-DIABETES TK

Grilled sweetpotato & blueberry salad

September CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION

SOCIAL POSTS Keep your heart healthy. To help keep your cholester ol levels low choose foods that are low in saturated fat and contain soluble fiber like beans, oatmeal, and sweet- potatoes. Yes, you can eat sweetpotatoes if you have diabetes! Check out this video to hear more! Adding 5-10 grams of soluble fiber to your diet/day can help lower your cholesterol Did you know that 1 medium sweetpotato gives you 2 grams of soluble fiber? #nationalcholesteroleducationmonth #hearthealthy #solublefiber #ncsweetpotatoes #diabetesfriendly NEWSLETTER COPY If your cholesterol levels are elevated, try to swap out foods that are high in cholesterol and high in saturated fat. Choose mono or polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated fats and limit trans-fat. These types of fats clog our arteries. Another benefit of including healthy fats is that they help slow down the absorption of the carbohydrate you consume to achieve better blood sugar levels. Also try and choose foods that are high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber becomes gummy in your arteries and helps to pull out cholesterol. Sweetpotatoes contain 2 grams of soluble fiber per medium potato. Research suggests we include 5-10 grams of soluble fiber/day to help lower LDL cholesterol levels. Other healthy lifestyle behaviors like being physically active most days of the week for at least 30 minutes are also recommended for keeping cholesterol in target range. Make sure to check with your doctor before embarking on added physical activity. And keep body weight in target range. Added weight can increase the lousy cholesterol (LDL) and decrease the good cholesterol (HDL). Following the Diabetes Plate Method can help you monitor your blood sugar levels and your weight with the portioning of food. Half your plate be filled with vegetables, one quarter of the plate with a lean protein, and the last quarter of the plate with carbohydrate containing food like sweetpotatoes.

Recipe Link

TALKING POINTS y During the month of September we celebrate National Cholesterol Education Month. Did you know that people with diabetes should have their blood cholesterol checked annually? Do you know what is considered a normal cholesterol and what the different types of cholesterol mean (HDL vs LDL cholesterol)? Both have functions in our body. y Because people with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, they should have their cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked at least once per year. For these blood tests, you need to be fasting for at least 8 hours to get accurate results. y We get cholesterol in two ways. Our bodies make their own cholesterol, and we consume cholesterol from certain types of foods. y Cholesterol travels through our bloodstream on proteins that are called lipoproteins. LDL, Low Density Lipoprotein, which we also reference as Lousy Cholesterol and HDL, High Density Lipoprotein, which is the good cholesterol. y Foods that are high in trans-fat and saturated fat have been found to clog our arteries. Foods that are high in trans-fat and saturated fat food typically are found in foods derived from animals like red meat, butter, and cheese. Coconut milk is also high in saturated fat. y Foods like fruit and vegetables, including sweet potatoes, do not contain cholesterol nor saturated fat.

Ingredients

Lemon Honey Vinaigrette • 6 Tbsp olive oil • ¼ cup lemon juice • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard • 2 ½ Tbsp honey • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad •

3 medium sweetpotatoes peeled & sliced

• • • • • •

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt/pepper to taste 4 cups Spring salad mix 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup blue cheese crumbles Optional: Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions 1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Drizzle the sweetpotatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the sliced sweetpotatoes on the grill and cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until the sweetpotatoes are tender and slightly charred. Remove from the grill and let cool. 2. To arrange the salad, spread the spring salad mix onto a large platter and top with the grilled sweetpotatoes, blueberries, walnuts, and blue cheese crumbles. Top it off with a delicious homemade Lemon Honey Vinaigrette and garnish with fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy! NUTRITION TIP 4 Diabetes Management Truths Know the facts about diabetes management. Here are 4 things you should know: 1. Diabetes can be managed through healthy lifestyle behaviors like healthy eating, being physically active, and reducing stress. Medications may be prescribed by your doctor as an additional management strategy. 2. People who have been diagnosed with diabetes can eat carbohydrates. Choose carbohydrates that are less processed and higher in fiber as the best choices. Carbohydrates like sweetpotatoes can fit into a healthy eating plan for managing diabetes. 3. Eating sugar does not cause diabetes. Sugar and sugary foods are higher in calories and may cause weight gain which can increase a person’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes. But sugar itself does not cause diabetes. 4. At this point in time, there is not a cure for diabetes, but diabetes certainly can be managed.

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