Food & Fitness

Do you know what you are eating?

Lose weight. Stay away from sodium. Eat less fat — but eat more fiber. Does this sound familiar? Is it confusing for you? You are not alone.

Meet MyFoodAdvisor™, the first of its kind online tool designed specifically for people with diabetes. It takes the guesswork out of eating because portion sizes are standardized. All carbohydrate-containing foods are shown in servings of about 15 grams of carbohydrate, based on the American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association exchange lists.

But as you might have heard from your health care team, it is not just about carbohydrates. Fats, calories, sodium, and fiber are also important to control blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight.

"When health care providers tell patients to watch their carbs, eat more fiber or to avoid saturated fats, most people don't know where to start," commented Ann Albright, PhD, RD, President, Health Care & Education, American Diabetes Association. "MyFoodAdvisor can help put an end to that confusion."

So there is hope when it comes to healthy eating! Here's how you can unlock some of these healthy eating mysteries using the MyFoodAdvisor tool:

Explore Foods

• Seek healthier alternatives to foods that are overall lower in sodium or saturated fat, or higher in fiber, ranking options that may provide alternatives in a meal.
• Browse by food category (milk and yogurt, vegetables) or by a specific foods (pork tenderloin).
• Compare foods by 22 nutrients (more than what appears on nutrition facts labels), including potassium and phosphorus.

"Sometimes the low-fat version of our favorite foods contain more sugar or sodium than the regular version or the sugar-free contains more trans and saturated fat," Stephanie Dunbar, ADA's Director of Nutrition and Clinical Affairs said. "It is a good idea to have the total picture before making a decision at the grocery store."

Recipes

• Save recipes to personal recipe box (with log in).
• Search for recipes by amount of calories, carbohydrate, sodium, and saturated fat.
• Search for recipes by main ingredient (such as salmon).
• Generate personalized shopping list.

"Let's say for example you are trying to watch the amount of carbohydrates you eat but also trying to increase your fiber intake," Dunbar commented. "You can search for recipes that meet both of those needs."

Create a dish

• Tracks all 22 nutrients consumed each day.
• Shows contribution of each new food to the overall dish.
• User can review a meal or recipe to provide clues to increased blood glucose levels.

"If one person in the family has type 2 diabetes or heart disease, chances are there are others around the dinner table who could be at risk as well," said Dunbar. "MyFoodAdvisor can help to implement healthier food choices for the entire family. It is also useful for people with or at risk for heart disease, people with kidney disease and those just looking to lose some weight."