Diabetes Life Lines
Vol. 14 No. 2
Janine Freeman, RD, LD, CDEEducation Program Specialist
Connie Crawley, MS, RD, LD
Public Service Associate & Extension Nutrition & Health Specialist ccrawley@uga.edu
Do you live alone? Does eating alone make you less likely to eat well? With some good choices at the grocery store, you can enjoy tasty and healthy meals even when you are dining by yourself.
Let's look at breakfast. It is probably the easiest meal to prepare for someone living alone. Healthy choices are whole grain hot and cold cereals, whole grain breads, fresh fruits, egg substitute cooked with shredded low fat cheese, skim milk and light or fat-free cream cheese. Watch out for the high-fat croissants, muffins and biscuits, the greasy bacon and sausage and regular cream cheese.
For lunch, homemade soups and stews that you have made ahead and frozen in individual containers for microwaving are always good. Other excellent choices are salads and sandwiches made with lean meat, fish or poultry. Cooking a roast, turkey breast or chicken on the weekend and then freezing the leftovers in smaller packages is always less expensive and less salty then buying packaged luncheon meat.
To get more vegetables, buy the 20-ounce packages of frozen vegetables and microwave a cup for a nice side dish. For salads, look for salad greens and fresh vegetables that you can buy in small amounts. Often whole heads of lettuce or large bags of fresh vegetables spoil before a single person can use them. Then top the meal off with a piece of fresh fruit or some fruit canned in fruit juice.
With a microwave, a healthy dinner/supper is easy. When chicken pieces, lean ground beef or pork loin are on sale, buy a quantity and freeze them in single portions. These can be thawed in the microwave quickly and cooked on the stove or in the oven. Of course, baked potatoes are always quick in the microwave, but so are baked sweet potatoes and instant rice. Add another cup of frozen vegetables cooked in the microwave and you have a great meal with little effort. You can even prepare a baked apple or stewed fruit in the microwave in just 2-3 minutes.
Having a variety of breads to choose from can make simple meals special. Look for different breads and rolls that you can freeze and thaw quickly in the microwave. Usually just 10- 20 seconds on HIGH is enough to produce a warm, tasty roll or slice of bread. But be careful, microwaving breads too long can make them too tough and chewy. Spread on some liquid margarine or reduced sugar fruit spread and that hot bread will taste almost homemade.
Living alone doesn't have to mean poor nutrition or tasteless frozen dinners. If you make the right choices, you can prepare favorite meals that will help you eat better and stay healthy for a long time.
Web Sites For Diabetes Recipes
Looking for new, healthy recipes for you and your family at no cost? Although people with diabetes can use recipes from any source, these Web sites provide recipes that are generally healthier than traditional recipes and contain nutrition information so you'll know how to include them in your meal plan. Most of them also list the exchanges for each recipe. If you do not have access to the Internet, check with the public library.
www.caloriecontrol.org
Provides about 20 favorite recipes submitted by dietitians in a recipe contest to make traditional recipes healthier.
www.cookinglight.com
Click on "recipe finder" and search over 2000 recipes from Cooking Light magazine by ingredient, category or nutrition information. You can also E-mail a favorite recipe to a friend.
www.diabetes.org
The American Diabetes Association's Web site offers a recipe of the day from their assortment of cookbooks, plus an archive of recipes from the previous week.
www.diabeticgourmet.com
You can select "recipe archive" or "recipe search" and search by meal type, ingredient or preparation time. Each recipe is rated for cost and difficulty in preparation. Exchanges are included along with nutrition information.
www.diabeticcooking.com
This Web site includes recipes designed specifically for people with diabetes. Recipes can be searched by category or ingredient. Nutritional information and exchanges are provided for each recipe as well as a photograph of the food.
www.equal.com
These recipes include the sweetener aspartame (brand name Equal) and provide nutritional information and exchanges. Recipes can be searched by category or meal. Recipes can also be E-mailed to a friend.
www.mealsforyou.com
You can select recipes by category at this Web site - - low-fat, vegetarian, low sodium, etc. Recipes can be sorted by nutrient content (fat, carbohydrate, sodium, etc), ingredients, preparation time or other options. Then you can even print out a shopping list. Photographs of some of the foods are included.
www.splenda.com
Over 30 recipes were developed using the sweetener sucralose (brand name Splenda.) Each recipe provides nutritional information and exchanges.
