1. Diabetes Healthy
Nutri on Services

2. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Diabetes? 3
Knowing the Signs 4
A Smart Start To Diabetes Meal Planning5-7
Carbohydrate Coun ng 8-11
Free Foods 12
Reading Food Labels 13
Por on Sizes 14
Healthy Cooking at Home 15
Healthy Snacks 16
Whole Grains 17
Eat This, Not That 18
Hidden Sugars 19
Making Smart Choices When Ea ng Out 20
Healthy Mexican Food 21
Alcohol 22-23
Weight Management Guide 24
Helpful Resources 25

3. 3
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease where you have too much sugar in your blood.
The hormone insulin normally helps lower the blood sugar by bringing it into
your cells to use as energy. When you have diabetes the body doesn’t make
enough insulin or it isn’t working properly, causing high blood sugar.
Foods containing carbohydrates are broken down by the body into a sugar called
glucose. This sugar travels in the blood to all of the cells to give you energy. If you
don’t have enough insulin or your insulin isn’t working
properly your cells aren't’ able to get the energy they need. This leads to hypergly-
cemia, or a build up of sugar in the blood.
High blood sugar is associated with serious health problems and must be man-
aged and treated. Although diabetes cannot be cured it can be treated through
ea ng healthy foods, in the right amounts, and being physically
ac ve. People with well controlled diabetes can live happy healthy lives.

4. 4
Know the Signs
When our blood sugar gets high, our body tries to
let us know in different ways
Feeling Thirsty Frequent Blurry Vision
Feeling TiredWeight Loss Numbness and Tin-
gling

5. 5
Reasons for Meal Planning
 To plan and prepare nutri ous, well balanced, meals that are
good for anybody. Healthy ea ng will help your body take care of
itself
 Maintain blood glucose as near normal range as possible. This
will lower the risks for eye, kidney, nerve, and heart damage
 Maintain cholesterol as near normal range as possible
 Provide appropriate calories. If you are overweight, 10-20 lbs
weight loss will lower blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pres-
sure
Timing of Meals
 Eat three balanced meals a day plus a snack or two
 Do not skip meals
 Small snacks may be included at bed me and between meals
especially if there are more than 4-5 hours between meals.
 The body can maintain be er control of blood glucose with frequent small meals versus 1-2 large meals.
Frequent small meals and snacks promote s cking with the diabe c meal plan and be er blood glucose
control
Quan ty of food
 Higher calorie intake makes blood sugar harder to control and can cause weight gain
 Carbohydrate, protein, and fat contain calories. Include lean meats, carbohydrates, and fat in your diet in
the appropriate por on sizes according to your meal plan.
Carbohydrates
 Carbohydrates are starches and sugars in food. Carbohydrates are a major energy source and make your
blood glucose level go up
 Some common names for sugar are: corn syurp, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, honey, syrup, malto-
dextrin, and molasses.
 100% of all forms of carbohydrates get converted into blood sugar
Fiber
 25-35 grams of fiber are recommeneded for adults each day. Drink 6-8 cups of water each day to help
prevent cons pa on and add fiber gradually to prevent gas and bloa ng.
A Smart Start to Diabe c Meal Planning

6. 6
Sugar Subs tutes
 Sugar subs tutes have no calories and can be used in place of sugar
 Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) is a sugar subs tute made from protein. It may cause headaches in some
people. It should be avoided by Phenylketonurics: it contains phenylalanine.
 Acesulfame K (Sweet One) is a sugar subs tute that can be used in cooking
 Saccharin (Sweet ‘n Low) one of the least expensive sugar subs tutes and can be used in cooking
 Sucralose (Splenda) is a sugar subs tute made from sugar. Only a small percentage is absorbed by the
body a er you eat it. It can be used in cooking.
 Stevia is a sugar subs tute made from the root of the stevia plant.
 Mannitol, Sorbitol, Xylitol are sugar alcohols. They may cause diarrhea, cramping, or abdominal discom-
fort if consumed in large amounts.
Protein
 Protein builds and repairs muscle, skin, and all cells in the body
 Protein may help slow diges on and keep you full longer
 Lean meats, low fat cheeses, and peanut bu er are some examples
Fat
 Fat is an essen al nutrient that supplies energy, maintains healthy skin, and carries fat soluble vitamins
 Too much fat can increase risk for heart and blood vessel disease
 Fat is high in calories and impacts weight control and cholesterol but has li le affect on blood sugar level
 Unsaturated fats raise HDL (good) cholesterol. They are usually liquid at room temperature and come
from plant sources
 Saturated fats can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol level. They should not make up more than 7% of your
total calories.
 Trans fa y acids are similar to saturated fat in raising LDL (bad) cholesterol. Trans fats are formed when
vegetable oils are par ally hydrogenated and used to prepare commercially fried and bake products
Triglycerides
 Another component of fat that circulates in the blood
 May be lowered by decreasing sugar and alcohol consump on
 Ask your physician about supplementa on with omega 3 fa y acids if you triglycerides are elevated

