Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

Following is an excerpt from Diagnosis Prediabetes: Your Guide to Reboot Your Lifestyle & Stop Prediabetes during the Pandemic & Beyond.

From Chapter 1:

What makes prediabetes different from type 2 diabetes? First and foremost, it means that you may be on your way to developing type 2 diabetes.  You are at an in-between stage, however without treatment, you may develop type 2 diabetes.  The good news—if there is good news in getting a prediabetes diagnosis—is that prediabetes can be reversible.  While many people feel devastated to receive a prediabetes diagnosis, it can be a blessing in disguise.  A diagnosis of prediabetes is a call to action. When you take action at a reasonably early stage of prediabetes, it is potentially reversible.  Without taking action, many people with prediabetes go on develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years

Once you have crossed that threshold and have full-blown type 2 diabetes, it is not reversible.  That is the biggest difference between prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Some people make the mistake of  thinking that their type 2 diabetes has gone away when their blood sugar improves (through lifestyle changes) and gets closer to a normal range.  They may interpret that to mean that the diabetes has been cured.  That isn’t what it means. Improvements in blood sugar levels, even when a near normal range means that a person’s type 2 diabetes is well-controlled.  Once you have type 2 diabetes, you have it, and there will be an ongoing need to manage and keep it under control.

What are risk factors to keep in mind?  A person having any of these factors is at increased risk:

• Aged 40 or older.
• Has a family history of type 2 diabetes.
• Is overweight or obese.
• A woman with a history of gestational diabetes during one or all of her pregnancies.
• History of high blood pressure.
• Is physically inactive and has a sedentary lifestyle.

To read the rest of the e-book purchase your copy at Amazon.com or Smashwords.com.

Tags: blood sugar, diabetes, glucose, prediabetes, Type2 diabetes

Most mornings I go to our local fitness center to work out, but before I did that today, I did a quick demo showing members how to make a quick and easy Caribbean Kiwi Salsa. There are many variations of salsas, and many that combine both fruit and vegetables are really delicious. Home-made salsas are much lower in sodium than ready-made salsas in a jar. Perfect for anyone who wants to include healthier foods and more fiber!

Here is the complete recipe for Caribbean Kiwi Salsa.  Enjoy!

Tags: fresh salsa recipe, fruit salsa, healthy salsa, kiwi salsa, salsa, summer salsa

Blueberries are in season right now and what better snack for those who need to limit sugar? Besides being high in fiber, antioxidants and vitamins,  blueberries are naturally low in sugar. Stock up on these nutritious little berries and put some in your freezer to enjoy year round….here’s how to do it:

1. 1. Rinse blueberries thoroughly
   2. Spread berries on clean cotton towels and allow to air-dry for at least 1 hour
   3. Line a rimmed baking pan with wax paper and spread one layer of berries on the pan; place in freezer
   4. Once blueberries are frozen, put in mason jars or plastic storage containers, label & date, and return to freezer.

Tags: antioxidants, blueberries, diabetes, freezing fruit, frozen blueberries, low sugar fruit, prediabetes

Are you looking for a cool summer salad to make for your holiday barbecue? Try this Red &White Bean Salad. It’s quick & easy!

Ingredients you will need to make Red & White Bean Salad:

• 1 can great northern beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 Tb. chopped fresh mint
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• Kosher salt to taste

Find more quick & easy recipes here

Tags: bean salad, cold salad recipe, healthy salad recipes, kidney beans, white beans

Don’t let the summer heat affect your ability to stay on track with your healthy eating goals.

Here are a few tips to keep eating healthy when things heat up:

• Meal prep in advance: try scheduling 1 hour a week to prep meals by washing, slicing produce, marinating meats, or assembling ingredients into freezer bags for crock pot meals. The hour spent will save you time throughout the week.
• Focus on grilling outdoors and make it your summer kitchen. Meats, poultry, fish and vegetables all work well on the grill and help keep it cooler inside
• Eat more vegetables and fruit: summer is a great time to incorporate in-season produce into your diet. It also helps to increase fiber and add bulk to you meals, so you will feel less hungry.
• Keep well hydrated: even mild dehydration can drain your energy making it harder to stay motivated to exercise or prepare meals. Drink water throughout the day – a minimum of 64 ounces is recommended for most people.
• Make frozen treats with unsweetened frozen fruits like this Healthy 5 Minute Berry Frozen Yogurt

Tags: fluids, frozen fruit, grilling, hydration, summer

Whether you call it stay at home, self quarantine, or as we’re told in New York: PAUSE, many of us have had to hunker down in our homes for the long haul. Now, more than ever, it’s important to eat healthy. You need to have healthy foods on hand in order to eat healthy.

