The Wandering RD

Yes–I’m talking to you. All of you. Whether you have type 2 diabetes or not–on World Diabetes Day–I’m talking to everyone just the same, because I believe you all need to hear this: 70 percent of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented by the adoption of a healthy lifestyle (according to the International Diabetes Federation).

Many people watch the news or scour social media and are upset by what they see.  It’s part of our high-tech culture to be inundated with polarizing opinions on important topics.  Me? Right or wrong, I tend to avoid daily political news. Frankly, I love our country, but I don’t see how my rants could possibly help.

Instead, I channel my beefs elsewhere; I simply go to the grocery store and find myself fired up by what I see. It’s now part of our culture to be inundated with CONVENIENT JUNK, some of which masquerades as health food. And sorry (not sorry), I have no choice but to rant because I’m hoping it may possibly help you.

God Bless America…we have choices, we have innovation, we have advances in technology, we have more of everything. But it seems like everything that makes America great has made our food culture deplorable.  So, if you feel helpless when it comes to eating better to improve your health, my only goal is to help you figure out what to eat. I hope you choose to keep reading because it is my passion to help you eat easy, real food to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Although type 2 diabetes is affected by your genes, studies have shown its progression can be prevented and managed by healthy lifestyle interventions. But our food culture is not making this easy. Successfully managing, reversing or preventing diabetes requires a complete overhaul of our way of thinking, which means bucking our ubiquitous food culture.

It’s a daunting task, but I strongly believe in owning the responsibility for your own health. We can’t expect the government to tell us how or what to eat, or food companies to change their products for the better. The changes to our food culture have to come from within us–the consumers. And when we simply shift our focus from one processed food to a “healthier” processed food (gluten-free products, for example) or continually seek better “fast-food” options, we are completely off the mark and missing the point.

We have to slow down…and value ourselves, our family and our health enough to want to find the necessary time it takes to prepare and really savor real food in the company of our closest companions–our physical and mental health depends on it. And no governmental policy or commercial product can help us do that. 

But it doesn’t have to be terribly time-consuming or complicated. That’s why I am always talking about EASY, real food. You don’t have to do elaborate meal planning. You don’t have to plan a month of meals in advance. And you don’t have to cook all your meals for the week in one afternoon (unless, of course, you want to). But you do have to find ways to incorporate real food that work for you. I am sharing these suggestions that work for me and I hope they will help simplify the task of eating more easy, real food.

