NOVEMBER IS AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH

NOVEMBER IS AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH CELEBRATE MY PLATE

What is MyPlate? It is a reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout your lifetime. Everything you eat and drink matters. The right mix can help you be healthier now and in the future. This means focusing on variety, amount and nutrition; choosing foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium and added sugars; starting with small changes to build healthier eating styles; and supporting healthy eating for everyone.

Healthy eating is a journey shaped by many factors, including our stage of life, situations, preferences, access to food, culture, traditions, and the personal decisions we make over tie. MyPlate offers ideas and tips to help you create a healthier eating style that meets your individual needs and improves your health.

All food and beverage choices matter—focus on variety, amount, and nutrition.

• Focus on making healthy food and beverage choices from all five food groups including fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy to get the nutrients you need.

• Eat the right amount of calories for you based on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity level.

• Building a healthier eating style can help you avoid overweight and obesity and reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Choose an eating style low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.

• Use Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists to find amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars in the food and beverages you choose.

• Look for food and drink choices that are low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. Eating foods with less sodium can reduce your risk of high blood pressure.

Make small changes to create a healthier eating style.

• Think of each change as a personal “win” on your path to living healthier. Each win is a change you make to build your healthy eating style. Find little victories that fit into your lifestyle and celebrate MyWin!

• Start with a few of these small changes.

o Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Focus on whole fruits and vary your veggies.

o Make half your grains whole grains.

o Move to low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.

o Vary your protein routine.

Source: US Dept. of Agriculture, MyPlate

Lake Huron Medical Center is offering a free event on Wednesday, November 6, from 10 am – 3:30 pm called Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice at their North Campus. This is a FREE Diabetes Wellness Event where you can meet with a Wellness Coach, learn about Continuous Glucose Management, receive an A1C test, and much more. Registration is required and space is limited. Call (888) 637-2963.

Here’s to healthy living and Happy Diabetes Month,
Mary Ann Martin, RN, BAS, FCN