5 Diabetes Myths Busted! and Dining Out Tips

Dining Out Tips for Diabetics

You can navigate a restaurant menu.

How to Choose the Best Foods
Those with diabetes need not sacrifice the pleasure of going out to eat. Knowing about the different food groups and which foods to avoid or limit will help you make the right choices when you dine out; paying attention to serving sizes will keep you from eating too much. Here are some tips to help you choose the best foods:

	Before you order something, ask the server how it is prepared. Is it fried, baked, or grilled? If the normal method isn’t a healthy choice for you, can it be cooked another way? Is it served in a heavy sauce—and, if so, can you omit the sauce or serve it on the side?
	Choose fish, lean meat, or skinless chicken that is broiled, poached, baked, or grilled.
	Order salads and steamed vegetables to accompany your meal. Request low-fat dressings and sauces, and ask to have them served on the side so you can control the amount you get.

	Ask the server to suggest low-fat dishes. Restaurants nowadays encounter people on special diets all the time and will usually accommodate their customers.
	If you take insulin and know that your meal will be delayed, be sure to time your injection accordingly. You can eat a roll or piece of fruit to tide you over and prevent hypoglycemia.
	If everyone around you is ordering dessert and you crave it, ask to share with someone. Even a couple of bites of a dessert can satisfy your craving.

Shun Super-Sizing
Restaurant portions are often much larger than what most of us need to eat or should eat. When the portions are huge, it’s tempting to eat more than the amount that’s right for you. Here are some tips to help you avoid eating too much:

	Ask your server about the size of an item. Is it big enough for two? Can you get a half order?
	Before you order, ask to see what a small, medium, or large size looks like.
	Choose smaller portions if they are offered—or order from the appetizer menu, where servings are usually smaller.

	Choose half a sandwich and half a salad.
	Avoid buffets and “all you can eat” dishes.
	If you are served more than your meal plan allows, take the rest home for another time. If you tend to clean your plate, ask for a take-home box at the beginning of the meal and put the excess food in the box before you start eating.
	Ask the waiter to not serve bread.

Tips for Eating Out in Different Types of Restaurants
The following list includes selections of healthy food choices from various cuisines. Remember to count the carbohydrates in each.

Asian		Steamed dumplings or potstickers
		Stir-fried fish, chicken, or lean beef with vegetables
		Sushi or Sashimi
		Steamed-rice or boiled-noodle dishes
Mexican		Chicken enchilada (no cheese or sour cream)
		Small burrito with whole beans and chicken
		Chicken or fish fajitas
		Steamed rice with chicken
Steak House		Grilled or broiled lean cuts of beef (round steak, sirloin, filet mignon, London broil, tip roast)
		Broiled or baked chicken breast (don’t eat the skin)
		Steamed vegetables
Salad Bars and Buffets		Lettuce; plain, fresh vegetables; beans with light dressing
		Roast chicken or turkey breast (without the skin) or lean, sliced roast beef
		Steamed vegetables (without butter, margarine, or sauce)
		Fresh fruit
Fast Food	Believe it or not, most fast-food restaurants will provide nutrition information if you ask. You can also check the Internet or various printed sources. Good choices include:
		Grilled veggie burger without sauce
		Garden salad with light dressing
		Broiled, roasted, or grilled chicken sandwich
		Sliced turkey or lean roast beef sandwich (without mayonnaise)
		Grilled hamburger with bun, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard (no cheese or “secret sauce”)
		Baked potato with vegetables
		Avoid beverages high in sugar or fats, such as milkshakes

	FICTION: If you're at high risk for diabetes, you're going to get the disease. FACT: The Diabetes Prevention Program — which followed more than 3,000 overweight, prediabetic men and women at 27 research centers — found that people who lost even a little weight and exercised consistently (a goal of 30 minutes five days a week) reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. (People 60 and up cut their risk by a whopping 71 percent.) "If you're overweight, try to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories," says Christine Tobin of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). FICTION: Diabetics need a special diet. FACT: Not long ago diabetics were urged to forgo sweets and drastically limit their intake of carbohydrates. But a slew of new research suggests that diabetics are best served by following the same healthy guidelines everyone else does: plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat and dairy products, and sparing amounts of heart-healthy fats. FICTION: There's a cure for diabetes. FACT: Halle Berry's claims to the contrary — in 2007 she announced she had been cured of her type 1 diabetes — there is no cure for either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, says Sue Kirkman, M.D., senior vice president at the ADA. According to a study published last year in the Annals of Internal Medicine, however, 56 percent of type 2 diabetics who followed a Mediterranean-style diet could control their blood sugar without medication. FICTION: Being overweight causes diabetes. FACT: Just because you're heavy doesn't mean you'll automatically get diabetes. In fact, 34 percent of adults 20 and older are obese, but just 10.7 percent have diabetes. Still, experts agree that being obese, especially combined with a genetic predisposition for diabetes, can trigger the disease. Research in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that those who were obese at age 50 and gained 20 pounds were five times likelier to develop diabetes than those who weren't obese at 50. FICTION: An insulin pill is right around the corner. FACT: An insulin pill is not imminent, says the ADA's Tobin. There are alternatives to injections, though. One of the latest is the Finesse insulin patch-pen, expected to be available in late 2011. The patch-pen is disposable — and cheaper than an insulin pump.