’s more frightening is when his sugar goes too low, which can happen suddenly for many diabetics, and he can appear confused until he is able to consume something that will bring his blood sugar back up to normal levels.  It’s a constant battle and the only way to know where those levels are is by continuously pricking his finger and testing his blood throughout the day.  I feel bad when I look at the tips of his fingers, but I know it’s necessary.  To really drive this point home for you, I have probably said the words, “Have you checked your sugar?” to my husband more than, “I love you.” during our 9 years together.  That’s how much diabetes is a part of our marriage.

I will also mention that we’ve got a multitude of doctors since diabetes has long term effects on the body.  Most diabetics, like my husband, have a cardiologist, a nephrologist and a podiatrist along with their primary care physician.  If you read my blogs you know that I make certain my family eats healthy and my husband and I exercise together regularly, but once you’re diabetic you’re basically trying to minimize the damage.

My point is that my husband never had a choice–he was diagnosed at age 13 with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes.  For anyone who is making unhealthy lifestyle choices and heading down that road toward Type 2 diabetes, please stop.  You do have a choice and trust me, there is no snack or food item that is worth the risk.  Here are some tips to get you started on a healthy eating plan.  Do it for yourself and your loved ones.

See all posts.

Just recently I read an article about how setting out a bowl of fruit increases consumption.  Hmmm …okay, I figured it was worth a try.  I have a center island in my kitchen so I chose a large glass bowl and at my weekly grocery store visit I selected a variety of produce I could leave out like pears, apples and bananas.  I washed them, put them in the bowl on the island and told the kids if they wanted a snack they should feel free to grab some fruit.  Much to my surprise the bowl was emptied before the end of the week!

After the first week I modified the amount of fruit I bought by just a bit so that it would last us throughout the entire week, but I found that my husband also took an apple here or there (he has to be careful about how much fruit he consumes as he’s Type 1 diabetic).  I also discovered that I had extra ice cream left over at the end of the week, which NEVER happens–amazing! I suppose it’s the whole “out of sight, out of mind” idea and when I had the fruit in the produce drawer the kids didn’t really think about it, but when I set it out they saw it and readily grabbed it for a snack.

Most challenges–well, almost no challenges are this simple in my house so I had to share this success with you.  If your kids are like mine give this idea a try.  If they’re younger you might even let them help you select which fruit you place in the bowl to increase their engagement.  Good luck–I hope it works for you!

See all posts

• Wash your fruits & veggies: I don’t care if that package says “3X washed,” I still wash my salad greens to be on the safe side.  I wash all my fruits and vegetables under running water and if they are rough or porous like a cantaloupe, I use a scrub brush on the outer skin.
• Keep foods stored at the proper temperature: If you’re planning an outside event it’s best to avoid mayonnaise-based salads and be sure to keep cut fruit chilled.  Stick to the rule of hot foods stay hot and cold foods stay cold.
• Be careful when using marinades: Marinades are really popular this time of year, especially when grilling, but it’s important to remember that once you’ve marinated raw meat or seafood in a marinade, you must throw it out.  You can baste your meat with the marinade initially when you place it on the grill, but don’t use the marinade after the meat is done cooking or reuse it on vegetables that won’t be cooked to the same temperature.
• Avoid cross-contamination: Don’t use the same cutting board or utensils when preparing raw meats/seafood and fruits/vegetables.  For example, if you’ve just used a spatula to put raw hamburgers on your grill, don’t use the same spatula to place slices of tomatoes on a serving plate unless it’s been first washed thoroughly with hot water and soap.

These are all common sense tips, but they’re always worth repeating.  My motto is “when in doubt, throw out.”  I’d rather be overly cautious when it comes to food safety than end up sick.  Here’s to a healthy and happy outdoor season!

See all posts

It’s typical.  As a society, we think it’s really “gross” when we see someone overweight eating that way, but the truth is it’s equally unhealthy when anyone is eating in that manner, regardless of how they look on the outside.  Why?  It’s like I tell my two very skinny teens–all that fat, sodium and cholesterol–it’s doing the same thing to the inside of your body no matter what you look like on the outside.

Some people, especially when they’re young, have been blessed with a fast metabolism that allows them to eat whatever they want and not show it.  I’m sure you can think back to a boy from high school who could eat and eat without ever packing on a single pound.  Now flash forward to your 25th reunion and you’ll see the same guy, but barely be able to recognize him because at some point since graduation his metabolism went on vacation and he continued to eat like he did in high school.  What’s really concerning for individuals like this is the fact that they have been eating high fat/high sodium diets for a long time and despite the fact that it may not have shown up for awhile, it is still having an impact to their bodies.  Just because someone doesn’t gain weight doesn’t mean they’re immune to cholesterol buildup or high blood pressure.

We should pay as much attention to what’s going on inside our bodies as we do to the outside.  Instead of only worrying worrying about how you look externally, think about what you’re putting inside it and how it’s affecting you.  So, whether you’re 100 pounds overweight, or supermodel skinny–stuff yourself with fattening, unhealthy food and it’s equally “gross” to your body.

See all posts.