When you were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your doctor likely mentioned the need to change your diet. And then maybe your heart fell in the stomach when you thought about changing your diet and saying goodbye to the food you love.
Talk about disappointment – and it’s a perfectly normal reaction.
Just ask Suzanne Sheridan, who has lived with type 2 diabetes for over 20 years.
“My story is that I was on a regular check-up and the nurse said, ‘Your sugar is 385’ [milligrams per deciliter] and you should see a doctor immediately. ‘ And I couldn’t believe it, ”recalls Sheridan, owner of Suzanne Sheridan Photography in Westport, Connecticut. “I was in shock, then I got depressed and felt that I couldn’t eat the kind of food I like to eat.”
But with the help of one of her doctors, Joseph Feuerstein, MD, assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City and director of integrative medicine at Stamford Health in Connecticut, Sheridan learned that food doesn’t have to be boring or boring just because she became diabetic diagnosed. Instead, it could be flavorful and healthy – not to mention it’s fun and easy to make.
TIED TOGETHER: What is a Type 2 Diabetes Friendly Diet? A complete guide
As Dr. Feuerstein points out, a good quality diet can not only help support good diabetes management, including a possible lowering of A1C, but can also help you feel good!
Food is “so much more” than calories, he says. “It’s the fact that food actually changes some of the chemicals in your brain and affects your emotions,” explains Feuerstein.
In the video below, Feuerstein talks to Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, Certified Intuitive Eating Advisor, about how to combat emotional eating as a diabetic. Additionally, Chef Daniel Green, who specializes in healthy recipes, has three delicious, diabetes-friendly recipes (including a dessert!) For your weekly meal. You can find all the ingredients and instructions below.