7. 7
Cholesterol
 Made by the liver so animal products will contain cholesterol
 Products from plants such as fruits and vegetables do not contain cholesterol
 Your cholesterol intake should be nor more than 200 mg per day
Omega 3 fa y acids
 Beneficial to heart health
 Increase consump on of fa y fish to about 2 mes per week
 Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring are good examples
 Flax seed, flax seed oil, canola oil, and walnuts also contain omega 3 fa y acids
Water
 Drink about 6-8 cups of water per day
Sodium
 Table salt contains 40% sodium
 High blood pressure can be made worse by ea ng too much salt or sodium
 Too much sodium can cause the body to retain water and increase the workload of the heart
 Aim for no more than 2300 mg of sodium per day
 Look for no more than 300 mg of sodium in a single food item or 600 mg of sodium per meal
Calcium
 Calcium is an essen al mineral that can help prevent osteoporosis if included in the diet in adequate
amounts. Most adults need 1000-1200 mg of calcium per day
Caffeine
 Found in coffee, tea, many sodas and some medica ons
 Caffeine can increase blood pressure
 Limit beverages with caffeine to one-two 8 oz cups/day

8. 8
Carbohydrate Coun ng
What is a Carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates are sugars and starches in food. When they are broken down they make
glucose, which makes your blood sugar go up. Sucrose, or table sugar, is only one name
for sugar. Some other names for sugar are corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lac-
tose, honey, syrup, maltodextrin, and molasses. Starches and sugars affect the blood sug-
ar in a similar way.
What foods have Carbohydrates?
 Breads, crackers, cereals
 Pasta, rice, and grains
 Starchy vegetables
 Beans and legumes
 Milk, soy milk, and yogurt
 Fruits and fruit juices
 Sweets, such as cakes, cookies, ice cream, jam, and jelly
Carbohydrate Servings
In diabetes meal planning, 1 serving of carbohydrate= 15 g of carbohydrate
 Check serving sizes with measuring cups or a food scale
 Read the nutri on facts on food labels to find out how many grams of carbohydrate
are in foods you eat
Meal Planning
In a healthy ea ng plan, most carbohydrates come from:
 At least 6 servings of fruits and nonstarchy vegetables
 At least 6 servings of grains, beans, and starchy vegetables, with at least 3 servings
from whole grains

9. 9
Carbohydrate Coun ng
Diabetes My Plate
One easy way to make sure you are ea ng the right amount of carbohydrates is to fol-
low the diabetes my plate recommenda ons. Remember these recommenda ons are
for a 9” plate!
 Half of your plate should contain non-starchy vegetables
 1/4 of your plate should contain a starch
 The other 1/4 of your plate should contain a lean protein
 You should also have 1 serving of dairy and 1 serving of fruit

