Short Cuts

Week 3: LEARN
Saturday, November 20

Short Cuts – Are there any diabetes short cuts you have learned over the years?

Well, since I was only diagnosed with diabetes three months ago, there aren't just a whole lot of tricks or short cuts I've learned yet, but one big one is the calorie/fat/carb (Calorie King) guide I carry with me in my purse everywhere I go.  It helps me get a pretty good idea of how many carbs a particular food has, so for me it's the closest I can get to dietary management in real time, along with the Calorie King website (which I can access from my Blackberry as well). 

Another biggie that I learned from my Certified Diebetes Educator (CDE) is how to "create your plate", which is an easy way to gauge how your meal measures up to your goals, wherever you are and whatever situation you're in (eating at home, eating out, holidays).  I shared the link to a YouTube video that explains this process on Thursday (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6LZijdsGu0), but the basic ideas are these:

9" plate
  1/2 Nonstarchy vegetables
  1/4 Lean meat
  1/4 Carbohydrate/Starchy vegetables
  +Serving of Milk
  +Serving of Fruit

Simple, right?  I sure think it's easy, and it's an effective way to make sure you're getting a truly balanced meal every time. 

My second tip may seem obvious, but the other big thing I've learned since my diagnosis is to follow the dietary and medication guidelines your doctor/CDE/RD gave you.  It's the most straightforward way to keep your blood glucose under control, and it's the best way to gauge how your particular strategy for diabetes managment is working.  If you're following those guidelines to a "T", your blood sugar would ideally be well controlled; however, if it's not, then you'll know (quicker) that something needs to be modified, either in your diet or your medication.  After all, the faster you make the necessary changes, the faster your blood glucose gets under control and the shorter period of time you're dealing with those damaging high numbers.