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How to eat healthy away from home if you have diabetes

For people with diabetes, eating out — whether at a restaurant, a social function, or a friend's home — can be a challenge. Portions can be hefty and packed with calories and saturated fat. When you eat out, it may help to follow these simple guidelines:

  • Ask how entrées are prepared, and avoid fried foods or dishes served in heavy sauces or gravies.
  • Choose skinless chicken, fish, or lean meat that's broiled, poached, baked, or grilled.
  • Get the server's advice to help you select healthy, low-fat dishes. Restaurants are used to dealing with special diets.
  • Don't feel obliged to clean your plate. Eat a reasonable portion, and take the remainder home.
  • Choose steamed vegetables and salads to accompany your meals. Request low-calorie dressings and toppings, and if they're not available, ask for all dressings, butter, and sauces to be served on the side so you can use them sparingly.
  • If you take insulin and you know your meal will be delayed, time your injection appropriately. You may need to eat a roll or piece of fruit to tide you over.
  • If you're craving dessert, have some — but split it with someone else.

For more information on the essentials for a healthy diet and managing type 2 diabetes, buy Healthy Eating for Type 2 Diabetes, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

Ask the doctor: Do artificial sweeteners cause insulin resistance?

In preliminary research, sucralose and acesulfame potassium increased insulin levels, although more studies are necessary to determine whether they—or other artificial sweeteners—increase the risk of insulin resistance.

Ask the doctor: Does psoriasis raise diabetes risk?

Some experts feel there is evidence that probiotics may help prevent or treat several conditions, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, travelers’ diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and some allergies (particularly eczema).

The data are in: Eat right, reduce your risk of diabetes

Data from surveys of 200,000 people spanning two decades add support to the belief that eating a diet made up largely of plant-based foods is likely to lower a person’s risk of developing diabetes.

There’s no sugar-coating it: All calories are not created equal

The view that calories are calories regardless of their source has been shown to be outdated. Foods with a low glycemic index are better because they tend to raise blood sugar more slowly, and they are also more likely to be healthier foods overall. By choosing the low-glycemic foods and thus the minimally processed foods, people can lose more weight, feel fuller longer, and remain healthier.

Sugar: Its many disguises

Excess sugar in the diet can cause a whole host of health problems, both physical and mental. If you’re concerned about cutting down on sugar, you might think you’re covered if you skip the soda and pastries. But there are plenty of hidden and added sugars lurking in all kinds of foods — even those traditionally considered “healthy.” Here, we’ve given you some tips on what to watch out for.

Why controlling your weight lowers your risk of diabetes

Inflammation is an important link between obesity, elevated blood sugar, and type 2 diabetes.


Weight loss can reduce inflammation—a major contributor to diabetes.
Image: tetmc/Thinkstock

We've known for a long time that being overweight is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. But only in the last 20 years have researchers determined that metabolism and immune responses are linked and that chronic inflammation plays an important role in the development of obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic diseases. "Inflammation is not only associated with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but also precedes and predicts these conditions," says Dr. Allison Goldfine, head of the Clinical Research section at Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center.

Diabetes drug pioglitazone could get personal: Neither panacea, nor peril

Doctors are often hesitant to prescribe newer drugs. We simply can’t know everything about them until the experiences of early adopters tell us what they’re really like. Such is the case with thiazolidinediones. Some of the more recent diabetes drugs fell out of favor, but a new study suggests that may be helpful for very specific types of patients.

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