10. 10
 1 slice whole wheat bread
 1/2 hamburger or hot dog bun
 2 taco shells
 1 tor lla
 1/2 6’ pita
 1/2 English muffin
 Small roll
 1 oz muffin
 One 4” pancake or waffle
 One 4” square cornbread
 1/2 cup cooked cereal
 3/4 cup ready to eat cereal
 1/4 cup granola
 1/3 cup pasta or rice
 4 slices melba toast
 3/4 oz matzoh
 6 unsalted crackers
 3/4 oz unsalted pretzels
 3 cups lite microwave popcorn
 2 rice cakes
 1/2 cup starchy vegetables
Starches
Fr
 1 small piece of fresh
fruit
 1/2 banana
 1/2 cup canned or fro-
zen fruit
 1/2 cup fresh fruit
 1/2 cup fruit juice
 2 Tbsp dried fruit
Dairy
 1 cup fat-free or low fat
milk
 1 cup soymilk
 6 oz low fat or fat free
yogurt
 1 cup bu ermilk
Limit: commercially packaged potato, rice, pasta, or stuffing mixes, prepackaged peanut bu er or cheese crack-
ers, egg or cheese bread, bu ered rolls, crackers, chips, flour tor llas, popcorn, biscuits, muffins, sweet rolls, do-
nuts
Limit: whole or 2% milk, regular evaporated milk, con-
densed milk, cream, and half and half Limit: canned fruit packed in syrup, frozen fruit with
added sugar
Non-Starchy Vegetables
 Ar choke
 Asparagus
 Baby Corn
 Beans (green, wax, Italian)
 Beets
 Broccoli
 Brussel Sprouts
 Cabage
 Carrots
 Cauliflower
 Celery
 Cucumber
 Daikon
 Eggplant
 Green onions or scallions
 Greens
 Hearts of palm
 Jicama
 Kohlrabi
 Leeks
 Mushrooms
 Okra
 Onions
 Peppers
 Radishes
 Sauerkraut
 Soybean Sprouts
 Spinach
 Squash (summer, crookneck, zucchi-
ni)
 Sugar snap peas
 Swiss chard
 Tomato
Limit: Regular canned vegetables, V-8 juice, tomato juice, vegetables in bu er, cream, or cheese sauce, breaded vegetables,
fried vegetables
1 Serving= 15 g Carbohydrate
1 Serving= 15 g Carbohydrate
1 Serving= 12 g Carbohydrate
1 Serving= 5 g Carbohydrate

11. 11
 1 small brownie (1 oz)
 1/24th of Angel Food cake
 2 in square of unfrosted cake
 2 small chocolate chip cookies
 5 vanilla wafer cookies
 1/2 cup gela n
 1/4 cup regular pudding
 3 pieces hard candy
 5 chocolate kisses
 2 Tbsp liquid coffee creamer
 1 1/2 Tbsp fruit spread
 1 Tbsp honey
 1 Tbsp jam or jelly
 1 Tbsp syrup
 1 frozen fruit juice bar
 1/2 cup ice cream
 1/4 cup sherbet or sorbet
 1/2 cup frozen yogurt
Sweets and Other Carbohydrates
Meat and Meat Subs tutes
Choose:
Beef, Pork, and Lamb (look for round or sirloin)
Lunch Meats (97-98% Fat Free)
Chicken and Turkey (without skin)
Fish and Shellfish (all except canned in oil or fried)
Veal and wild game
Cheese (3 g of fat or less/oz)
Eggs
Peanut Bu er (limit to 2 oz/day)
Limit:
Fa y cuts of meat (chicharrones, cheekmeat, machacado, bar-
bacoa)
Processed meats (bacon, bologna, chorizo, pepperoni, salami,
hot dogs, sausage)
Organ Meats (liver, gizzard, kidney)
Beef ( corned beef, brisket, regular ground beef, short ribs,
prime grades of meat)
Pork (spareribs, ground pork, regular ham, cutlet)
LIMIT THESE FOODS IN YOUR DIET
Fats and Oils
Monounsaturated
 Avocados
 Nut Bu ers (Almond, Cashew, Pea-
nut)
 Nuts (almonds, brazil, cashews, mac-
adamia, peanuts, pecans, pistacios)
 Oils (canola, olive, peanut)
 Olives
Polyunsaturated
 Margarine
 Mayonnaise
 Nuts (walnuts, pine)
 Oil ( corn, flaxseed, grape seed,
safflower, soybean, sunflower)
 Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)
 Tahini
Saturated
 Bacon
 Bu er
 Coconut
 Cream
 Cream cheese
 Lard, shortening
 Oil (coconut, palm)
1 Serving= 15 g Carbohydrate
Cooking Tip: Remember to bake, broil, grill, poach, steam, or boil your meats instead of fry
Choose oils that are labeled “Trans-Fat Free”

