One of the biggest downfalls of the holiday season is overeating. This happens because at every party food is placed out for us to pick at, and before we know it, our belts are tighter and our buttons are popping. Here are some holiday portion tips to keep you feeling healthy and in control:

• Put snacks in a plate or a bowl, and try to limit snacks to 1/2 cup or 4 small appetizers.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables. If possible, choose steamed veggies over those with sauces.
• Use common household items as a gauge for portion sizes. The amount of meat on your plate should be the size of a deck of cards.
• Servings of potatoes and grains should be the size of a tennis ball.

Choose foods that aren’t covered with sauces or gravies. If you want them on the side, limit these sauces to 1/4 cup, or the size of a golf ball.

• Pick one food you want to indulge in and eat less of other foods.
• Eat slowly. The body takes twenty minutes to realize that the stomach is full, so if you eat fast, you are more likely to overeat.
• Pay attention to your body. When you feel full, stop eating.

What Are Certified Farmers’ Markets? 

Certified Farmers’ Markets were developed in California to allow farmers to sell their products directly to the public. The farmers have to meet government standards, but don’t have to package their goods. This means that both the farmer and the consumer (YOU) save money! There are over 250 Certified Farmers’ Markets in California. Farmers sell things such as fresh, in-season produce (fruits, herbs and vegetables), flowers, cheeses, baked goods, local craft goods, free-range chicken, seafood and honey. Recently, California farmers’ markets have added machines to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)… so beautiful, fresh produce is just a swipe away!

Sustainable and Local Agriculture 

Sustainable agriculture seeks to produce food that is healthy, does not harm the environment, respects workers, is humane to animals, provides fair wages to farmers, and supports local farming communities. Farmers’ ; markets encourage local growers to come sell their goods to the public. This assures the consumer that the food is fresh and at its peak in taste and nutrition. Another method of sustainable agriculture is… grow your own garden! If you can grow some vegetables and fruits in your home, you can rest easy knowing where they came from and how they were grown. The best thing, however, is they’re cheaper than any produce you’ll buy… they’re virtually FREE! More information to come on sustainability and home gardens in a future newsletter.

-          Apples

-          Asian Pears

-          Asparagus

-          Avocados

-          Beets

-          Brussels Sprouts

-          Swiss Chard

-          Cherimoyas

-          Chili Peppers

-          Collards

-          Corn

-          Cucumber

-          Eggplant

-          Grapefruit

-          Grapes

-          Pineapple

-          Green Beans

-          Kale

-          Kiwi

-          Okra

-          Oranges

-          Peaches

-          Peppers

-          Persimmons

-          Pomegranates

-          Potatoes

-          Raspberries

-          Spinach

-          Summer Squash

-          Strawberries

-          Tangerines

-          Tomatillos

-          Tomatoes

-          Turnips

-          Yams

Seasonal Recipes

Sweet Swiss-Chard Salad

(Serves 6)

1 bunch young Swiss chard, chopped

1 tangerine, peeled in segments

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds              2 scallions, sliced

2 T apple cider vinegar       2 T orange juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard             1/2 cup olive oil

2 T shelled pistachio nuts   salt and pepper

STEP 1: Toss Swiss chard with 1/2 the pomegranate seeds.

STEP 2: Place tangerine segments on top of salad with remaining pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle scallions on top.

STEP 3: Whisk vinegar, orange juice, mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad.

STEP 4: Top with pistachio nuts and enjoy as part of a seasonal meal with your friends!

Calories 120          Cal from Fat 90     Fat 10g   Total Carb. 6 g       Dietary Fiber 2 g  Protein 1g

Yummy Yam-my Fries

1 large yam(Serves 2)

2 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

STEP 1: Slice yam into 1/4 inch thick slices.

STEP 2: Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

STEP 3: Place on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 425°F for 25 minutes (until crispy), flipping half way through.

STEP 4: Divide fries equally and enjoy with a juicy burger!

Calories 171          Cal from Fat 41     Fat 5 g    Total Carb. 31 g    Dietary Fiber 4.5 g  Protein 2g

Slurpy Strawberry Granita

(Serves 6)

1 cup hot water    2 T fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar       3 cups sliced strawberries

STEP 1: Stir lemon juice and sugar in hot water until the sugar is dissolved (this makes a syrup).

STEP 2: Blend syrup with strawberries in a blender.

STEP 3: Pour mix into a 13x9
 baking pan. Freeze 25 minutes until icy, then stir icy bits into middle of the pan with a fork. Repea t until mixture is frozen (about 1 1/2 hours).

STEP 4: Scrape 3/4 cup granita into a bowl… no brain freezes!

Calories 120          Cal from Fat 0       Fat 0g     Total Carb. 31 g    Fiber 1.5 g     Protein 0g

Wholly Guacamole!

(Serves 4)

1 large, ripe avocado

1 plum tomato, diced

1 slice red onion, diced

1/4 jalapeno pepper, diced

1/2 lime, juiced

STEP 1: Mash avocado with a fork.