Staying Motivated to Exercise
With New Year resolutions falling by the wayside, you might find yourself warming the couch more often these chilly evenings. If only you could get all the benefits of exercise in a bottle, you could take that magical pill and snuggle up to the couch at the same time. But, unfortunately, there is no magical pill. And, it's sometimes difficult to stay in the exercise routine. Look at gyms and fitness facilities now -- they're less crowded than they were the first of the year. The good intentions have been replaced by seemingly more pressing commitments and responsibilities -- or just plain lack of motivation.
How do you stay in your exercise routine? First of all, you have to be convinced that regular exercise will benefit you. Well, let's give this a try. Regular exercise can help prevent you from getting diabetes if you don't have it, lower blood glucose if you have diabetes, reduce blood pressure if it's increased, improve your self-esteem, lower your risk of heart disease, reduce your risk of osteoporosis, increase your muscle mass, reduce your body fat, and help maintain or lose weight. Are these reasons enough?
Once you're convinced that regular exercise can offer you some benefits, the next step is finding an exercise you enjoy. If you dislike riding a stationery bike, think of what you can do instead. Many people find that walking with a friend or family member is enjoyable and relaxing. Or put your treadmill in front of the TV so you'll take your mind off the repetition. Some people enjoy being with a group while they're exercising. If you're one of these people, join a gym or YMCA so you can attend classes, swim or workout with others. You can find some type of activity you enjoy that can benefit you no matter what your age. You'll also find that alternating the types of exercise like walking one day and swimming or doing some other activity like gardening, house cleaning or hiking another day can break up the routine and help keep you motivated.
And thirdly, make a commitment to yourself regarding when and how much you're going to exercise. Write it in your appointment book. Many people don't exercise because they think only strenuous, frequent exercise is effective. But, keep in mind that any activity is better than no activity. You don't have to jog or join an aerobics class to get the benefits of regular exercise. Moderate activity is very beneficial, especially if it is done on a regular basis. Most experts recommend being moderately active for at least 30 minutes most days. Think of regular activity as part of your healthy lifestyle goal. It shouldn't be considered temporary until you reach a goal weight. It should be part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth or testing your blood glucose. It's the long-term benefits that will improve your health and help you maintain a high quality of life. Now, let's get started.
Painless Glucose Monitoring?
You know that blood glucose testing is essential to good diabetes control. But, OUCH - those sore fingers! If you're not testing as much as you should because of sensitive fingertips, you may want to consider some of the new devices now on the market that promise to be painless -- or at least less painful. And, there are many more on the way.
The new devices work in different ways. One bypasses the fingertips altogether and uses the arms or legs instead to obtain a drop of blood. The AtLast Blood Glucose System, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), uses a lancing device to pierce the skin of the arm or thigh where there are fewer nerve endings. The test strip is touched to the blood drop until a beep sounds and a reading is displayed. The system includes the lancet device and meter all in one unit. For more information, contact Amira Medical at (toll-free) 877-264-7263.
Another alternative to sticking your finger is the laser, which is used instead of a lancet to obtain blood from the finger. The first laser device for home use, the Lasette, was approved by the FDA in 1999. The device does not measure blood glucose, but uses a laser beam instead of a lancing device to pierce the finger to get a blood sample. The laser device is considered relatively painless. The Lasette is slightly larger than a cell phone, weighs less than 9 ounces, and costs slightly less than $1,000. A disposable cartridge costs about $15 for 120 uses. Call 800-846-0590 or contact their Web site at www.cellrobotics.com for more information.
