Eating for wellness

Eating a balanced diet of nutritious food helps to maintain healthy body weight and is a main line of defense against all-too-common health issues such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. In general, a diet that includes vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, fruit, fiber and healthy fats will help to manage weight and give the body the nutrients it needs to remain healthy, reducing the risk of chronic illness. Learning to eat healthfully also can help to reduce the amount of medication needed to control illnesses when they happen. Type 2 diabetes is an excellent example of how food and lifestyle changes can help to manage the condition. Type 2 diabetes results when there is a problem in the way the body regulates and uses sugar, or glucose, as fuel. When there is too much sugar circulating in the blood, it can lead to other problems in the circulatory, nervous and immune systems. When a person has type 2 diabetes, it means the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells, and the cells don't respond well to insulin and take in less sugar. Susan Reinhart, certified diabetes care and education specialist at Mercy Health - Tiffin Hospital recommends making gradual changes to improve eating habits. "Start making small changes one meal at a time, one day at a time," she said. "Maybe it's every day at lunch when I'm at work I go to the vending machine and get a candy bar." Instead of every day, she said reduce the candy bars to two each week with the ultimate goal of reducing them even further until candy bars are an occasional treat. "We think we have to turn our whole life upside down for diabetes," Reinhart said. "And that's just not true. Small tweaks and adjustments can help with blood sugar control." She said changes must be long-term and sustainable. "If we make unrealistic changes that cannot be maintained, glucose levels will rise," she said. Also, the amount of food eaten has an impact on health. "Portion control is key," Reinhart said. Registered dietician Kindra Ringle said eating three meals every day, 4 1/2 to five hours apart, is a healthy way of eating. A healthy bedtime snack can be added – maybe 3 cups of popcorn (carbs) and a small portion of nuts (to add protein and fat). Reinhart said carbohydrates – or carbs – should always be paired with a protein. "Eat a piece of fruit with peanut butter rather than by itself," she said. "Carbs alone tend to drive up the blood sugar quickly." Other examples are crackers with cheese, fruit with Greek yogurt, peanut butter with whole-grain bread or an egg and a slice of whole-grain toast. Sometimes people get the idea that eating healthy food costs more than eating less-healthy options. Ringle said eating healthy does not have to be expensive. The cost of a sheet pan meal of chicken breast, potatoes and green beans made during a recent education program at Tiffin Community Kitchen was $3.25 per serving. Healthy meals typically include vegetables, fruit and protein. Ringle suggested taking advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables available every Saturday morning at Tiffin Seneca Farmers Market to stock up on fruits and vegetables each week. The weekly market on Madison Street between Washington and Jefferson streets is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each week through October. Recently, Ringle and Reinhart have begun nutrition education classes at Tiffin Community Kitchen. During the classes, they demonstrate preparing a healthy meal. Reinhart focuses the first session in each series on diabetes education and how people can manage it in their daily lives. In the other three classes, Ringle talks about healthy eating in general. The next series of classes at Tiffin Community Kitchen is set for 5-7 p.m. Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23. However, group classes are only one source of information for people diagnosed with diabetes. It's Reinhart's job to provide education at the hospital when people are referred to her. "A referral to diabetes education is not always what people think," she said. The first appointment is an assessment, and she said there's no lecturing. She recommends each individual visit her with the person who handles the grocery shopping and cooking so they can learn together. "I'm getting to know what that person does on a daily basis," she said. "What their thoughts and feelings are about their health and how they want to control their diabetes." Other sessions cover topics such as healthy eating, being active, healthy coping with stress, monitoring blood sugars, problem-solving, reducing the risk of complications and medications. "We get busy and we don't realize people don't have a basic knowledge of what healthy eating looks like and what exercise really is," she said. "We tell people 'Just watch your carbs.' People don't know what that means." Reinhart said people live their lives mainly from the information they received as children – how they were raised in their families and what they learned in school. "Diabetes is very much a lifestyle disease," she said. "The person with the diabetes has to be willing to make changes. "It's no different than if we're trying to fix something at home. Maybe there's a pipe that broke and we know how to fix that pipe," she said. "But we really don't do that alone." The person fixing the pipe must go to the hardware store and get the supplies and tools needed for the repair. "I view diabetes education as the hardware store," she said. "We're giving them the tools and knowledge that they need to try to manage their disease at home. They're doing the work. I'm just giving them the tools and the knowledge." Another example she used is building a toolshed from a pile of wood in the backyard. Without the knowledge of how to build a shed and the tools needed, she said there would be no shed. When people look for information online, Reinhart cautioned them to make sure the source of information is reputable. She suggested the American Diabetes Association, https://diabetes.org, for information specific to diabetes, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, www.eatright.org, for further information on healthy eating in general. "Those are the two we primarily get our material from," she said. Ringle offered a sample menu to give people an example of what a healthy day of food looks like. • Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice whole grain toast with margarine, 1 medium orange, 1 light yogurt. • Lunch: Sandwich on whole grain bread with low-sodium turkey lunch meat, lettuce and tomato; 17 grapes; 1 cup raw carrots with 2 tablespoons of light dip; and 1 cup skim milk. • Supper: 3 ounces of baked chicken, 2/3 cup brown rice, 1 cup cooked broccoli, 1 1/4 cups watermelon. • Bedtime snack: 3 cups light popcorn and 1 tablespoon nuts Healthy eating is nourishing the body with the nutrients it needs while keeping the taste buds happy as well. It is different for each individual based on factors such as age, activity level, health conditions and personal preferences. Here are a few more general hints: • Choose whole, unprocessed foods when possible. For example, eat fresh apples, oranges and berries instead of fruit juices; whole vegetables – fresh or frozen – without added salt and sauces; whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat rather than white rice and white bread; fresh milk and natural cheese instead of processed cheese products; lean cuts of unprocessed meat such as chicken breast, lean beef and fish rather than hot dogs and smoked sausage. • Drink plenty of water each day to stay hydrated, help control hunger and aid digestion. • Limit added sugars and salt. • Eat vegetables and fruits with a variety of colors, which indicate a variety of nutrients. • Eat mindfully. Instead of watching TV or doing something else while eating, pay attention to the taste, smell and texture of food. • Allow occasional treats to alleviate feelings of deprivation. It's not necessary to avoid favorite foods altogether but limit indulgences and practice moderation for a long-term approach to new eating habits.