Giving Thanks
By: Jessica Cook MS RD LD CDE (Director of Education)
This is certainly the time for giving and giving thanks as the holidays are approaching. This can also be the time a lot of us stray from our usually eating routine and find blood sugars or weight getting off track. Here are a few tips to keep in mind during this holiday season to prevent the holiday bulge:
- Keep exercising. Just because you may be eating some higher calorie food items this holiday season doesn’t mean it’s time to put away your walking shoes! Make sure to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine, especially days that you know you will be consuming higher carbohydrate treats. This will help control blood sugars, weight and your well being for many months to come.
- Drink water. The holiday season may present more opportunities to consume cocktails, salty snacks or you may be traveling more than usual this season. It is important to remember to stay hydrated during these scenarios and consume water. Adequate consumption of water may help relieve headaches, plays an important role in kidney health, helps blood sugar control and may aid in weight loss as well. So make sure to add water to your holiday menu this season.
- Choose more non-starchy vegetables at meal times. Just because you’re having a big family dinner for the holidays does not mean you have to neglect the vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables are low in carbohydrates, low in calories and high in fiber, which make them a great choice at any holiday party or get together. Try filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables to help reduce calorie consumption during holiday meals and your waistline will thank you for it!
- Don’t skimp on lean proteins. Holiday foods are typically rich in carbohydrates and fats such as gravy, stuffing, pie, dinner rolls and mashed potatoes, but remember that lean protein helps to keep you full in order to prevent over eating at meal times. Try having a protein rich breakfast such as eggs, non-fat Greek yogurt or fat free cottage cheese in order to help you make better choices throughout the day.
Please enjoy this month’s Living Well with Diabetes Newsletter and remember to be thankful for the little pleasures in your life!
Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome
By: Shital Patel M.D.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome, otherwise known as PCOS, usually affects young women of reproductive age. Symptoms of PCOS are irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism (excessive facial or body hair), and insulin resistance.
Patients usually have onset of symptoms around puberty and are diagnosed in their early 20s to early 30’s years of age. PCOS patients have difficulty losing weight and are also significantly insulin resistant and if they do not maintain a healthy body weight, exercise regularly and count calories they will develop diabetes at a young age. Women with PCOS may also have trouble with inadequate ovulation, which may interfere with their fertility at a later date.
The Metabolic Syndrome of PCOS includes insulin resistance leading to diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and eventually increased cardiovascular disease. However early diagnosis by an endocrinologist is key to prevent complications related to PCOS.
Gratitude
By: Gail Starr LCSW, CDE
Psychology Today defines gratitude as being thankful, grateful for or appreciative of what one has as opposed to what one wants. The concept of using gratitude to help modify feelings and behaviors is an integral part of positive psychology.
Studies have shown that gratitude can be intentionally developed and can increase levels of well-being and happiness among those who practice thinking in that manner. It may increase energy, optimism, and empathy as well.
How can that help people with diabetes? Often people with diabetes experience negative feelings when first diagnosed, and those thoughts and feelings can resurface on and off over time. Thoughts create feelings and the thoughts that create negative feelings about diabetes are exactly that – negative. When people focus on positive thoughts about diabetes and/or their lives in general, depression, anger, fear and other negative feelings can be allayed. In other words, this means constructively converting negative thoughts into positive ones.
For example, diabetes can be seen not as the end of the world, as I often hear, but as a wake-up call to start listening to the body saying that it is time to take care of oneself. A good thing to remember is that it is usually the high blood sugars that cause complications. If one feels motivated to make modifications in lifestyle, sugars can often be controlled. Having gratitude for getting the wake up call, for having a support system that can help, for having your doctors, nurses and diabetes educators to provide education and assistance, for being able to make those lifestyle modifications, for thinking you are still the same person you were before the diagnosis, can all help put you on the road toward greater levels of wellbeing and happiness.
Recently we celebrated the holiday Thanksgiving. Reverse the word Thanksgiving and you get the words “giving thanks.” This is the month to start practicing being thankful, being grateful for what you have, for mindfully beginning each day with a positive thought about your life.
More personally, I am grateful for the opportunity to share these thoughts with you. I hope they are helpful in your search for health, happiness, and wellbeing.
Happy Holidays
At Healthy Living with Diabetes, we want to ensure that you are satisfied with all services received. We also would like your input on educational workshops that you would like us to offer, the information you would like to read about in Healthy Living with Diabetes Monthly or feedback on any workshop that you may have attended.
You can contact the director of education personally by email jcook@PBDES.COM or leave a message at (561) 513-5100 We would love to hear from you!