1. What's happening in March in diabetes?

Two health-related events that are celebrated each year in the month of March present great opportunities to increase awareness about the role of good nutrition in diabetes prevention and care:

• National Nutrition Month®, sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is an education campaign that the Academy conducts to focus attention on how our health is affected by what we eat and our levels of physical activity.
• American Diabetes Association Alert Day®, held on the fourth Tuesday of every March , is a one-day call-to-action to increase awareness of the factors that place some people at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This year’s Alert Day will be held on Tuesday, March 26.

“Each individual with diabetes is unique and can benefit greatly
from working with a diabetes educator or registered dietitian...”

2. Why are good nutrition and physical activity so important in preventing diabetes?

There are many factors that can increase someone’s risk for developing type 2 diabetes. (Click here to visit the American Diabetes Association’s Web site and assess your risk for diabetes.) We can’t change some of these factors, such as our age, race or ethnicity, or family history. But there are other diabetes risk factors, such as being overweight, obese, or physically inactive, that most of us do have the power to change by choosing what to eat, how much we eat, and how physically active we are.

The good news is that research has shown that adults can significantly reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by losing a relatively small amount of weight (5% to 10%) and becoming more physically active, such as walking for 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. (Click here to learn more about the Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trial and its results.) That’s why it is so important for everyone to become better informed about how our food choices and the amounts of food we eat affect our health and can influence our risk for diabetes. It’s also vital to learn how to get more physical activity into our daily routines.

4. What are some of the diabetes-friendly foods you would suggest for people with diabetes?

While there are no foods that are totally off-limits for people with diabetes, there are better choices we all can make. Each individual with diabetes is unique and can benefit greatly from working with a diabetes educator or registered dietitian to develop a customized plan that can address specific needs.

For example, some people with diabetes may need to focus on weight loss to help control their diabetes. A diabetes educator will be able to recommend a plan to help these patients reach their weight loss and diabetes control goals. Other individuals may need help learning how to substitute healthier ingredients into traditional dishes - allowing them and their families to enjoy diabetes-friendly versions of family-favorite dishes.

Also, the American Diabetes Association offers a great online tool called MyFoodAdvisor. It is a rich resource that you can use to find hundreds of recipes for healthier, diabetes-friendly meal options.

5. Where can I learn more about food and how it relates to diabetes prevention and management?

In addition to the resources already mentioned, Novo Nordisk has developed an interactive quiz that you can take to assess your knowledge of some important facts related to nutrition and diabetes.

The quiz is called “Do You Know Diabetes?” It takes about two minutes, and for each completed quiz, Novo Nordisk will make a donation to three community-based food banks, to help them bring more nutritious meals to members of their communities.

So, Do You Know Diabetes? Take the quiz now and find out, and share a link to it with your friends.