Eating Well While Living With Diabetes

It seems that people today are so busy with their careers and taking care of their families that sometimes forgetting to eat right or even at all has become more common. If you are someone on the go and living with Diabetes it may be even harder to pay close attention to your nutritional intake. In general, try to eat a nutritious, balanced, low-fat diet which can help regulate blood sugar and maintain a healthy weight. Planning meals in advance can really help with healthy eating.

Simple tips for healthy eating:

• Include some Monounsaturated Fats, Polyunsaturated Fats, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in your diet – these are found in tuna, salmon, nuts, olive/canola/flaxseed oils, and avocados
• Include whole grains, lean meats and lots of fresh vegetables
• Keep Trans Fat to a minimum – these are listed on a nutrition label as hydrogenated oil or liquid oil
• Keep your Saturated Fat intake as low as possible
• Don’t forget about exercise – both weight bearing and aerobic exercise is important
• Losing weight can really make a difference in blood sugar control
  

For some quick meal ideas from the American Diabetes Association, click here, or check out the American Dietetic Association for healthy eating tips.

July is National Purposeful Parenting Month

If you are a mom, dad, grandparent, guardian, or caretaker you probably understand how difficult parenting can be. Raising children is hard work that requires a lot of time and energy. While it can be a thankless job at times, it can also be incredibly rewarding.

In celebration of National Purposeful Parenting Month we’ve listed a few simple tips for great parenting! Check these out:

• Be approachable - Keep the lines of communication open with your child. Listen, ask questions, and show interest in their lives.
• Show love and respect as much as possible - Understand that children are people too and deserve love and respect. Actively showing and telling a child how much they are loved creates an environment of appreciation.
• Praise children often – Focus as much as possible on the good instead of the bad. Reinforcing positive behavior is a helpful technique to use when parenting.
• Be consistent with punishment - Have a plan for addressing poor behavior and stick to it. Children are more likely to abide by rules if they are clear and consistent.
• Take a break - Parenting is not always a walk in the park. When tempers flare, take a moment to step away from a situation to regroup. Take a deep breath and reevaluate what is truly important in the situation.
• Don’t forget to ask for help - If you’re tired and frustrated, call on your support group (friends/family) to help with the kids so you can take some much needed time for yourself.

Although parenting is often frustrating, keep in mind that there are people to talk to about any problems or issues you may be facing. Children obviously don’t come with a manual, so if you’re in need of more information about parenting, check out these community resources:

Child Inc.and Children and Families First are great resources in Delaware for offering parenting classes and workshops. Click the links for more information.

Also, Planned Parenthood of Delaware offers classes for parents and caregivers on a variety of important topics such as healthy decision-making, dating violence, body image, and more. To learn about our classes or individual consultations call: 302-655-7296, ext. 19.