November is American Diabetes Awareness Month

American Diabetes Awareness month takes place each November to raise awareness of the disease.   Here are just a few of the recent statistics on diabetes:

• Nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes.
• Another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
• The American Diabetes Association estimates that the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.
• Recent estimates project that as many as 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes by 2050 unless we take steps to stop diabetes.
• Every 19 seconds someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes.
• African Americans and Hispanics are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.

Diabetes takes its toll on Americans.  Diabetes nearly doubles the risk for heart attack and for death from heart disease and is the leading cause of

kidney failure and new cases of blindness among working-age adults.  Roughly 60 to 70 percent of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of nerve damage that could result in pain in the feet or hands, slowed digestion, sexual dysfunction and other nerve problems.   One in 10 health care dollars is spent treating diabetes and its complications and 1 in 5 health care dollars is spent caring for people with diabetes.

Even though this all sounds very discouraging, diabetes CAN BE managed with diligence.  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides an excellent series called “Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes” which covers self-care and nutrition lessons.  The series is scheduled to take place in the spring, but individuals needing information sooner may call the Hopkins County Extension Office to make a one-to-one consultation appointment.  Of course, your diabetes team consisting of your physician and dietitian should be your first priority.

The theme for the 2015 American Diabetes Awareness Month is “Eat Well, America.”   Eating well means more than eating healthy.  Eating well means savoring food that is delicious, nutritious and simple to prepare.  One of the best go-to websites for diabetes management is the American Diabetes Association’swww.diabetesforecast.org/adm

, offering meal planning, shopping tips, grocery lists, chef’s preparation secrets and delicious recipes.

Every week in November, the Association will introduce recipes for every meal, including snacks and recipes for the holidays and other special occasions, when indulgences can present a challenge to your healthy eating plan.  Included will be seasonal recipes and tips from noted cookbook authors and chefs to give Americans the extra boost to incorporate healthy eating into their everyday lives.

Planning and shopping tips will include mapping out a shopping trip, creating a shopping list and choosing budget-friendly ingredients.  Preparation and cooking tips will include tools and techniques that guarantee recipe success.  Plating and serving tips will guide people with simple steps to create a healthy, nutritious and appealing plate of food—whether at home or dining out. Complete nutrition information for every recipe will be included so that people can decide which dishes suit them best based on their diabetes management plan and personal tastes.

National Healthy Lunch Day will be celebrated on November 17, when everyone will be encouraged to “lunch right with every bite” and make better food choices to counter expanding waistlines, low energy and rising rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity-related illness.  On this day, Americans will be asked to make or buy a healthy lunch and encourage employers and restaurants to provide healthy alternatives.

Below is a calendar to post on your refrigerator to remind you to check the website:

• Week One (11/1–11/7): Breakfast – Delicious breakfast recipes that motivate you to get your busy day off to the right start.
• Week Two (11/8–11/14): Snacks – Easy and satisfying snack recipes that make the walk past the vending machine a breeze.
• Week Three (11/15–11/21): Lunch, Including National Healthy Lunch Day – Lunch recipes that get you through the midday hump and keep you on track through the rest of the day.
• Week Four (11/22–11/28): Dinner – Seasonal dinner recipes that ensure you don’t miss out on the autumn and holiday flavors you love.
• Week Five (11/29–12/5): Special Occasion Foods – Healthy special occasion options, including sweets, so you never feel deprived of your favorite treats

and stay on track with good nutrition.

Enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas season while making wise choices.  Here’s a tasty recipe to get you started:

Pumpkin Pudding Parfait with Gingersnaps

Ingredients:

1 (1-oz) package fat-free, sugar-free instant cheesecake pudding mix

1 2/3 cups skim milk

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup light whipped topping  and 7 tsp, divided

7 gingersnap cookies, crumbled

Directions:

1)      In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2)      Fold in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Fold in 1/2 cup whipped topping and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

3)      Scoop 1/2 cup pudding mixture into each parfait glass. Top each with 1 teaspoon whipped topping and 1 crumbled gingersnap cookie.

Makes 7 servings.

Nutrition information: 15 g carbohydrate

Closing Thought

Treat each other with kindness – everyone has a hardship of some kind to bear.

Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]