Diabetes Basics

Did you know that type 2 diabetes and heart disease share common risk factors? In many cases, both type 2 diabetes and heart disease can be prevented by making small lifestyle changes.

In recognition of American Heart Month, try making two or three of these smart food choices to protect your heart and prevent type 2 diabetes.

Foods to include in your diet:

1. Eat more whole grains. Try to eat whole-grain versions of breads, cereals, crackers, pasta, and other grains at least half of the time.

• Check the list of ingredients on foods made from grains. Choose foods that show “whole” or “whole grain” as the first ingredient. Examples include whole-wheat flour, whole oats, oatmeal, whole-grain cornmeal, popcorn, whole-rye flour, barley, and bulgur.
• Try whole-wheat pasta instead of regular pasta.
• Have brown rice, whole-wheat couscous (a quick-cooking grain), or a boxed whole grain mix instead of white rice.

2. Eat more vegetables and fruit.

• Eat at least one vegetable or a salad at lunch and dinner. Snack on raw vegetables.
• Try new ways of cooking vegetables, such as steaming, stir-frying, or roasting.
• Eat dark green and dark yellow vegetables every day, such as broccoli, spinach, collards, kale, carrots, squash, chilies, and peppers.
• Choose fruit for dessert or when you crave something sweet.

3. Choose heart-healthy fats. Choose the kinds of fat that can help lower your cholesterol. But keep in mind that all fats are high in calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll want to keep servings small.

• Cook with healthy fats. Choose from olive oil, canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil.
• Have a handful of low-salt nuts for a snack several times a week.

4. Eat more fish.

• Have fish 2 to 3 times a week. Choose from albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, sardines, and salmon. They all are high in omega-3 fats, a type of fat that may help lower blood fat levels and prevent build-up of unhealthy plaque in the arteries.

5. Eat foods with omega-3 fats.

• Add flaxseeds and walnuts to your morning cereal.
• Use canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, or walnut oil.
• Switch to a cholesterol-lowering margarine. These margarines contain an ingredient (called plant stanol esters) that keeps cholesterol from being absorbed.

Foods to cut back on:

1. Cut back on foods with saturated fat.

• Eat less butter, whole milk, high-fat ice cream, high-fat cheese, and lard.
• Choose meats that have less fat, such as ground beef with 7% fat instead of 15%.
• Eat lean meats or meat substitutes such as beef round, chuck roast, rib roast, fish, pork tenderloin, or poultry without the skin.
• Choose lower-fat versions of cheese and milk. For example, try reduced-fat cheddar cheese. If you buy 2% milk now, try 1% milk. If you already use 1% milk, try fat-free milk.

2. Cut back on foods with trans fat.

• Check food labels and avoid trans fat whenever you can.
• Watch out for foods that list trans fat, hydrogenated oil, or partially hydrogenated oil on the labels.
• Buy soft margarines that are trans fat-free or low in trans fat. If you buy stick margarine, choose margarine with liquid vegetable oil listed as the first ingredient.

3. Cut back on high-cholesterol foods.

• Cut back on egg yolks, organ meats such as liver, high-fat dairy products, and high-fat meat and poultry.
• Choose packaged foods with little or no cholesterol. Check the Nutrition Facts and the list of ingredients on food labels.

4. Cook using low-fat methods. Use heart-healthy fats.

• Broil, microwave, bake, roast, steam, or grill foods.
• Use nonstick pans and use heart-healthy oils like canola, olive, sunflower, or corn oil cooking sprays.

5. Cut back on calories if you need to lose weight.

• Compare your usual daily calories to the total you should have to lose weight. Keep track of what you eat for a day or two.
• Then go to MyFoodAdvisor and click on “Explore Foods.” Add up your total calories for a day.

6. Cut back on salt (sodium).

• Limit sodium to no more than 1,500 milligrams each day.
• Check on sodium content online at MyFoodAdvisor. Click on “Explore Foods.” Or check food labels for sodium content.
• Add less salt to your food. Try to get used to the taste of food without salt.
• Use herbs, spices, or lemon juice instead of salt.

For more information, visit CheckUp America.