-DIABETES TK

NEWSLETTER COPY Spring is in the air which means in some parts of the United States, people have begun their vegetable gardens. There is nothing like planting and harvesting your own fresh vegetables- a true farm to table experience. Remember that half our plate should be filled with low carb vegetables and starchy vegetables like sweetpotatoes are placed in the carbohydrate section of our healthy food plate with the final section being filled with a lean protein food. Gardening is also a great way to help reduce stress and become more physically active. Finding ways to reduce our stress and move our body more are helpful lifestyle behaviors for managing blood sugar and blood pressure levels. NUTRITION TIP 5 Ways to Reduce Stress that can also help with Diabetes Management Diabetes is 24/7 and requires a long list of things to do. If you plan some of the things involved with diabetes management, it can lighten your load and reduce your stress. Here are some suggestions: 1. Plan your week of meals on the weekend (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks). 2. Write your grocery list as you plan your meals so that you will have all the ingredients in stock in your kitchen after shopping. Remember to include your entrée and side dishes. 3. Set up an automatic re-order plan with your pharmacy for your diabetes medications. 4. Schedule your lab tests (A1C, glucose, BUN, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides) the day you are at your doctor’s office and write it on your calendar. 5. Pick a time of day that you schedule at least 15 minutes of exercise and place it on your calendar as an appointment. TEACHING TOOL To assist you with lowering your stress level by down loading our Teaching Tool 5 Ways to Reduce Stress !

sweetpotato wedge & purple cabbage salad

May BLOOD PRESSURE EDUCATION MONTH

SOCIAL POSTS Have you tried any of these wonderful spices on your sweetpotato? If not, try it (it won’t add calories or carbs to your meal): Sweet: pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, low calorie sweetener, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom Savory: garlic, curry, garam masala, chipotle or sriracha One food strategy for lowering your sodium intake is to choose your seasoning wisely. Post in comments if you prefer to flavor your sweetpotato sweet or savory. (It’s fun to note using emojis of your choosing for sweet or savory when using social media. #ncsweetpotatoes #diabetes #diabetesfriendly #reducingbloodpressure #seasonings NUTRITION TIP 5 Tips to Reduce the Sodium in Your Food You can reduce your sodium intake by making some modifications to the food you consume or the way you season your food. Here are five examples: 1. When you purchase canned vegetables, choose no added salt canned vegetables. 2. Read the nutrition facts panel on food labels for pack aged foods. A low sodium food is 140 mg sodium or less. 3. Eat more fruit and vegetables. One medium Sweetpotato is a low sodium food (contains 72 milligrams of sodium). 4. Put the saltshaker aside and explore the variety of spices and seasonings to flavor your food. 5. Favorite spices to use on sweetpotatoes are: Sweet - pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, low calorie sweetener, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom. Savory - garlic, curry, garam masala, chipotle or sriracha.

TALKING POINTS y During the month of May, we have a public health focus on blood pressure for all Americans, and it is especially important for people with diabetes. y Why is blood pressure management important for people with diabetes? Monitoring blood pressure is important for people with diabetes because their risk of developing high blood pressure is increased twofold. A person with diabetes is more likely to have high blood pressure than a person without diabetes. y Know your numbers: a blood pressure of less than 120/80 is considered normal. High blood pressure is diagnosed when your pressure is 140/90 or higher. y Managing high blood pressure often includes reducing sodium in your diet. We do need a small amount (500 milligrams) of sodium to help our body balance electrolytes, maintain high enough blood pressure and help with normal nerve and muscle function. But it’s very easy to consume much more sodium on a daily basis. y Sweetpotatoes are a heart healthy food that can help reduce blood pressure because they are low in sodium and high in potassium. NEWSLETTER COPY More than half the people who have been diagnosed with diabetes also have high blood pressure or take prescription medication for lowering blood pressure. One of the tactics to lower blood pressure is modifying the food we choose to eat or how we season food. Swapping lower sodium foods like no added salt canned or frozen vegetables, low sodium soups, or spice powders instead of spice salts.

Recipe Link

Ingredients

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2 sweetpotatoes

½ head purple cabbage

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

6 Tbsp poppyseed dressing divided

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

2 cups grape tomatoes halved 3 Tbsp feta cheese crumbled

Directions 1. Preheat grill.

2. Scrub and wash sweetpotatoes and cut each into six wedges. (If your potatoes are long, you may want to cut your wedges in half) Par-boil sweetpotatoes 5 minutes, drain, and allow to cool 5 minutes. 3. While sweetpotatoes are cooling, shred cabbage into thin slices. 4. Just before putting on the grill, toss sweetpotatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. 5. Place sweetpotato wedges on the grill, perpendicular to the grates over direct heat; grill about 3 minutes on each side or until tender-crisp with grill marks on each side. Remove from grill and set aside. 6. In a Ziploc bag or large bowl, toss cabbage and 4 Tbsp of poppy seed dressing until coated. 7. Add parsley and tomatoes to the cabbage mixture and toss. 8. To serve, place sweetpotato wedges on a bed of dressed cabbage and drizzle with the remaining poppyseed dressing, and sprinkle with cheese. 9. Serve warm or cold.

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