Blog – Page 27 of 64 – Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes

“22 pounds is just over 10% of my body weight—I’m thrilled and feel accomplished!”

June 12, 2020July 13, 2021 by Casey Collins

Below is a testimonial from current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant, Elizabeth:

My Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes class ended in January. I only lost a pound or two during the program, but I always felt it was a success because I was eating better and exercising more.

Imagine my surprise a few weeks into the pandemic when I saw that I had lost six pounds. The pandemic has led to increased stress but I also believe the weight loss was due to reduced access to replenishing my favorite treats and no dining out. That was in early April and now I have lost 16 more pounds, which totals a 22-pound weight loss.

22 pounds is just over 10% of my body weight—I’m thrilled and feel accomplished!

Due to the pandemic, I have had limited access to “treats,” and have been making almost everything from scratch. I am very conscious of not using up too much food before I can get another pick-up order of groceries.

Moreover, now I’m seriously motivated to keep the weight off and lose more. I don’t want to lose ground, because it feels so great. I no longer have to walk around with those 22 pounds, which is the equivalent of carrying two cats with me or a backpack everywhere I go. I no longer have the joint pain, knee pain, or foot pain that kept me awake at night. I also have not been having heartburn. These are tremendous motivators!

All the bags of dried beans, brown rice, lentils, oatmeal, buckwheat flour, etc. are really the staples of my diet now. I have even started a substantial vegetable garden to supplement my pantry items. Along with milk, eggs, and fish, it seems like a pretty decent way forward.

– Elizabeth, a current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

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“Overall–I learned balance.”

“I feel better and exercise more!”

“I finally realized I needed to do something about my health”

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Shorten the Distance With a Virtual Cooking Party

June 11, 2020July 13, 2021 by Jordan Harris

Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to disconnect from your social support systems. It has, however, challenged us to become more creative in our communications with friends and loved ones. Feeling the distance can be difficult at times, but there are plenty of ways to help the distance feel shorter, and social support systems feel stronger during times of social distancing.

Shorten the distance by hosting a virtual cooking party with friends/family. Scheduling a virtual meeting with friends/family is a great opportunity to connect, catch up, and enjoy a meal together!

Host a virtual cooking social with these 3 simple steps:

Pick a healthy recipe that everyone will enjoy. A few tasty ideas are below!
Share the recipe and ingredient list with meeting attendees.
Gather ingredients and schedule a cooking date!

Not only will you be able to get some cooking done, but you will also able to enjoy the company of friends and family while doing it!

You may also enjoy:

How to Snack Smart While Working from Home

How to Practice Mindful Eating While Working from Home

Always Eating? Part 2: Self-Care

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Always Eating? Part 3: Coping With Emotions

June 5, 2020July 13, 2021 by Carol Collins MS, RDN, LDN

This is the final blog in a three-part series. My last two blogs focused on nutrition and self-care, check them out if you’re interested.

“I can’t stop eating….I’m always eating.“

I am continuing to unpack the common situation of always eating. To do this, we have to look at the interplay between nutrition, self-care, and coping with emotions. Today I will look at my favorite topic which is coping with emotions without using food.

Eating has an emotional component. Much of the time food has emotional associations such as birthday cakes, wedding cakes, food offered as consolation for grieving families. There is nothing wrong with self-soothing with food at times, but other coping skills are needed as well.

The following is a list of emotions that may be heightened in this time of pandemic.

Self-Check: Do you use food to meet emotional needs?

Anxiety- Do you use food to calm yourself?
Excitement- Do you use food to create excitement and brighten your day?
Loneliness-Do you use food as a friend?
Frustration-Do you use food as a release?
Anger- Do you use food as a release?
Stress- Do you use food for relief?
Need for comfort- Do you use food to self-soothe?

Think about it:

Evelyn Tribole MS, RDN (intuitive eating.org) introduces two essential questions to ask yourself when the urge to eat arises with no physical sensations of hunger. The genius is in their simplicity!

What are you feeling now?
What do you need now to deal with your feelings?

