Happy American Diabetes Month! Every November, we all join forces to raise awareness of diabetes. We’re excited to join the American Diabetes Association this year to further their vision of “a life free of diabetes and all its burdens”. By raising awareness and providing education, we can help to make this vision of the future happen today! We know that many of you, our customers, fans and blog readers are diabetes educators. Thank you for everything that you do, day in and day out, to prevent diabetes through preemptive education and help those living with diabetes through lifestyle education. This year’s American Diabetes Month theme is “America Gets Cooking to Stop Diabetes”. In the next few steps, we want to provide a few ways that we can all get cooking in a way that prevents diabetes and also helps those living with diabetes enjoy their meals without the ingredients that their bodies can’t process.

1. Utilize cooking spray or small amounts of olive oil rather than butter when sautéing in a pan. Butter contains saturated fats, which raise blood cholesterol levels and is a risk factor for heart disease. A Tabletop Oil Mister allows you to create your own blend of oils, herbs and spices and use it sparingly across many types of foods.
2. Steam your vegetables in water or broil them in the oven versus cooking them in butter or another source of fat. Many vegetables have a fantastic flavor that can be accentuated through the use of the right herbs and spices.
3. Use fresh herbs or spices to add flavor to your foods rather than salt. Although salt packs a big punch, you’ll find that you won’t even want it after freshening up your favorite meals with some fresh herbs and the right spices. Fresh herbs always taste best, so a tool like the Herb Savor Pod help keep them that way. Plus, it’s just pretty cool looking! Herb Shears are also a great kitchen addition if you plan to cook with a lot of fresh herbs.
4. Be sure to trim any visible fat off your meat before you cook. Many times, some fat will be left on the meat that you purchase at the grocery store in order to add some weight or leave ‘flavor’ on the meat. Be sure to inspect the meat and remove this excess fat. There are plenty of other ways to add flavor and don’t need this extra fat.
5. If you have diabetes, it’s very important to measure your carbohydrate portions to make sure you’re staying within your daily allowance. There are many resource guides available to help measure your carbohydrate servings and exchanges. Our favorites are the Nutriportion Measuring Cups because carbohydrates in many common foods are listed around the sides of the measuring cups. No need to look anywhere else!
6. Avoid high sugar and processed foods at all costs. When it comes to both preventing diabetes and managing it if you’ve been diagnosed, sugary and processed foods can be your worst enemy. Instead, opt for foods with natural sugars such as fresh or frozen fruits.

This November, we’ll be doing everything we can to fulfill the vision of the American Diabetes Association, a life free of diabetes and all its burdens. We hope you’ll join us as we blog, Facebook, Tweet and even create a video to help stop diabetes through prevention, education and useful diabetes tools. Are you involved in the fight against diabetes? Share how you’ll be celebrating American Diabetes Month with us. We’d love to see what you’re doing too!