Enjoy the resources below and join my email list for articles and events as I create them.
My Favorite Handouts
Food Groups
Food groups are a necessary reminder for most of my clients. This page was created specifically for New Mexico Native American people—so it includes some foods you may find unfamiliar. Although my 3 cocreators are registered dietitians, I depart from some rules—for example, outlining healthier fats and not-so-healthy fats and mentioning a little lard or butter rather than encouraging people to go low fat or no fat. And I realize that cottage cheese—listed under proteins—does have some carbs. I love eating mine topped with salsa and walnuts.
Carbohydrates are headlined in red. Many people are shocked by foods they didn’t realize raise blood sugar. This list sparks vital conversations about what we are all eating. I remind clients of two truths: people with diabetes can eat whatever we want in moderation, and what people with diabetes should eat (more vegetables/fewer carbs) is what everyone should be eating. Remember, the common description for carbohydrates is comfort food. How can we eat right and give ourselves comfort? My inspiration Barbara Mora (type 2) answers teasing or pushiness about cake in her book Using Our Wit and Wisdom to Live Well with Diabetes. Barbara tells critical observers, “I can have a small piece of cake. It is part of my meal plan for the day. Thank you for your concern.”
Carb Portions
This is my favorite carb portion handout. I have not been able to find the source so I acknowledge SBDI for creating this helpful page even if they are no longer in existence. My only criticism is that one taco or one corn tortilla are not one carb serving. The corn tortillas I use claim to have 9g of carb. But looking through this page with my clients is priceless. The pictures make the handout available for anyone, and we can easily determine how their dinner or breakfast or snack stacked up. Using this page I urge people to order thin crust pizza and load it with vegetables. I point out that 1/2 cup of breakfast cereal or oatmeal is rarely enough so they’d better double that carb count. At 1/3 cup, one rice portion is terribly disappointing. I was raised on beans and rice and I hate limiting rice. I remember a video years ago of a diabetes educator telling Chinese American women in San Francisco that 1/3 cup of cooked rice is a portion. They didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.