Try this:

If you need a distraction from your feelings, some ideas are watching a movie or reading a magazine.
If you need support, some ideas are calling or texting a friend, reaching out to a spiritual advisor such as a priest, rabbi, or minister. Talking to a therapist is another idea.
If you need self-care, some ideas are taking a nap, setting limits, unplugging technology.
You can also deal directly with the feeling by sitting with the feeling, examining the thought that leads to the feeling or talking to a therapist.

Here are some resources for dealings with feelings: self-compassion.org & headspace.com

You may also enjoy:

Five Tips to Eat Smart When Working from Home

How Practicing Gratitude May Benefit Your Health

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Always Eating? Part 2: Self-Care

June 3, 2020July 13, 2021 by Carol Collins MS, RDN, LDN

We are continuing to evaluate a common situation that individuals encounter. My last blog focused on nutrition, check it out if you’re interested.

“I can’t stop eating….I’m always eating.“

To really unpack this, we have to look at the interplay between nutrition, self-care and coping with emotions.

Today let’s do a self-care check-in. Self-care impacts your ability to read and respond to your body’s signals of hunger and fullness. Nourishing your body is a form of self-care but other self-care behaviors are needed as well. This prevents an over-reliance on food.

Self-care Check-in:

When you go through the self-care check-in, think about how your self-care has been impacted by the pandemic.

How much sleep do you get on average?
How many hours per week do you work?
How often do you socialize with friends?
How much time do you spend outdoors?
How comfortable are you with saying no to the requests of others?
When you are busy, do you take breaks to eat?
What do you do to relax?
Do you have any spiritual practices?
How often do you exercise?
Do you feel guilty if you are not productive?
How would you rate your stress level on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest)

Many people have been sleeping more but waking up tired due to poor quality sleep. Socializing looks very different. Many parents who are working from home while home-schooling children report significant challenges. Health stress and financial stress may be increasing with a concomitant decrease in self-care. It’s no wonder food choices and eating habits are impacted.

Think about it:

What are your strengths in self-care behaviors?
What areas are you not currently addressing?
What are a few strategies you can use to improve your self-care?

Cliff-hanger, my next blog will focus on coping with emotions, without food.

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The Best Wellness Hack that No One Ever Told Me

5 Healthy Habits to Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

How Practicing Gratitude May Benefit Your Health

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Always Eating? Part 1: Nutrition

June 1, 2020July 13, 2021 by Carol Collins MS, RDN, LDN

I have been a registered dietitian for 30 years and keep up to date on recently published literature so rest assured, my suggestions are evidence-based! Let’s evaluate a common situation that individuals encounter.

“I can’t stop eating….I’m always eating.“

To really unpack this, we have to look at the interplay between nutrition, self-care and coping with emotions. In the interest of brevity, I will start with nutrition. Cliff hanger, my next two blogs will look at self-care and coping with emotions, respectively.

First, keep your body nourished. This may seem counterintuitive if you are trying to lose weight but being too hungry causes you to always have “food on the brain”, which preloads you to cope with emotions using food. The Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less and Eat Smart, Move, Prevent Diabetes programs suggest that you plan for and bring snacks with you so that you avoid becoming overly hungry because being overly hungry often results in overeating.

Nutrition Self-Check:

Are you eating three well-balanced meals containing a whole grain, protein, and fruit or vegetable?

Do all of your meals contain some form of whole grain? If so, you may reduce your craving for chips or cookies in the afternoon or evening.

Are your meals so small that they are really snacks? If so, you may end up being hungry every two hours or so and end up snacking all day.

When you eat, how full are you? If you eat until you are satisfied or comfortably full, the meal will most likely sustain you for four hours or so. If you finish eating and still feel hungry, it’s no surprise that you’ll feel like eating again soon!