12. 12
Free Foods
A free food is any food or drink that contains less than 20 calories per serving. Foods listed without a serving size may be eaten as
of ten as you like. Foods listed with a serving size should be limited to three per day.
Sugar-free foods
 Gela n dessert, sugar free
 Hard Candy, sugar-free………………… 1 candy
 Jam or jelly, low-sugar or light…………..2 Teaspoons
 Jam or jelly, low sugar or light…………..2 Tablespoons
 Sugar subs tutes: Equal, Sweet n’ Low, Splenda, Sweet One
Fat Free Foods
 Cream Cheese, fat free…………………. 1 Tablespoon
 Creamers, liquid nondairy………………..1 Tablespoon
 Creamers, powdered nondairy…………..2 Tablespoons
 Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, fat-free…..1 Tablespoon
 Margarine, fat-free………………………...1 Tablespoon
 Salad Dressing, fat –free………….……...1 Tablespoon
 Whipped Topping, fat-free………………..2 Tablespoons
 Sour Cream, fat-free………………..…….1 Tablespoon
Drinks
 Bouillon or broth, low sodium
 Decaf coffee
 Diet so drinks, caffeine free
 Drink mixes, sugar-free, caffeine free
 Decaf Tea
Condiments
Choose:
 Salt subs tute if allowed by physician
 Spices, herbs, flavoring extracts, lemon or lime juice
 Vinegar, wine in cooking, pepper sauce
 “Mrs. Dash” or other seasoning blends-no salt added
Limit to 1 tablespoon per day of the following:
 Ketchup, BBQ sauce, taco sauce, picante sauce or salsa, pickle relish, low fat gravy, worchestershire sauce
Do not eat o en
Seasonings or spices with
salt, sea salt, “lite” salt,
meat tenderizer, MSG, soy
sauce, teriyaki sauce, regular
gravy, instant sauce mixes,
seasoning salt, onion salt,
garlic salt

13. 13
Reading Food Labels
15 g of Carbohydrate = 1 serving of
carbohydrates (starch, fruit, or milk)
To figure out how many carbohydrate servings are
in a food:
 Look at the serving size, this is the amount for 1
serving
 Check the grams of total carbohydrate. This is
the amount of carbohydrate in 1 standard serv-
ing
 Divide the grams of the carbohydrate by 15.
This number is the number of car-
bohydrates is 1 standard serving. Remem-
ber 1 carbohydrate serving is 15 g of carbohy-
drate.
Note: you may ignore the grams of sugars on the
Nutri on Facts panel because they are included in
the grams of total carbohydrate

14. 14
Por- on
Use your hands to es mate por on sizes
One fist cupped= 8 oz
Example: cold and hot beverages
Two hands cupped= 1 cup
Example: a serving of breakfast cereal
One hand cupped= 1/2 cup
Example: a serving of pasta or oatmeal
Palm of hand= 3 oz
Example: a cooked serving of meat
Two thumbs together= 1 tablespoon
Example: one serving of peanut bu er

15. 15
Healthy Cooking
 Sauté foods in a small amount of wine, broth, or juice instead of using fat or oil
 Bake, broil, grill, roast, or stew instead of frying in fat
 Place meat on a rack while cooking so grease will drain off
 Remove fat from cooked ground meat by draining on a rack or using a paper towel to soak up grease
 When making stews or soups, refrigerate the broth and skim hardened fat off the top before rehea ng
and serving
 Use a nons ck cooking spray instead of bu er, margarine, oil, or shortening
 Choose whole grains
 Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes; it can
o en be cut in half
 Use noncaloric sweeteners in drinks
 Subs tute sucralose (Splenda) for sugar when
baking
 Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. They are
higher in fiber.
 Add vegetables when s r-frying or to soups
 Choose fish and lean meats o en. Meats la-
beled “loin” or round are leaner
 Cut away fat and remove skin from chicken
and other poultry
 Choose reduced fat cheeses
 When scrambling eggs, throw away some of
the yolks. All the fat and most of the calories
are in the yolks
 Have some meatless meals. Subs tute beans,
egg whites, tofu, or tempeh for meat
 All fats and oils are high in calories. Use less
when possible. Cut the amount of oil in half
and subs tute applesauce for the other half.
 Select reduced fat cheese and fat-free or low–
fat milk products.
 Flavor with lemon juice or hers instead of
bu er, margarine, or oil
Carbohydrates Protein
Fats
Cooking Methods

