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November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

By Gin Schaffer November 2, 2017


November is Diabetes Awareness Month. It's always a good time to review what you know about glucose, fructose, and carbohydrates and the various ways these sources of sugar are listed on product labels. The following article is a great resource in helping understand the different sources of sugar.

Things to consider regarding sugar intake:

1) Look for the hidden sugar in your family's diet; just our drink consumption alone can add up to 40 grams of sugar per day. Chocolate milk is a dessert.

2) Review labels for all the different types of words for sugar - fructose, sucrose, syrup, etc.

3) Try to increase protein as snack options and reduce the sugar and carbohydrate snacks that don't fill our stomachs with nourishment. For example, fruits, veggies, cheeses, and lean proteins. A caprese kabob with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and turkey pepperoni is a great option.

4) Restaurants are now required to provide you nutritional information on all their menu items, do not hesitate to ask for this information as it can be really helpful in making choices.

5) Moderation is an important part to behavior modification; try having a special day for treats and you'll find you will make better choices on other days. Sunday Sundaes are super fun!


If you feel that you are at risk, help is out there! Join Mary Washington Healthcare and Massad Family YMCA at their FREE Community Health Fair for glucose screening and other checkups. 


About the Author: Gin Schaffer was a student affairs administrator for roughly 20 years at institutions such as Marymount University, University of North Florida, and Boston University. She studied Counseling Psychology and Higher Education Administration. In May 2014, Gin fought breast cancer alongside her husband and two young children. As of August 2015, she has been working part-time as the Integrative Medicine Coordinator at Mary Washington Healthcare’s Regional Cancer Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is a proud consultant of Just Pure Essentials products. 





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