Try this:

Curate a list of foods that satisfy you. Snacks containing fiber, protein and healthy fats are recommended to provide satiety. Compare how satisfied you feel after eating the following:

An apple vs. an apple and peanut butter

A handful of raisins vs. a handful of almonds

A smoothie vs. a turkey sandwich

You may also enjoy:

How to Snack Smart While Working from Home

How to Practice Mindful Eating While Working from Home

Why You Should Still Meal Prep When Working From Home

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Pantry Staple Essentials

May 29, 2020July 13, 2021 by Casey Collins

“A pantry is like a quiver of arrows, at your back and at the ready.”
Abra Berens in her cookbook, Ruffage

Pantry staples are more important than ever. For the past several months, I have only been going to the grocery store once a week, which has made me more mindful when planning my weekly shopping trip. Actually, our Meal Planning 101: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide blog has been especially helpful during this time.

I like to put some of my pantry staples in clear containers on an open shelf in my kitchen, that way I can see how much of each item I have on hand (see picture above). Pro tip: cut out the cooking instructions from the original packaging and place it in the container in case you forget. Seeing what you have on hand and keeping them within reach helps you use your pantry items regularly. Also, a well-stocked pantry can be the difference between eating at home or getting take-out, which is a great way to save time and money.

Since I am only grocery shopping weekly, I do not make any secondary trips if I realize I have forgotten an item. Instead, I have embraced recipe improvisation. For example, recently a recipe called for a serrano pepper and I didn’t have any on hand so I just improvised with crushed red pepper flakes. This could be done with cheeses, maybe a recipe calls for feta but you only have parmesan or goat cheese on hand. The recipe won’t be the same but it will be similar enough. I have learned a lot about cooking and how to improvise from cookbooks like Ruffage and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (which is also an amazing Netflix mini-series).

Here are some suggestions to get you started building a strong pantry. You can use a premade pantry list as a reference but we recommend tailoring premade lists to your preferences, otherwise, you will end up buying items you may never use. You can always add more items as you begin to cook more.

Dry or Canned Foods

Whole-grain pasta
Brown rice
Canned tuna or salmon
Canned vegetables

Freezer Foods

Chicken
Ground beef
Whole-grain bread
Fruit
Vegetables

Refrigerator Foods

Milk
Egg
Cheese
Fresh produce (fruit & vegetables)

Condiments & Spices

Vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
3 or 4 spices

Let’s hear from the Admin Team:

I asked members of the administration team what pantry staples have been in their heavy rotation these past few months. We focused primarily on shelf-stable items.

Casey photo — **Casey**,
*Communications Specialist*

Black beans (canned)
Tomato sauce
Lentils
Chicken or vegetable stock
Vinegar or limes/lemons

Surabhi photo — **Surabhi**,
*Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes*
*Program Manager*

Black beans (dry or canned)
Whole wheat spaghetti/pasta
Crushed tomatoes and/or tomato sauce
Lentils (several options)
Brown rice
Chickpeas

Kelly photo — **Kelly**,
*Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes Coordinator*

Black beans
Chick peas for making hummus
Chicken or vegetable stock for making soup
Brown rice
Quinoa

Corinne photo — **Corinne**,
*Diabetes Prevention Program Coordinator*

Eggs (not sure if this counts as it’s more of a fridge thing but definitely had on heavy rotation for COVID)
Onions & shallots
Quinoa
Olive oil
Lemons/lemon juice

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Quick Weeknight Dinner Recipe: Kale and White Bean Pasta

What to Make With Canned Beans

A Med-Inspired Vegetarian Wrap

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“Overall–I learned balance.”

May 28, 2020July 13, 2021 by Casey Collins

Below is a testimonial from current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant, Nicole:

“I can’t believe this is almost over, but it has been huge for me. I can’t say that enough. I got excited when we got the new magazines, with every class and every prize.

Over the past several years I have lost and gained through “quick fixes” to the point where I was not only at my heaviest, but I was at the point where I felt there was no point in trying to lose weight. This program was what I needed. I needed the gentle weekly accountability, the small subtle changes and while the weight didn’t pour off like in the past, I was learning to be ok with that. I learned that small daily changes lead to big life changes. I also learned to be more gentle with my progress and not see any one slip as a game-changer. Overall-I learned balance. So, thank you. This group has meant so much to me that I am continuing to find ways to keep this going and to make sure I have that accountability.”

-Nicole, a current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

You may also enjoy:

“I feel better and exercise more!”

