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Juggling Wellness and Diabetes

September 15, 2014 by Sally Leave a Comment

I’m writing this personal kind of blog on a Saturday. I love Saturdays. They encompass lots of things I love to do which all contribute to my wellbeing. This morning I was out on my run and because it’s Saturday and lovely Spring weather lots of my neighbours were also out and about. Nearly everyone I ‘ran’ into made the comment about how well I looked. I had at least 3 such comments this morning and they inspired me to share with you what I believe to be the key to being well with diabetes, or what works for me anyway.

This is important to me because I have diabetes and I’m turning 50 next year, so I know that if I don’t focus on being well myself I’m in a higher risk group to lose my wellness that is so important to me. I want to do all I can to hold onto it for as long as I can, so I can enjoy more of this wonderful life. I’m also passionate about helping others to be well too to the best of their ability, so here goes!

Sleep

Every Saturday I get to sleep in. Yay! To catch up on a few hours I may have missed through the busy-ness of my week. Time to give my body a chance to repair and relax. I usually get to sleep in until around 8am, which is a big improvement on my 6-6.30am starts on other days of the week. The only thing that stops me from doing this is waking early with a hypo, but this morning my BGLs behaved themselves. This week I found an awesome article in The Conversation on the importance of sleep which I encourage you to read. It’s just so important for our wellbeing, and especially so for us with diabetes.

Eating Well

As a dietitian you would know that I am particularly passionate on this topic! This is the only topic in today’s blog that I’m qualified to talk about as a health professional, and it’s such an important one! The Australian Dietary Guidelines that we follow actually makes the comment, “Diet is arguably the single most important behavioural risk factor that can be improved to have a significant impact on health.” It is something that I think about, read up on and focus on every day.

Today I started with my fibre rich, low-GI and high nutrient breakfast, a combination of two cereals that enjoy eating together topped with skim milk. I had a banana for morning tea and a delicious bowl of vegetable and low-GI carb rich Minestrone soup. This afternoon I’ll probably have a snack of a handful of nuts and another piece of fruit. We have a delicious lean meat and vegetable rich stir-fry planned which we’ll serve with plain Basmati rice, and I’ve marked out my favourite Black Cherry yogurt for dessert.

I know that I’m getting the nutrients I need to be well each day, and I’m sure it must also reflect in my outward appearance when I’m out on my run, makeup free in my daggy running shorts too lol

Regular Exercise

Nice segway to the exercise! Also lots of evidence here to support wellbeing, reducing inflammation, improving mental health and keeping our BGLs more stable. You may know that I’m a golfer. I try to play 18 holes in a comp twice a week, and 9 holes if I have time as a break in my day on a Friday. On the days I’m not golfing I do my best to get in at least the minimum recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity. Usually I try for 45 minutes. Since I’ve been doing this I have noticed a big improvement in the stability of my glycemic control as my fitness has improved. It’s so worth the effort even when you don’t really feel like it!

Family Time/Love

I’m incredibly fortunate to have so much love and support from my family, but I guess it works both ways in that I also love and support them! I believe that love and giving love is an important part of wellbeing. We hug each other a lot in our household, and in the wider family too. Have you hugged someone today and told them you love them?

Being sociable

Although I was out on my run, I enjoy stopping along the way on a Saturday as I have more time available to me to chat with my lovely neighbours in the suburb I live in. I chat with the children, and the parents, and the older people, and the neighbours who are my friends. To me this is important as I feel loved within my community too, and I know that I’m helping some of these people to feel loved too <3

Hard Work

I enjoy working. It keeps my brain active. It gives me a purpose and keeps me inspired each day to stay well and make the most of my life. The lovely Helen Wilde called me a workaholic this week, which made me think. You know I probably am a workaholic, but that’s because I love what I do and it makes me happy to help other people to be well. But I honestly try very hard to keep a balance with the other important factors in my life.

For those of you who are lucky to be retired or not have to ‘work’ as such I would encourage some kind of volunteer role as it can really be so rewarding and contribute to your wellness. We have some awesome volunteers who help us out at Diabetes Counselling Online. You can read more about our team and some of our ambassadors here. They’re so important in making our charitable organisation what it is.

