Question of the Week

Here is a question recently posted by a reader at FOODPICKER.org: I was just diagnosed with pre-diabetes. The nurse told me to eat lots of vegetables. Could you tell me what "lots of vegetables" means and what type of vegetables to consume? Also, how should I prepare them?

You could start with a goal of eating 3-5 servings of vegetables each day. A serving is either 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables. That may seem like a lot but if you start adding greens to a soup or lettuce and tomato to a sandwich or onions and mushrooms to an omelet you will easily reach your goal.
There are starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes and their counterpart, nonstarchy vegetables which have the added benefit of being lower in calories and carbohydrates.
Some examples of nonstarchy vegetables include artichokes, beans, broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumber, cucumber, mushrooms, onions, peppers swiss chard, tomato (and tomato juice) and spinach.
There is no wrong way to prepare vegetables, it is just your personal preference. You could try steaming them in a small amount of water or roasting them with a drizzle of olive oil and seasonings or herbs at 350F until they are soft. If you have limited time you could microwave as well.

Question of the week

Here is a question recently posted from a reader at FOODPICKER.org:
My husband has diabetes and we always eat whole wheat bread but wanted something different for a change.  Is rye bread or sourdough bread as good of an option as whole wheat?

First,  you should feel good about the fact that you have both been consuming whole wheat bread.  Studies show that you have a better chance of getting the vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytoestrogens and antioxidants from whole grain foods rather than refined grains.  Whole grain foods are less rapidly digested so they enter the system more slowly.   There have been studies that show a direct correlation between improved insulin sensitivity and the consumption whole grain foods. 

 As a consumer it can be confusing to understand what you are actually buying by reading the product label.  If a product says “made with whole wheat” or “made with whole grain”  it is not necessarily a whole wheat product.  The word “enriched” could indicate that the food lacks wholegrain.  Try to stick to products that list whole wheat or whole grain as the first ingredient.   

Question of the week

The following question was posted by a reader at FOODPICKER.org:   
I have pre-diabetes and enjoy having an afternoon snack.  Is microwave popcorn ok for me to have?

Popcorn is a great snack which includes fiber and complex carbohydrates. In addition, it is low in calories, sodium and sugar and it's easy to make!  It is a fat free snack aside from the oil/butter which may be used during preparation.  Before you eat it keep in mind that 1 carbohydrate choice (15g) is equivalent to 3 cups of popped corn.  An alternate to microwave popcorn would be popping popcorn on the stovetop (which is almost a lost art).  The popcorn made on the stovetop has a much richer flavor and less non-popped kernel waste.  One option would be to cook it with a small amount of grape seed oil.  This polyunsaturated vegetable oil has a light neutral flavor but a high smoke point which makes it suitable for frying or in this case, popping corn.  Grape seed oil also contains beneficial compounds such as linoleic acid (omega 6) and vitamin E.

Question of the week: How Do I Stay Motivated?

The following question was posted by a reader at FOODPICKER.org:
I have diabetes and I'm having trouble staying consistent and motivated.  I'm usually good for about 2 weeks and then I go back to my old ways of eating and lack of exercise. How can I stay motivated?

Answer:  Changing any behavior is difficult and it takes time and patience.  Try to set short term goals to make small changes initially, such as exercising 3-4 days a week, drinking more water or adding a  vegetable to one meal each day.  Write your short term and long term goals in a journal and make a commitment to yourself to write anything positive that you did that day toward achieving your goal.  This will motivate you to continue to reach another goal.  You will slowly replace your old ways with new healthy habits that make you feel good about yourself!

live your best life

I am a Nutrition Editor at http://FOODPICKER.org - a website designed

to help people with diabetes.