“I feel the best that I have in years!”

“Since meeting my personal goal of losing 10 pounds, I feel good.”

Don’t miss another great blog: Subscribe Now

A Med-Inspired Vegetarian Wrap

May 21, 2020July 13, 2021 by Sydney Wills

May is International Mediterranean Diet Month (or #MedMonth) which highlights the Mediterranean-style eating pattern. The Mediterranean Diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and lean meats. It’s not only backed by research, but it is also delicious and satisfying which makes it a popular eating pattern for many. There are several Med-inspired recipes on our website as well as our sister website MEDinsteadofmeds.com, but if you want to “dip your toes” in the pool of the Mediterranean diet, the recipe below is a great place to start.

The reason this recipe fits into the Med-style of eating is that it is loaded with vegetables (cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, onion), the tortilla is whole wheat, and contains a good source of protein (chickpeas). Finish it off with some spices and oil/vinegar and you have yourself a Med meal! I have been using this recipe a lot for my lunches since it is so quick and easy to put together.

Ingredients:

1 15 oz-can chickpeas
¼ cup English cucumber
¼ cup Feta cheese (crumbled)
½ ripe tomato
¼ cup red pepper
¼ cup red onion
2 Whole-wheat tortillas
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat.
Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to skillet.
Add salt, pepper, paprika, basil, oregano, and balsamic vinegar and mix well
Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until heated
Meanwhile, heat a whole wheat tortilla in the microwave for about 30 seconds and chop the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and pepper.
Assemble wrap by placing the desired amount of chickpeas into the wrap.
Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese
Top with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and red peppers and roll into the wrap.

Serves 2

Nutrition Info: Calories 385 kcals; Fat 11.3g; Carbohydrates 26.6g; Protein 6.2g

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Meal Prep Mediterranean Lunch Salad

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Meal Prep Mediterranean Chicken

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“I feel better and exercise more!”

May 19, 2020July 13, 2021 by Casey Collins

Below is a testimonial from current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant, Mary:

I am an 81-year-old female and I have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Even though I tried to eat healthy my A1c numbers never improved. I was referred to the Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes program by my primary physician, and started the class at NC State University in October 2019.

I reached my personal goal of losing 10 pounds at the end of Part 1. In fact, I lost 11 lbs and I am continuing to maintain that weight. I feel better and exercise more regularly. My A1c number has even moved down by 0.3 points. I look forward to losing at least 10 more pounds by the end of Phase 2 in September of 2020. Our instructor, Heather, is a great motivator!

–Mary, a current Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes participant

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“I’ve lost over 40 pounds and feel 100% better”

“I now have hope of a healthy body and healthy life!”

“I feel the best that I have in years!”

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Quick Weeknight Dinner Recipe: Kale and White Bean Pasta

April 29, 2020July 13, 2021 by Surabhi Aggarwal, RD, LDN

At a recent Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes Cooking School, we demonstrated a simple pasta dish made with vegetables and beans. It is shared below with a few modifications based upon what was available in my refrigerator the night I made this for dinner. I would have also liked to add carrots to this dish but I did not have any at the time. You can substitute the vegetables in this recipe with any others you prefer or have on hand. The main thing to remember is to add a lot of vegetables so each serving has much more vegetables as compared to pasta.

The dish is super simple and tastes delicious. You can save a lot of time if you have the vegetables chopped and ready to go ahead of time. Also, I happened to have 100% chickpea pasta which is what I used for this recipe but this can certainly be substituted by any 100% whole grain pasta.

Healthy Kale and White Bean Pasta

Serves 5

Ingredients:

100% chickpea pasta, ½ of 10 oz. box
Olive oil, ¼ cup
Garlic, ½ tsp (minced)
Pine nuts, ¼ cup
Chopped kale, 1 lb bag (10 cups)
Baby mushrooms, 1 box (8 ounces)
Red pepper, 1 (diced)
White cannellini beans, 1 can (drained and rinsed)
Salt to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Keep aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and pine nuts and sauté until light brown.
Add kale, mushrooms, red peppers and sauté for a few minutes until cooked to desired softness.