Keeping the Balance

Of course, being Saturday, I also have household chores to do, preparation cooking for the week ahead, and I might even fit in a quiet hour of reading a book. It’s always a good day, and means I really relax and enjoy myself on my day of rest (and golf) Sunday.

If you try to imagine all these aspects (including any others you may have yourself) as a number of balls that you’re juggling, I believe that remaining well is all about keeping a balance amongst them. Sometimes you need to drop one ball to keep the others going smoothly, but don’t forget it and go back to collect it as soon as you can. I don’t see diabetes as one of those balls – it’s just part of me and often influences how I manage some of those balls/aspects.

Hopefully some of this will inspire you to focus on keeping your balls in the juggle, and know where you can make some positive changes to improve your own wellness. Diabetes Counselling Online actually has a whole section on the website on Diabetes & Wellbeing. Check it out!

You know we’re here to help. With love, Sally.

Sally is the Social Media Dietitian with Diabetes Counselling Online, owner of her private practice (Marchini Nutrition), and has had type 1 diabetes for close to 40 years and coeliac disease for many years too. You can access a list of all Sally’s Diabetes Counselling Online blogs here.

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Top Ten Tips for healthy d-eating on a budget

May 26, 2014 by Sally 2 Comments

I’ve had a few requests for some ideas about how to eat healthy on a budget, especially with the costs of living with diabetes becoming ever higher. I’ve done some looking around and there’s loads of help out there.

Today’s blog is based around a handout I provide to my clients, but rather than focussing on all the points on that handout I thought it would be most useful if I chose my top ten favourite tips and provide helpful ideas and explanations for them, and give you links to other places you can look for more if you’d like to.

Before starting it’s important to remember that we need to follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines to ensure we include all the nutrients we need for overall wellness. Each meal should be balanced and include low-GI carbs, lean proteins and generous serves of non-starchy vegetables. Snacks should be based around fruit, nuts and dairy produce.

You may remember that I posted a blog on meal planning a few months ago and this is an awesome way to start on your money saving adventure by planning your meals and snacks and sticking to your plan. And if you’re of the opinion that fresh foods are more expensive than processed ones, think again. Take a look at this resource prepared by the Dietitians Association of Australia on The Real Cost of Healthy Food.

Sally Top Ten Tips

1) Shop to a list and focus on the five food groups

If you have a thoughtful list and don’t buy anything that isn’t on that list, you’ll make a huge dent in your usual food spending.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines further explains: “Spend most of your money on the Five Food Groups. Think hard about why you are buying discretionary foods and how much you really need to buy. This is especially important if you are trying to lose weight, because if you don’t buy it and take it home, it’s much easier to stick to your goals. If you would really like to have a high kilojoule food, buy the smallest amount that will satisfy you, the best quality you can afford and eat it slowly, savouring it with all your senses.”

Using the supermarket brochures as a guide to help you build your list and planning to purchase the products on special. Ensure you buy the five food groups foods before putting any treats in your shopping basket.

2) Carry a calculator

If you’ve prepared your shopping list and you know what your budget for your shopping is, then adding it up on a calculator as you go will help you to stay on track. Keep track of the amounts on the side of the list. Only shop for any extras after you’ve reached the end of the necessary items and know that you have budget left over for them.

3) Choose water as your drink of choice

Only deviate from water by choosing milk as an alternative to make up your required dairy serves through the day. Read here for more info on the importance of dairy and how you can include more in your day. If cost is an issue here, choose to buy home brand skim milk powder and make your own as needed – certainly use the powder for cooking. Same goes for yogurt which is a pricey item – yogurt makers are a very cost effective way of including yogurt in your diet.

4) Buy what’s in season and what’s on special.

You can check which vegetables are in season each month on the General Australian Seasonal Produce Guide. Check the supermarket specials listing either online or via the home delivered paper leaflets while you’re making your shopping list.

