This post is part of a larger piece on diabetes and health presented in collaboration with the Kettering Health Network Joslin Diabetes Center. Click here to read it from the beginning.
Managing Diabetes: Final Thoughts and a Warning
While the content of food is critical to good health, Americans also need to control portion sizes. As noted in Studer’s recommendations on healthy fats, moderation is key. Portion sizes for many foods have increased over the years, and Americans tend to have a distorted perception of the volume of food that is appropriate to consume. Make sure you read food labels to understand their correct portion sizes. Buying a food scale can also help in portioning. Finally, Studer warned residents about the dangers of unregulated and under-regulated supplements, especially those purchased off of the Internet. Talk to your doctor before beginning any regimen of dietary supplements.
Diabetes and pre-diabetes are among the defining health challenges in modern America. There is not a single silver bullet that will solve them, though science may one day provide such a “cure.” Today, however, the best weapon in the fight against diabetes is education and a commitment behavioral change. Bethany offers residents resources to learn more about healthy lifestyles, as well as top notch dining options, but we must work in partnership with the men and women we serve to make the changes necessary to defeat diabetes.
