By Tamara Hoover
If you are like me, you check your blood glucose levels every morning. I am 53 years old and prediabetic.
According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 107.2 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. Worse yet, approximately 7.2 million Americans are undiagnosed. That means one in three Americans are living with a form of diabetes whether they know it or not.
According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 107.2 million Americans are living with diabetes or prediabetes. Worse yet, approximately 7.2 million Americans are undiagnosed. That means one in three Americans are living with a form of diabetes whether they know it or not. Just because you are living with diabetes, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy an evening out.
Now that you know your blood glucose levels, here are three simple steps you can take before you go out dining with friends or family to make your meal more enjoyable and stress-free:
- Advocate for yourself. Advocating means taking public action for your rights. People with peanut allergies don’t hope the dish is peanut free. They ask. So, should you too! Ask about how the dish is prepared including salts, sugars, and oils. You may think that the salad you ordered was healthy, but, was it? Many low-fat dressings are actually loaded with sugars in order to make the dressing more appetizing. Often, a full-fat dressing used sparingly has fewer calories and carbs than the low-fat option. Unfortunately, the sugar loading doesn’t stop there. Even the vegetables aren’t safe. Glazed carrots and caramelized onions contain added sugars and fats. Always advocate for yourself. If you don’t, who will?
- New York City laws are on your side. The larger chain restaurants with 15 or more locations in the United States, not just New York City, are required by New York City law to post calorie counts, include a 2,000 calorie a day general nutrition recommendation, and provide additional nutritional information upon request. The additional nutritional information must list in order: total calories(cal), calories from fat (fat cal), total fat (g), saturated fat (g), trans fat (g), cholesterol (mg), sodium (mg), total carbohydrates (g), dietary fiber (g), sugar (g) and protein (g). For more details, go to https://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/2837/calorie-posting-requirements. I like to do my research before going out in order to not be taken by surprise.
- Make informed choices. By advocating and educating yourself, you can make informed choices. If you love seafood, you may see there are a number of ways the restaurant prepares it. There may be a baked salmon for 350 calories and 28 carbs, and deep-fried shrimp listed at 1300 calories and 130 carbs. You can have either dish, but you need to make informed choices. If you have been craving deep fried shrimp, try splitting the dish among several friends at the table as an appetizer. That way you get the flavor without all the calories or carbs. Another tip, you could always ask the wait staff to put half of the dish in a to go box before they even bring it to the table. That way, you won’t be tempted to eat the entire dish.
By using these three simple steps, you can enjoy your restaurant experiences while keeping your blood glucose numbers in a healthy range.
Enjoy your journey!
To learn more about your status go to https://doihaveprediabetes.org/.
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