Can you imagine a monitor of the future that sets off an alarm when your blood glucose is too low or too high, alerting you to the danger without sticking your finger? The GlucoWatch is an exciting concept for the not-so-distant future which provides painless blood glucose measurements about every 20 minutes for up to 12 hours, complete with alarms for high and low blood glucose. The system, which is worn like a watch, sends a small electric current through the skin, using a AAA battery; collects fluid from under the skin; and measures the glucose in the fluid with special sensory pads. It doesn't totally eliminate the need for finger sticking, however. The blood glucose needs to be checked with the traditional fingerstick method when the GlucoWatch needs to be calibrated. They plan to sell it for $225-$250. Although the device is not yet approved by the FDA, it is expected to be approved this year, with manufacturing beginning later this year. It was recently approved for use in Europe. For more information about the Glucowatch, contact Cygnus, Inc at 650-369-4300 or www.cygn.com.
MiniMed, a company that makes insulin pumps, has a monitoring system that's been approved for doctors to use. A sensor is implanted under the skin on the abdomen and can record glucose levels every five minutes for up to three days. The glucose results are only available when the information is downloaded at the doctor's office. At the present time, this still requires the usual fingerstick monitoring, but in addition gives the doctor more information that may be helpful in making changes in diabetes medication, food intake or activity. However, this may represent a major breakthrough in non-invasive blood glucose monitoring for the future.
At last, we're seeing a breakthrough in less painful blood glucose monitoring. Although the non-invasive blood glucose monitors are not yet available, if sore fingers are keeping you from monitoring your blood glucose, consider the new less painful devices. Keep your eyes open for more options in the very near future. Initially, these devices will be more expensive. But as we see more competition, you can bet the prices will be reduced - and our fingers will feel the difference.
Implantable Insulin Pump Gets Approval in Europe
Implantable insulin pumps may not be too far in the future in the U.S. The device, manufactured by MiniMed, was recently approved for use within the European Union and is expected to be on the market within the next few months.
The pump, about the size of a hockey puck, is implanted in the abdomen of a person with type 1 diabetes. Insulin is dispensed from the pump throughout the day and a transmitter is held over the pump to tell it to deliver extra insulin before meals. The current model should last about 10 years.
Ideally, the implantable pump would work more like an artificial pancreas with a goal of preventing or delaying the complications of diabetes, lowering the risk of hypoglycemia, and lessening the inconvenience and discomfort of giving several insulin injections each day.
The implantable pump has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
| Recipe Corner |
This salad can be served with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar or your favorite low-calorie dressing.
| 1 " cups fresh spinach leaves |
| 2 tablespoons chopped pecans |
| " cup mandarin oranges, packed in light syrup, drained |
| 1 medium tomato, cut in wedges |
| 2 artichoke hearts, canned in water, cut into small wedges |
| 2 medium mushrooms, washed and sliced |
| 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (optional) |
Wash and dry spinach leaves. Remove large stems. Add remaining ingredients except blue cheese and toss together. Sprinkle blue cheese on top. Add your favorite dressing.
2 servings
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, " fruit, 1 fat
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 140 Carbohydrate: 16 grams Protein: 5 grams Fat: 7 grams
Cholesterol: 5 milligrams Sodium: 206 milligrams Fiber: 3 grams
| Menu Item | Exchanges | Carbohydrate |
| 3 ounces grilled sea bass | 3 lean meat | † |
| 1/3 cup long-grain and wild rice | 1 starch | 15 grams |
| " cup steamed broccoli | 1 veg | 5 grams |
| 1 cup Spring Salad* | 1 veg, " fruit, 1 fat | 16 grams |
| 1 Tbs. fat-free vinaigrette dressing | Free | † |
| 1 roll | 1 starch | 15 grams |
* This month's featured recipe | ||
† Insignificant | ||
Note: Portions may need to be adjusted for your meal plan. | ||