16. 16
Healthy Snacks
A healthy snack can help you control your appe te and prevent over ea ng at meal mes
 Snacks should have between 15-30 g of carbohydrates and 100-200 calories
 Be aware of por on sizes
 Avoid mindless snacking in front of the TV or computer
 Always have healthy snack op ons on hand
Healthy Snack Ideas
 15 almonds
 3 celery s cks + 1 T peanut bu er
 1 hard boiled egg
 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
 Co age Cheese with fresh peaches
 1 cup of light popcorn
 10 goldfish crackers
 1 piece of string cheese
 1/4 cup dried fruit and nut mix
 1 small apple or orange
 3 cups light popcorn
 1/3 cup hummus + 1 cup raw fresh cut veggies
 1 cheese quesadilla (6 in whole wheat tor lla +
1oz cheese)
 2 rice cakes + 1 T peanut bu er
 5 whole wheat crackers + 1 piece of string
cheese
 1/2 turkey sandwich
 1/2 cup tuna salad + 4 sal nes

17. 17
Whole Grains
What are whole grains?
Whole grains are in the form you would find them in na-
ture. They contain the bran, germ and endosperm and
aren’t stripped of any of their nutrients. When a grain
has been refined it is stripped of the bran and germ.
This gives the grain a finer texture and improves the
shelf life. This also removes the b-vitamins, iron, and fi-
ber from the grain which lowers it’s nutri onal value.
Why are they good for you?
 Help with weight management
 Improve cholesterol levels
 Lower risk of heart disease and stroke
 help control your blood sugar
What foods are high in whole grains?
How much should I eat?
It depends on your age, gender and calorie needs. The American Heart Associa-
on
recommends that at least half of your grains are whole grains.
We recommend obtaining fiber from foods rather than from fiber supplements.
Check the nutri on facts label on food packages to find foods with a higher
amount of fiber. The daily value for fiber is 25 grams of fiber each day for a 2,000
 Amaranth
 Barley
 Buckwheat
 Corn
 Millet
 Oats
 Quinoa
 Rice
 Rye
 Sorghum
 Teff
 Tri cale
 Wheat

18. 18
Eat This, Not That
Making small changes in your diet can help you to manage
your blood sugar!
White Bread Wheat, Whole Grain, or
Whole or 2% Milk Fat Free or 1% Milk
Bu er, Margarine, Lard Canola or Olive Oil
Full Fat Cheese Low Fat Cheese
Refried Beans Whole or Natural Beans
Flour Tor llas Corn or Whole Wheat
Canned Fruit in Syr- Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Fruit
Canned Vegetables Fresh or Frozen Vegetables
Soda and other Sugar Water, Unsweetened Tea, or
Processed Meats Low Salt Turkey, Grilled Chick-
en, and other low-fat lean
meats

19. 19
Hidden Sugar
Soda- 65 g in 20 oz bo le
Lemonade- 67 g
Fruit juice- 48 g
Iced tea- 46 g
Sports drinks- 33 g
Energy drinks- 27 g
Dried fruit- 25 g
Fruit yogurt- 24 g
Granola bars- 16 g
Canned fruit- 13 g
Sweetened cereal- 12 g
Tomato sauce- 10 g
Many foods we eat and drink everyday have hidden sugar that make
a big impact on our blood glucose

20. 20
Make Smart Choices When Ea ng Out
Remember– even if you choose low fat items, the sodium is usually high when you eat out. Try to eat out less
o en or go to a restaurant where you can ask to have your food prepared without added salt.
Control Your Por ons
 Order an appe zer or two as a main meal or split a main dish with a friend
 Sip on a mineral water, decaf coffee, tea, or order a green salad to fill yourself up before your main meal
 Plan to take home le overs. Set aside the por on you want to take home as soon as the food arrives
 Don’t eat at buffets unless you know you can revisit ea ng to much
Other Tips:
Burgers: Choose regular sized burgers
without special sauces or cheese
Sandwiches: Choose sandwiches with
lean turkey or chicken breast with vege-
tables and mustard or other low fat con-
diments, make sure you request whole
wheat bread
Pizza: order pizza with vegetable top-
pings, Canadian bacon, or chicken
Mexican food: Choose chicken fajitas
or so chicken tacos with extra vegeta-
bles
Italian: Have minestrone soup before
your meal, choose pasta with chicken or
seafood and vegetables. Avoid creamy
sauces such as alfredo
Family style: choose broth or vege-
table based soups, fresh vegetable sal-
ads, lean meats, poultry, seafood, and
hot vegetables without bu er
Chinese: choose wonton soup, egg drop,
or hot and sour soup, mu-shu dishes, s r
fried vegetables with meat, seafood or
poultry that is not deep fried, vegetarian
dishes, and brown rice. Ask for no MSG
and no soy sauce
Steak houses: Choose broiled chicken
or seafood, a small well-trimmed
steak, baked potato, hot vegetables
without bu er, or a tossed green salad

