Health New England | Health Matters | Wellness Guide 2019

18 almonds Source: American Diabetes Association 5 5! for Be Ready for Snack Attacks If you’re living with diabetes, you want to choose snacks wisely. Here are five go-to healthy snacks with less than 5 grams of carbohydrates each. 3 celery sticks and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter 1 ⁄ 4 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup light popcorn 1 hard- boiled egg DIABETES ✔ Count on Healthy Foods to Control Blood Sugar Having diabetes doesn’t mean avoiding your favorite foods. But it does mean paying closer attention to what you eat. Maybe the most important type of food to consider is carbohydrates, or carbs. There are complex carbs—like whole-grain breads and pasta, beans, and starchy vegetables. And there are simple carbs—such as fruits, milk, vegetables, and sugary drinks and foods. Carbs are turned into glucose (blood sugar) in the body. So you want to be careful how many carbs you eat, and what kind. That’s why people talk about “carb counting.” You want to keep track of how many carbs you eat at any meal. And make your carbs count by choosing more nutritious complex carbs and fewer simple ones. Talk with your diabetes educator about how many carbs you should eat. Source: American Diabetes Association; American Heart Association 14 ∞ Wellness Guide | 2019