Back to Basics

What comes to mind when you think of food? Maybe a bowl of bow-tie pasta covered in a thick, rich tomato sauce with a side of buttery garlic toast and a glass of red wine. Or maybe it is a freshly prepared spinach strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette. We all have our favorite foods, but to keep our endurance and strength throughout training and regular physical activity, we need to eat well balanced meals with plenty of variety. The colors on the Food Guide Pyramid depict the equation we should follow to help us feel our best, and get the right amount of nutrients from our foods. First we will talk about the grains group, seen as the orange triangle on the left side of the pyramid.

The grains group consists of breads, tortillas, rice, pasta, crackers, and cereals. They provide the essential nutrients carbohydrate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, iron, magnesium, selenium, and fiber. When your body needs energy, it looks to carbohydrate as the initial food source so it is crucial that you incorporate carbohydrate rich foods into your diet. To reap the benefits from this group, we should make at least half of our grain servings from whole grains.

Why Whole Grains?

Whole grains have the entire germ, bran, and endosperm intact (see picture) and therefore contain more fiber than a refined grain which only contains the endosperm. Fiber is known to reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers; it also reduces cholesterol as well as helps with weight management and constipation. If you are finding yourself hungry minutes after eating, try adding more fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to help combat hunger. Oatmeal, barley, rye, triticale, quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat are a few examples of whole grains.

What Is a Portion?

28 grams is equivalent to 1 oz or 1 grain serving
1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, or cooked cereal
1 cup cold cereal
1 slice bread
1 6” tortilla
5-6 crackers

How Many Grains Should I Eat?

For those following a 2000 calorie diet you should have at least 6 servings from the grains group each day, with 3 servings being from whole grain sources.
For other calorie levels, visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/ for more information.

Incorporating More Whole Grains

Substitute whole grain pasta, rice, breads, crackers and cereals. Brands such as Bob’s Red Mills and Kashi provide excellent whole grain options and can be found at most local grocery stores. When choosing your breads, look at the ingredient statement and be sure to choose those that read "whole" wheat as the first ingredient. When baking substitute half of your flour for whole wheat flour to increase your whole grain intake. For more tips, visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/.

Diabetes

Because November is Diabetes Awareness Month®, I would like to share with you some facts about diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles.

Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disorder when your pancreas stops producing insulin. Daily insulin injections, diet, and exercise will aide in the control of Type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is when your body makes some, but not enough insulin. Typically Type 2 diabetes can be controlled through oral medications along with diet and exercise.

Diabetes and Diet
A diabetic diet is simply a well balanced, portion controlled diet. Many think that if you have diabetes you cannot eat any sugar, when in fact it is the total carbohydrates, and type of carbohydrate that is important. Natural sources of carbohydrates are those sugars found in grains, fruit, some dairy, and starchy vegetables. These are the foods that will increase or maintain blood glucose levels, and those that need to be counted throughout the day. Candy, cakes, cookies, pies, etc, also need to be counted but need to be limited for those with diabetes.

Reading Labels
Understanding how to read food labels is also important. First look at the serving size of the product (i.e. 1 cup). Then look at the total carbohydrate content (i.e. 15 grams). So in 1 cup of the product, there are 15 grams of carbohydrate. This equates to 1 carbohydrate choice or serving. For most, 3-4 servings of carbohydrate per meal is appropriate with 1-2 choices for snacks.

Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
If you think you may be diabetic, be sure to see your doctor immediately. Symptoms may include blurred vision, headache, urinary frequency, excessive thirst and/ or hunger, extreme fatigue, irritability, bruises or cuts that are slow to heal.

Care of Diabetes
Follow a diabetic diet, check your blood sugars on a regular basis (normal is 70-130mg/dl), take the prescribed amount of medication or insulin, know the symptoms of low and high blood sugars, keep regular checkups with your doctor, have your eyes and feet checked, and exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.

Complications
If you know you have diabetes and do not take care of yourself, you may develop pancreatic problems, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, amputation of limbs, renal failure, blindness, and even death.

For more diabetes information please visit with a Registered Dietitian (RD) or your Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). You can also view the American Diabetes Association website at www.diabetes.org

~Katie Kovar-Strack, RD, LD