21. 21
Healthy Mexican Food
Arroz con carne (rice with meat)
2 carb counts
2/3 cup of rice, 2 oz ground meat, 1 teaspoon oil
Fidello con carne
2 carb counts
1 cup vermicelli, 2 oz ground meat, 1 tsp oil
Crispy tacos
1 carb count
2 taco shells, 2 oz ground meat or chicken
So tacos
1 carb count
2 thin corn tor llas, 2 oz ground meat or chicken
Papas con carne
1 carb count
1 small potato, 2 oz ground meat, oil
Refried beans
1 carb count
1/3 cup cooked pinto beans, 1 Tsp oil
Chicharo con carne
1 carb count
1/2 cup cooked green peas, 2 oz meat, 1 tsp oil
Frijoles con jamon salado
1 carb count
1/3 cup of pinto beans, 3/4 inch cube salt pok
Carne Guisada
1 carb count
1 thin flour tor lla, 2 tablespoons gravy, 1 oz meat
Chile Con Carne
2 carb counts
1/4 cup pinto beans, 4 tsp flour, 1 tsp fat, 2 oz ground
meat, 1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 thin corn tor llas– 1 carb count
1 thin flour tor lla– 1 carb count
2 tamales– 2 carb counts
2 enchiladas– 1 carb count
1/2 cup of beans– 1 carb count
1/3 cup of rice– 1 carb count
10 tor lla chips– 1 carb count
Mexican food is a common staple in many Texans diets
but it can be very high in carbohydrates. Here are some
simple ps to help make sure you are not over-indulging
every me you eat Mexican food.
 Ask that the chips not be brought to the table
 Choose grilled items on the menus such as fajitas
 Subs tute white with brown rice if it is available
 Choose black beans instead of refried beans
 Limit your tor llas to two and choose corn or whole
wheat for a be er op on
Carbohydrates in Common Mexican Dishes

22. 22
Alcohol
Why should I care about alcohol?
 Alcohol can make blood glucose too high or too low
 You need to know when and how to drink to keep your diabetes under control
 Alcohol has calories. You should fit these calories into your meal plan especially if you want to lose weight
 You need to know when and if it is safe for you to drink alcohol
Alcohol and your body
 Alcohol goes from your stomach straight into your blood
 The alcohol in you bloodstream is the highest 30 to 90 min a er drinking
 Your liver slowly breaks down alcohol. If you weight 150 lbs, it takes about 2 hours to break down one drink. Two
drinks take twice as long, or 4 hours.
 If you drink alcohol faster than your body breaks it down, the alcohol stays in your blood and affects other body
parts. When alcohol affects your brain, you feel or act drunk.
 Some signs of too much alcohol, such as slurred speech and confusion are similar to low blood glucose signs and
symptoms.
 If you drink a lot of alcohol (3) or more drinks a day, you may develop liver disease and other health problems
Alcohol and blood glucose
 When no alcohol is in the blood, your liver keeps blood glucose from going too low by releasing glucose into your
blood
 If the liver is busy breaking down alcohol it cannot release glucose into your blood. If you take insulin or diabetes
pills, your blood glucose may go too low when you drink alcohol because the medicine and alcohol lower blood
glucose.
 The sugars in many drinks cause blood glucose to go too high
 Alcohol can also cause high blood triglycerides (fats).
 Check your blood glucose a er you drink to see how alcohol affects you

