DIETING

As any of you who follow this blog know, I am against "dieting".  Most diets, especially fad diets, are not good for the body and will not keep the weight off over time.  Having said that, I know we are into the holiday season and many are considering chowing down now then looking for a diet come the first of the year.  Bad idea!  To quote Dr. Neal Barnard, "Personal experience and a wealth of scientific study show that diets are about as useful for weight control as a wrecking ball is for classical sculpture."  Full disclose here, that is Dr. Barnard's quote and his personal experience.  To be honest with you, I have never gone on a diet nor do I plan too.  Even as a diabetic I am not on a diet.  I made a change in the way I eat, I do not diet.

Losing weight and keeping it off, takes lifestyle and dietary changes!  There is no easy way around that.  This blog is full of useful information regarding how to eat healthy.  If you are hoping to lose weight or considering a diet, please check out some of the posts on this blog first.  Eat healthy, exercise - even something as simple as walking is helpful, and you will be fine.

NOTE:  If your doctor puts you on a diet for health reasons, follow his/her instructions.  I am talking about general dieting and weight.

DO SUGARY FOODS MAKE YOU FAT?

The simple fact is, sugary foods are not likely to cause weight gain unless you are a person who tends to overdo it!  Having said that, let's go a little further with this explanation.  Apples are sugary foods.  However, apples are not likely to make one fat.  But when you take that apple and bake it into a pie, cakes, cookie, etc, it will probably add pounds to your body if you eat too many.  Note that a piece of pie from time to time, a cookie occasionally, a piece of cake to celebrate an occasion, etc will not make you fat.  This is where overdoing it comes in.  A whole pie, 2 or 3 pieces of cake, a dozen cookies, etc, changes everything.

When you take that apple and put it in one of the above mentioned desserts, you usually add sugar, fats, etc.  That is what will cause you to put on weight.  It is not the apple, it is everything you put with it that creates the problem.  You can change that significantly by substituting healthy fats, whole-grains, and reducing sugar in your baking. (By the way, I have some excellent recipes for doing just that on my diabetic blog at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com )  Since I have the recipe blog I try to avoid posting recipes here.

SIMPLE WARNING SIGNS OF DIABETES

Diabetes is at epidemic porportions in the United States today.  Diabetes is a serious health problem and early detection is key with this disease.  Diabetes more than doubles a person's risk of heart disease, can lead to stroke, blindness, limb amputation, and even possibly some forms of cancer.  It has been estimated that as many as 50% of the American population could be diabetic by the year 2020. Some of the symptoms of the disease are so simple but can also be blamed on many other things.  I know that in my case, many of the symptoms were there, I even had a family history of diabetes, and I still didn't realize what the problem was.  Looking back after the diagnosis it was easy to see the symptoms and why I had explained them away.  By the time I was diagnosed, my blood sugar was just under 500! 

• Excessive thirst is a big clue!  Don't ignore this symptom.  I live in Texas and the summers are hot.  I had excessive thirst but thought it was due to the record breaking heat wave of a month of days over 100 degrees.  I should have gone to the doctor!
• Increased urination.  Yes, I had that symptom, too.  However, I assumed that was because I was drinking more.  Not so; don't make the mistake I did.
• Yeast infection in women.  Yes, had that one too.  Antibiotics also cause yeast infections.  I was dealing with a serious colon problem and had been on antibiotics for three months so didn't think anything about that one either.
• Eye problems.  Yes, had that one too.  By now you are problem wondering how I could have been so stupid as to not even consider diabetes.  Right after I first noticed some blurry vision, I got my little postcard in the mail reminding me it was time for my every-two-years eye exam.  So I thought that was my problem.

Thank goodness strep throat sent me to the doctor.  I'm not usually thankful for strep throat but this time it was a good thing it sent me to the doctor.  When I told him how I had been feeling, he immediately called the nurse in to test my blood sugar.  That day, I hadn't been eating because my throat was so sore, but still my blood sugar was close to 300.  He had me take antibiotics for 10 days then go in fasting for more blood sugar testing.  This time it was almost 500.

I am sharing my experience with you today because I want you to see how simple the symptoms can be and how easily they can be thought of as something else.  At the first sign of symptoms, get to your doctor, stop by a CVS Minute Clinic where they will usually test you for free, etc but do get your blood sugar checked.

CANNED SOUPS

Are you aware that most canned soups are high in sodium (salt)?  Even if you don't eat canned soups as a meal, you are probably using them in recipes.  Now I am not saying you can't use them, I use them myself at times.  But pay attention to the sodium content, use low-sodium options, or when using in recipes, omit any salt called for, etc.  Just be aware of the sodium content and adjust accordingly.  As an example, if you eat regular canned soup as a meal with crackers, use unsalted crackers, etc.

Note: This picture is not an endorsement of this particular product.  It is just a picture I was allowed to use.

WHAT DOES "EXTRA LIGHT" OLIVE OIL MEAN?

The words "light" and "extra light" when applied to olive oil, do not have anything to do with calories but everything to do with color and flavor.  Extra-virgin olive oil is darker in color and has a robust flavor.  Extra-light olive oil is usually blended with a lower quality olive oil and therefore is lighter in color and flavor.

No matter what olive oil you choose, whether extra-light or extra-virgin it will contain 120 calories and 14 g fat - 10 g of that the heart-healthy or good fats - per tablespoon.

MORE BENEFITS FOR EGGS

As previously discussed on this blog, eggs are no longer considered a 'bad' food.  In fact according to Food Chemistry a new study has shown that two egg yolks, that's right - yolks, have approximately the same antioxidant power as an apple.  And we know antioxidants help to prevent cancer and heart disease and have many healthy benefits.

As with all things, don't overindulge.  But relax and enjoy some eggs.

WHAT IS A SERVING SIZE OF FRENCH FRIES?

Many don't really understand what a serving is!  A plate full of french fries is not a serving!  A serving of french fries is basically 10 fries.  Of course french fries come in many different sizes.  Use your common sense when determining how many your serving should be.  If you are eating the very thin matchstick fries, obviously 10 is not a full serving.  However if you are eating those big ole steak fries, 10 may be more than a serving.  The ten french fries that make up a serving are obviously average-sized fries.  Why is this important?  If you are on a diet for any reason, especially if you are diabetic or have a similar health situation, it is important that you don't fool yourself! To say, "I only ate a serving of french fries.  I don't know why my blood sugar shot up," is fooling yourself if you ate a regular or large size serving at your favorite restaurant.  Be responsible and eat only 1 serving, that is one real serving!