WELCOME OCTOBER- BE READY!
Welcome to the fall season and those cooler days,
beautiful fall colors, and the beginning of the
holiday frenzy! When we welcome October in, we all
know the following two months bring on much activity
to all of our lives. So before it begins, let’s
address the issue of stress and eating. After all
diabetes is not immune to stress and emotional
eating can wreck havoc on your blood sugar control.
For so many of us stress and food are best friends.
During those moments when it seems like we are
overwhelmed, food can give us the feeling of power,
control and satisfaction. Turning to our favorite
food not only comforts us but helps to relieve those
uncomfortable feelings. And as our stress levels go
up our resistance to our comfort foods goes down.
Without better coping strategies this emotional
eating can begin to be a common fixture in our
lives. When life gets busy it is tempting to forget
about healthy eating principles. Skipping meals,
eating anything on the run or using fast foods and
quick snacks means your body does not get the
balance of nutrients it needs. Recognizing triggers
and developing effective stress management
techniques can help you plan your eating choices,
control blood glucose levels and keep your body
healthy.
To help gain control over emotional
eating try some healthy coping strategies: talk to
someone, try journaling your feelings on paper, get
up and move- nothing like exercise to help release
some of those frustrating feelings! Reduce some of
the stress in your life so you don’t need food to
help you cope.
Remember stress is a choice- we
can live with it or allow it to be the force which
controls us. Set your priorities. When those
pressures and stressors surge in your life, simplify
your eating routine, simplify your food choices but
don’t give up on good nutrition which is the
cornerstone of diabetes management and good health.
Try this quick and delicious wrap as part of
your plan to manage your food choices!
Cheddar-Succotash Wrap
2 cups cubed baking
potato (about ½ pound)
2 cups frozen baby lima
beans, thawed
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
2 cups fresh frozen corn kernels
(about 4 ears or can use frozen, thawed)
½ cup
chopped green pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
½
cup fat free milk
½ cup (2 ounces) reduced fat
sharp shredded cheese
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded
Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
6 (8
inch) whole wheat tortillas
¾ cup sliced green
onion
¾ cup salsa
Combine first 3
ingredients in a bowl. Cover and microwave at HIGH 3
minutes or until tender. Stir after 1 ½ minutes.
Drain.
Heat oil in nonstick skillet coated with
cooking spray over medium high heat. Add corn, bell
pepper and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
Stir in potato mixture and milk. Add cheeses,
stirring until cheeses melt.
Warm tortillas
according to package directions. Divide corn mixture
evenly down center of each tortilla; roll up. Top
each serving with 2 tablespoons onion and 2
tablespoons salsa. Serve immediately.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories- 315
Calories from fat- 40.5
Fat- 4.5 grams
Cholesterol- 13 mg.
Carbohydrate- 61 grams
Sodium- 700 mg.
Protein- 16 grams
Fiber- 6.8
grams
To help find a diabetes educator in your area,
contact 1-800-Teamup4 or the American Association of
Diabetes Educators website which is
www.diabeteseducator.org
.