5) Buy and use the frozen, tinned or dried home brand products

Dried products such as lentils, soup mix, other legumes and rolled oats are all awesome sources of low-GI carbohydrate and fibre to help with our glycemic control, and they’re so much cheaper than the tinned, or fancy alternatives. When the budget’s tight for meat products, you can use the legumes to reduce the amount of meat you need in a meal or even happily enjoy a vegetarian version. Here are some awesome recipe ideas to help with this idea.

And if you’ve exhausted the fresh fruits and vegetables in season, the frozen and some tinned varieties can be a great buy and help to avoid wastage. I always keep frozen peas, corn, spinach and berries at home, so we’re not caught short with no ‘fresh’ vegetables. The frozen and tinned ones are just as nutritious. You can’t go past tinned tomatoes to make so many meals much tastier!

6) Familiarise yourself with your local supermarket

Keep a note of when they discount items for quick sale and arrange your visits on those days, remembering to only shop to your list.

7) Watch for significant specials on bulk items

Products that won’t spoil such as tins of tomatoes, tuna/salmon and baked beans, blocks of cheese that can be hand grated then frozen for ease of use, dried items such as basmati rice and pasta, and skim milk powder can save you lots if you keep your eyes open and check the supermarket brochures that are delivered to your home.

8) Don’t shop when you’re hungry

You know you will buy much more sensibly if you shop after lunch or after a good breakfast, or even after dinner as you won’t be guided by your hunger.

9) Look out for healthy eating on a budget recipes

There are lots of these around. Most of them use products that you should have in your pantry or that are in season. Taste has an excellent healthy budget recipes collection, as does Kidspot.com.au and there are many other sites that you will find if you Google ‘budget recipes healthy’ or similar.

10) Make the most of your leftovers

If you can buy a whole chicken or a whole roasting piece of meat it’s likely to be much cheaper per 100g, and will mean that you’ll have lots left-over to make extra meals for lunch, dinner and even breakfast.

The BBC Good Food website has some great leftover recipe ideas, as does Taste.com.au and many others – just keep an eye out for the lower saturated fats, lower glycemic index carbohydrates and lower sodium recipes wherever you can.

There are loads of ideas out there to help you. Some other really helpful links are:

The Australian Dietary Guidelines Healthy Eating on Budget page
The Dietitians Association of Australia Healthy Eating on a Budget page
The Australian Healthy Food Guide has articles on Smart Swaps and How to cut your bill in half and still eat healthily that may be helpful.
Choice Healthy Eating on a Budget
The Healthy Kids Healthy Eating on Budget

Remember that we’re eating for wellness so spend a little extra time to be prepared with delicious and healthy food ready when you need it, to help you avoid spending more and buying rubbish that you’ll only regret later.

If you have tips to share on eating healthily on a tight budget we’d love to hear them so please add them to the comments below.

Bon Appetite! Sally

Sally is the Social Media Dietitian with Diabetes Counselling Online, owner of her private practice (Marchini Nutrition), and has had type 1 diabetes for close to 40 years and coeliac disease for many years too.

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A smooth(ie) way to ensure nutrient sufficiency over Christmas

December 23, 2013 by Sally 4 Comments

As suggested by a member of the Diabetes Counselling Online Diabetes Weight Matters closed Facebook group, today’s blog is on the topic of ‘smoothies’. It’s very timely as this being the week before Christmas (only 2 days to go!!) as so many of us are short on time.

Smoothies are a great topic to chat about because they can involve ingredients from all the major food groups, they’re convenient and easy to make, as well as being both nutritious and delicious. In today’s blog I’ll cover how they can help you meet your dietary guidelines in certain food groups as well as providing a few recipe ideas to get you started if you like the idea.

When we look at the Australian Dietary Guidelines (for Adults) which are designed to show us how to eat best for health and wellbeing, some people find it tricky to include all the serves from all of the five food groups:

Vegetables and legumes/beans – 5-6 serves per day
Fruit – 2 serves per day
Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal varieties – 3-6 serves per day
Proteins – lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/bean – 2-3 serves per day
Dairy (Milk, yogurt, cheese) and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat – 2.5-4 serves per day

I should point out here in the beginning that it’s also important not to exceed those recommendations, especially if you’re watching your weight, so understanding your energy needs is important. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because something is healthy you can eat as much of it as you like! We need to balance our energy intake with our nutritional requirements for good health. The National Medical Health and Research Council (NHMRC) reminds us: “Energy is not a nutrient but is required in the body for metabolic processes, physiological functions, muscular activity, heat production, growth and synthesis of new tissues”.