23. 23
Safe sipping ps
 It is best to drink alcohol only when diabetes is under control
 Sip slowly to make the drink last. Try a wine spritzer (wine and club soda) or mix liquor with plenty of water, club
soda, or diet soda to make it last
 Drink in modera on, which is considered to be 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men.
 Drink alcohol with food. Include alcohol with a meal or snack, not by itself.
 Wear medical iden fica on. If you have low blood glucose reac on, you want others to know that you have diabe-
tes and are not drunk.
 Alcohol can change your judgement. Be careful with medicine, food, and tes ng a er you have had alcohol.
 Do not drive a er drinking alcohol
Calories in Alcohol
 The chart below shows you the calories in alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic beer and wine. Alcoholic and non-
alcoholic drinks can add many calories
 Your best choices are dry wine, light beer, unsweetened liquor (whiskey, brandy, rum, vodka, or gin) mixed with
plenty of low-calorie mixer, club soda, or water.
 Because of the added calories with frequent alcohol consump on, weight gain may result.
Drink Amount Calories
Light Beer 12 fl oz 100
Regular beer 12 fl oz 150
Non-alcoholic beer 12 fl oz 60
Dry wine 4 fl oz 80-85
Sweet wine 4 fl oz 105
Non-alcoholic wine 4 fl oz 60
Wine cooler 12 fl oz 215
Gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, brandy 1.5 fl oz 100
Liquers, cordials 1.5 fl oz 160
Daquiri 4 fl oz 220
Bloody Mary 5 fl oz 115

24. 24
Weight Management Guide
1. Set the right goals– focus on the dietary and exercise changes that will lead
to long term weight change. Effec ve goals are specific, a ainable, and for-
giving. For example if just star ng out do no choose a goal such as “walk
five miles every day.” Instead choose “walk 30 min 5 days per week.” This
allows for missing a day or two due to bad weather, and so on.
2. Set a series of short term goals– to get you closer to your ul mate goal.
Once you succeed at a short term goal, it is important to reward yourself.
The reward may be tangible (such as a movie or CD) or intangible (such as an a ernoon off from work or an
hour of quiet me for yourself
3. Self-monitoring refers to observing and recording some aspect of your behavior, such as servings of vege-
tables or exercise sessions. Self-monitoring of a behavior can be used at mes when you’re not sure how
you’re doing, and at mes when you want the behavior to improve. When your record shows how you are
improving, you’ll be encouraged to keep it up.
4. Avoid a chain reac on. S mulus control involves learning what social or environmental cues seem to en-
courage undesired ea ng, and then changing those cues. For example, you may learn from reflec on or from
self-monitoring records that you’re more likely to overeat while watching television, or whatever treats are
on display by the office coffee pot, or when around a certain friend. You might try to change the associa on
of ea ng with the cue (don’t eat while watching television), avoid or eliminate the cue (leave the coffee
room immediately a er pouring coffee), or change circumstances surrounding the cue (plan to meet with
friend in non-food se ngs). In general, visible and accessible food items are o en causes for unplanned
ea ng. Keep food in your house only in the kitchen. Do not keep food out on counters and do not store items
in “see through” containers.
5. Ge the fullness message. Changing the way you go about ea ng can make it easier to eat less without feel-
ing deprived. It takes 15 min or more for your brain to get the message you’ve been fed. Slowing the rate of
ea ng can allow sa ety (fullness) signals to begin to develop by the end of the meal. Put down your ea ng
utensils between each bite and do not pick up your ea ng utensil un l you have swallowed the bite. Ea ng
lot’s of vegetables can also make you feel fuller. Another trick is to use small plates to make moderate por-
ons appear larger. Serve individual plates from the stove, do not put serving dishes no the table. Changing
your ea ng schedule, or se ng one, can be helpful, especially if you tend to skip or delay meals and overeat
later. Eat three meals each day, spaced about 4-5 hours apart. Do not wait un l you are overly hungry to eat.
6. Subs tute another ac vity for ea ng. If you are in the habit of going straight to the kitchen and ea ng eve-
ry me you walk into the house, try to change this habit by going to another room of the house when you
come home. When you are tempted to eat, try to use one of the following subs tute ac vi es: take a walk,
take a long bath, call a friend, get out of the house, write a le er, read a book, do some gardening, sports,
surf the web, or catch up on your email.

25. 25
Helpful Resources
American Diabetes Associa on
h p://www.diabetes.org
American Heart Associa on
h p:/www.americanheart.org
Academy of Nutri on and Diete cs
h p://www.eatright.org
Diabe c Living Online
h p://www.diabe clivingonline.com/diabe c-recipes
Cooking Light
h p://www.cookinglight.com/ea ng-smart/nutri on-101/diabe c-recipes
Ea ng Well
h p://www.ea ngwell.com/recipes_menus/collec ons/diabe c_diet
Diabetescare.net
h p://www.diabetescare.net/