4 Tips to Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar
Video by Jonathan Parrish
Did you know that preventing and managing diabetes starts with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels? Utilizing healthier eating that works for you is a great place to start. Here are some easy tips to get you started:
- Balance matters. Strive to create meals that include protein, vegetables, fats, and healthy carbs. This balanced approach fills your plate and helps keep your blood sugar in check, preventing sudden spikes.
- What’s on your plate matters. Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, green beans, peppers, and tomatoes. By adding more vegetables to your plate, you increase your intake of fiber and other nutrients that are important to your health. These vegetables have lots of flavor and nutrition and are low in carbohydrates. Eating high-fiber foods helps increase fullness, which can help prevent overeating. Learn more about this balanced plate method on November 19 during a virtual chat with MSU Extension Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Qula Madkin. To register for the chat, visit https://tinyurl.com/3t5hef89.
- Portion size matters. Read Nutrition Facts labels and pay attention to added sugar, carbohydrate content, and portion sizes. For help reading food labels, contact your local MSU Extension Family and Consumer Science agent.
- What you drink matters. It’s important to choose water as your beverage of choice and limit sugary drinks like soda and sweet tea. Did you know that one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains up to 10 - 12 teaspoons of sugar? Knowing these facts can help you make informed choices for your health. Nutrition is not one size fits all. It’s about finding a healthy eating approach that works for you, empowering you to take control of your health.
Connect with us by joining the MSU Extension Nutrition and Wellness Facebook group or by visiting extension.msstate.edu. You can learn more about our Dining with Diabetes program. The Dining with Diabetes course aims to empower people with knowledge and strategies so they can manage their diabetes through menu planning, carbohydrate counting, portion control, and label reading.
For more information about diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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