So, unless you’re an athlete who needs to gain muscle density or are generally malnourished, I do not recommend adding protein powers and the like to your smoothies. Just use fresh ingredients and you’ll have everything you need. You can read more about our energy requirements in the blog I wrote last week: ‘Energy In/Energy Out – understanding how much you need and where you get it’ and more about the benefits of low-GI foods here which are also a great selling point for smoothies, especially those made on dairy or soy milk alternatives.

Convenience

In terms of convenience, all you need for a smoothie is quality ingredients and a blender of some sort. I use a stick blender to save on washing up, but any kind will do. They take only between 5-10 minutes to make, so are perfect for people in a rush trying to get the nutrients and energy they need. Perfect too for those who say they can’t do breakfast as there’s not enough time, and they can be consumed on the run (although I wouldn’t recommend that if you can avoid it). They can replace a meal if you’re in a hurry, and are perfect as a snack too.

Meeting your nutrient needs

Many people find the areas that are hardest to include are the vegetables, fruit and dairy and smoothies are perfect to boost those areas. Proteins can also be included in the form of nuts and seeds which are highly nutritious, but watch those portion sizes as they’re also high in energy. (I wouldn’t advise using raw eggs due to related health safety concerns.) Including grains such as oats and quinoa flakes are another good option.

Low fat milk based smoothies (1 cup = 1 dairy serve) made with fresh fruit and berries can create a delicious snack that provides a serve from two groups, and if you use berries you can even minimise the carb serves to about one serve. If you choose frozen fruit, your smoothie becomes a frozen smoothie – so great for afternoon tea on a hot day.

Many people use vegetables such as spinach, kale, tomato and others to boost their vegetable intake, which is actually a very sensible idea if you’re struggling with so many serves and you understand the fabulous health benefits that come from including a variety of plant-based foods, remembering there are over 3000 different plant (phyto) nutrients!!

One member of the Diabetes Weight Matters group posted that she had just started green smoothies: kale & spinach, berries and a small OJ. She had chosen the juice as it mixed better with the vegetables than dairy would do, but she wanted it to be low GI and not to high in carbs. The way to go here is to include a whole piece of fruit such as an orange or an apple so you get the benefit of the fruit fibre, and then top up with water if you need more liquid.

Helen Edwards, our founder at Diabetes Counselling Online wrote a blog recently on a “pick me up, guilt free, chocolate, banana, blueberry, walnut smoothie”! This one covers dairy, fruit, and protein food groups. Here she is enjoying every sip!

Recipe ideas

My favourite online recipe sites are those that include nutrient values with their recipes, so we can keep track of both our carbohydrate numbers and our overall energy intake numbers.

My first call is always the Australian Healthy Food Guide because all their recipes are dietitian approved. Here I found The Breakfast Super Smoothie – loving their tip to turn breakfast into a lunch-time treat: pour smoothie into a drink bottle, freeze overnight and pack it into your child’s lunch box. It’s a little high in carbs for those aiming for 2-3 serves at breakfast, but you could just make a smaller serving or cut some of the juice, oats or the honey out of it.

Australia’s Taste.com.au is another great site for recipes that offers the nutrient values too. They had loads of smoothie recipes, so I chose a veggie-based one to share with you – great to use when you feel that you haven’t had enough of your vegetable serves. Doesn’t this sound yummy?? – Carrot, beetroot, apple and celery juice. And only 34g of carbohydrates

There are masses of smoothie recipes around, so try a few out and see how you go. We’d love you to share the ones you enjoy with us here on our Diabetes Weight Matters or Diabetes & Food – let’s celebrate it! Facebook groups, and I’ll be back next Monday with a summary of my dietitian blog posts over the 2013.

Wishing you all a wonderful, safe and happy festive season!

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