10 Ways To Eat More Easy, Real Food:

1. You can eat eggs every day. I eat 2 eggs every day for breakfast. It takes less than 5 minutes. Sometimes I scramble several portions for a few days and store them in individual containers to reheat for 20 seconds. Sometimes I add sauteed veggies, or cheese, but most days just salt and pepper. At first, it was monotonous, I can’t lie. But somewhere along the way, it became a healthy habit and now it’s just “what I eat” and I don’t have to think much about it, which works for me and my busy mornings.
2. Set real-food goals. Try having at least one fruit and vegetable at every meal. I do this for my kids’ packed lunches from home (because I can’t wait for school lunch to get healthier) and after we returned late Sunday from a weekend trip, I skipped the veggie on Monday because I hadn’t gone to the store and I got complaints about it! I love it when healthy habits become ingrained!
3. Cook more. I usually cook dinner 4 to 5 times per week (often with leftovers). If you don’t cook much at all, start with one meal a week and increase as you can. And try to keep your meal planning (I use a white board) and your meals simple and full of real foods. Visit the recipe index for a sheet-pan meal, or a slow cooker meal, or an Instant Pot meal.
4. Rebrand “leftovers” as “premade meals” and enjoy the extra free time. I know I talk a lot about leftovers, which don’t sound very appealing to many people. I used to be one of them! But as a busy mom, I now appreciate that they are time-giving, lifesavers! So, I recommend doing whatever you have to do to wrap your brain around using this meal prep strategy to your advantage. For lunch, B and I usually eat leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. Or I will make a quick simple salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and tuna or chicken for protein, toasted pecans or walnuts for crunch and flavor (with olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper as dressing). Sometimes I double a meal to have leftovers for dinner the next night if I know it’ll be a busy one.
5. Snack on some real foods if you want, or don’t snack; the choice is yours. But if you do snack, stick to lower sugar, easy, real food snacks. As a snack, I usually choose some nuts (walnuts and macadamias are my favorite), OR a piece of cheese OR a piece of fruit, such as an apple, pear, or clementine. About once a week I’ll have 4 oz. of my favorite Noosa pumpkin yogurt or even a convenient Kind Bar (Maple Glazed Pecan and Sea Salt or Madagascar Vanilla Almond), because it’s nut based and yummy, if not exactly real food.
6. Buy fewer processed food products. I find it easier to avoid many products because there are scant good choices: such as cereal, crackers, and easy side-dish mixes. And keep in mind, even if you need to follow a gluten-free diet, gluten-free processed products are not better than their replacements for someone with diabetes. Instead focus on simple ingredients and ask yourself, “does this food come from nature?” For example, meats, fruits, vegetables, dairy, rice, quinoa, etc.  Some minimally processed canned foods I buy include canned tuna or salmon, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato paste, a variety of beans, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and broth.
7. Limit sugar. When you think you’ve decreased sugar in your diet in the obvious places (sugary beverages, limiting sweets, etc.), decrease it some more by reading the ingredient lists on food labels and avoiding products with sugar (and its various names). At first you may miss it, but you’ll likely notice your taste buds adjust and things taste sweeter without the sugar.
8. Limit refined carbohydrates or preferably all carbohydrates.
   Highly processed carbohydrates such as white flour, corn flour or even gluten-free flours break down quickly into sugar in the bloodstream and research shows these refined carbohydrates are harmful to your health. A recent randomized controlled study conducted in Norway reveals that neither a very high-fat diet nor a very low-fat diet (both of which included “good” low-glycemic index carbohydrates) contribute to abdominal fat or metabolic syndrome—if they are free of refined carbohydrates. This is why for someone with diabetes, or anyone trying to prevent diabetes, it’s most important to limit refined carbohydrates, not saturated fat. Research also shows a lower carbohydrate (not just the refined type) diet is a very effective way to manage blood sugar for people with diabetes or for those wanting to prevent obesity. In particular, a diet low in carbohydrates is beneficial for reducing belly fat, which contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes. One randomized controlled study found that participants following a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet lost more abdominal fat (trunk fat) than participants following a low-fat diet.

9. Choose fats wisely. I use olive oil mainly, with some butter and coconut oil and sometimes even rendered bacon grease. Although these fats contain some saturated fat, research suggests that saturated fat may not be harmful to heart health.  Also, these fats are fairly naturally derived and minimally processed–unlike many vegetable oils such as corn, and soybean oil (which are in almost all processed foods) and even canola oil. I also recommend avoiding all trans fat, which is in margarine and other processed foods.

10. Choose unsweetened, low-sugar beverages. I start my day with one (or two) unsweetened Italian “long” (diluted) espresso, to which I add a splash of whole milk.  I consider fresh-brewed coffee a real food, which is only minimally processed, when nothing else is added to it. Recent research suggests coffee may be protective against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. In fact, a recent study suggests 3 to 5 cups per day had the most protective effect on risk for heart disease. Another study suggests at least one cup daily is protective against type 2 diabetes. Then I drink seltzer (La Croix grapefruit is my favorite) and water the rest of the day. Sometimes I add a lemon or lime wedge for flavor. And I often have a glass of red wine with dinner.

Bottom Line:

I hope this information helps you rethink your day-to-day eating to incorporate more easy, real food to prevent or manage diabetes.  As a diabetes expert, it is difficult to deliver restrictive advice, but on the bright side, it is the best evidence-based advice to prevent and manage diabetes.  And if it helps to know that I do follow my own advice, then rest assured I know it is difficult–but also possible and satisfying to eat this way long term. As always, feel free to share your questions or comments!