Bean Dish with Canned Tomatoes

Make your essential trips to the grocery store efficient by planning ahead. Buy items that can help you put together healthy, nutritious meals. Here is a list of foods for your stay at home:

• • Canned tomatoes: crushed, diced, or tomato sauce
  • Chicken or Beef Stock (low sodium if available)

• Brown or White Rice, Quinoa, Rolled Oats
• Canned or Dried Beans, Lentils- any variety
• Plain Frozen Vegetables of any kind
• Fresh Vegetables that are multipurpose: carrots, onions, celery, white/ sweet potatoes, cabbage
• Frozen unsweetened fruit
• Fruits that keep longer in the refrigerator such as apples, pears, or oranges
• Whole Grain pasta
• Canned or pouch tuna
• Eggs or carton egg whites
• Milk, yogurt, shredded cheese, sliced or block natural cheese
• Lean meats,  chicken breast, whole roaster chicken
• Whole grain bread

This list foods for a stay at home is not all inclusive. Depending on where you live, some of these items may be in short supply. What’s most important is maintaining a core of “go to” ingredients that form the basis of a healthy meal.

• Try to keep your trips to the store to a minimum. One or two trips a week helps to reduce exposure to other people.
• Have a complete shopping list in hand so that you can get through the grocery aisles quickly as possible.
• Realize that there may be limits on certain food items or, they may be out of stock altogether. This difficult time requires flexibility and being able to improvise when needed. Have alternate food items in mind in the event of shortage.

Stay well!

Tags: COVID, COVID-19, healthy foods, healthy meals, Pandemic, shelter in place, shopping list, stay at home

Now that Thanksgiving is over,  the holiday season is truly in full swing. Preventing weight gain over the holiday season is challenging when there’s a food blitz everywhere. Here’s a few tips to help you get a handle on the holiday food and prevent weight gain:

• Use an online tracker or wearable device:  Keep track of food intake and your daily activity. Studies suggest that tracking what you do each day helps to keep you mindful of what you eat.
• Set Limits Around Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages are empty calories and often stimulate  appetite. Alcohol also reduces self-control. This can be problematic at parties where alcohol and food are served. Develop a strategy to keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum.
• Makeover High Calorie Recipes: If you have calorie-rich traditional  recipes to prepare, consider using alternative ingredients or techniques that help lighten  the load. Substitute whole milk for heavy cream, and use less butter or  sugar. Many times a recipe can withstand a reduction in sugar, butter, or heavy cream by 30-50%.
• Keep on Weighing yourself:  Step on the scale at least once a week.  A recent study found that people who weighed themselves frequently lost more weight over a  six month period than those who seldom weighed themselves.
•  Get Adequate Sleep and Manage Your Stress: The holidays are a  stressful time for many people. Lack of sleep adds to the stress. Make sure you get adequate sleep, maintain regular physical activity, and keep  your time-management realistic for a more stress-free holiday season.

You can also read my article “Tips for Surviving Holiday Eating Without Guilt and Weight Gain”.

Tags: Christmas, holiday foods, holidays, Thanksgiving, weight control, weight gain

Some people believe that holiday leftovers are even more delicious the second, third or fourth time around!  We would agree.  However, you might not realize that you can use the leftovers and make them healthier that you normally would.

Below you’ll find some resources that can guide you to getting the most out of your leftovers without jeopardizing your New Years Resolutions!

20 Healthy Recipes To Make With Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
5 Healthy, Creative Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes from Around the Web
Nine Holiday Leftovers You Can Make
Easy And Healthy Holiday Leftover Recipes

Tags: holiday foods, holiday leftovers, holiday recipes, holiday shopping

Meatless Monday has become a global movement.  Eating a meatless meal once a week helps people to reduce their consumption of meat. It’s really a very simple premise: cut out meat for the day. There’s plenty of evidence to show that going meatless at least part of the time is  good for our health. It’s also good for the planet.

When I first tried Meatless Monday night dinners, it raised a few eyebrows. However now that we are meatless every week, no one gives it a second thought .

To make this modest lifestyle change successful, have a variety of really tasty meatless recipes to choose from. I often try new recipes incorporating vegetables, whole grains, and a dried bean or lentil.You can  also use recipes that feature eggs, cheese or pasta combined with vegetables.

Here are a three good links to give you recipe ideas for going meatless at least once a week!

https://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/

https://www.thekitchn.com/23-vegetarian-dinners-to-make-meatless-monday-even-easier-230958

Tags: meatless meals, Meatless Monday, meatless recipes

Once again, it seems like winter is lasting the whole year in some places.  New York city had a day in the 80’s recently while Southern California is still getting no higher in the 60’s during the day.  Regardless of the weather summer will still arrive even if the days are still chilly!

We have featured healthy summer recipes for several years so in this post we are going to list all those posts so you can go through them and find your favorites.  If we’ve missed any good recipes let us know in the comments!

Healthy Summer Recipes
Summertime Avocado Recipes
Fruit Salsa for Summer!
Healthy Hot Weather Recipes
Warm Weather Slow Cooker Recipes
May Is National Barbecue Month
Fruit Salad Recipes

Tags: barbeque, fruit salad, healthy recipes, healthy summer recipes, hot weather, summer time