STEP 2: Stir other ingredients into avocado until well mixed.

STEP 3: Dip-in with some crunchy, seasonal veggies!

Calories 83            Cal from Fat 66     Fat 7 g    Total Carb. 4 g       Fiber 3.5 g             Protein 1 g

Find a Farmers’ Market Near YOU!

Alhambra @ Monterey/E. Bay State St, SUN 8:30a-1p

Atwater Village @ 3250 Glendale Blvd, SUN 1a-2p

Bellflower @ Oak St/Clark Ave, MON 9a-1p

Beverly Hills @ 9300 block of Civic Ctr. Dr, SUN 9a-1p

Brentwood @ Gretna Greene/San Vicente, SUN 9a-1p

Burbank @ 3rd/Orange Grove, SAT 8a-12:30p

Calabasas Old Town @ Calabasas/Mulholland, SAT 8a-1p

Carson @ E. Carson St/Bonita St, TH 9a-1p

Central Ave, LA @ 4410 McKinley Ave, SAT 8a-12p

Century City @ Constellation/Avenue of Stars, TH 11:30a-3p

Cerritos @ Town Center Dr/Park Plaza W, SA 8a-12p

Chatsworth @ 20121 Devonshire St, SAT 4p-8p

Chatsworth @ Topanga Cnyn. Blvd/Canoga Ave, SAT 8a-1p

Claremont @ Indian Hill/2nd Street, SUN 8a-1p

Covina @ North Citrus/E. San Bernadino, FRI 5p-9p

Culver City @ Main/Culver, TU 2p-7p

Diamond Bar, Walnut @ 1920 S. Brea Canyon Cut, SAT 9a-2p

Duarte @ Huntington Drive/Buena Vista St, SAT 9a-1p

East Los Angeles @ 4801 E. 3^rd St, SAT 9-2

Eagle Rock (‘n Roll) @ 2700 Colorado Blvd, SUN 9a-2p

Echo Park @ Parking Lot 663 on Logan St, FRI 3p-7p

El Segundo @ Pine Ave/Main St, TH 3p-7p

Encino @ Victory Blvd/White Oak, SUN 8a-1p

Gardena @ Van Ness Ave/W. El Segundo Blvd, SAT 6:30a-12p

Gardena @ 1670 W. 162 at LaSalle, WED 7:30a-12p

Glendale @ Brand Blvd– E Wilson/E Broadway, TH 9:30a-1p

HVP, Woodland Hills @ Shoup/Collins, SAT 9a-2p

Hawthorne (Del Aire) @ Avington/W 135th St, SAT 9a-1p

Hermosa Beach @ Valley Dr– 10th/8th, FRI 12p-4p

Hollywood @ Ivar/Selma, SUN 8a-1p

Hollywood @ 4959 Lemon Grove/Hobart, WED 10a-2:30p

Huntington Park @ Bissell St/E Florence, WED 9:30a-1:30p

LA Adams/Vermont @ 1432 W Adams, WED 1p-6p

LA Eagle Rock @ 2100 Merton Ave, FRI 5p-8:30p

LA Harambee @ Crenshaw Blvd/Slauson, SAT 10a-4p

LA LaCienega @ S LaCienega/W 18th St, TH 3p-7p

LA Seventh & Figueroa @ S Figueroa/W 7th St, TH & FRI 10a-4p

LA Silver Lake @ W Sunset Blvd/Edgecliffe Dr, SAT 8a-1p

La Canada Flintridge @ Beulah Dr/Foothill Ave, SAT 8a-12p

La Verne @ D St/Bonita Ave, TH 5p-9p, SAT 9a-1p

Larchmont, LA @ Parking Lot 694, Larchmont, SUN 10a-2p

Lawndale @ 147th St/Hawthorne Blvd, WED 2p-7p

Leimert Park @ 43rd St/Degnan Ave, SAT 10a-3p

Little Tokyo, LA @ Los Angeles City Hall, TH 10a-2p

Long Beach Downtown @ Promenade N/E 4th St, FRI 10a-4p

Long Beach Southeast @ Alamitos Bay Marina, SUN 9a-2p

Long Beach Uptown @ 46th St/Atlantic Ave, TH 3p-6:30p

LA Medical Center @ 4800 Hollywood Blvd, WED 12p-7p

Lynwood @ Martin Luther King/Cesar Chavez, TU 12p-5p

Manhattan Beach @ Valley/Morningside, TU 12p-4p

Mar Vista @ Venice Blvd/Pacific Ave, SUN 9a-2p

Melrose Place, LA @ Melrose Place/Croft, SUN 9a-2p

Monrovia @ E Olive Ave/S Myrtle Ave, FRI 5p-9p

Monterey Park @ Lincoln Ave/Garvey Ave, SAT 8a-1p

Montrose Harvest @ Honolulu/Ocean View Blvd, SUN 9a-2p

Northridge @ Northridge Fashion Mall, WED 5p-9p

Norwalk @ Alondra Blvd/Pioneer Blvd, TU 9a-1p

Old LA, Highland Park @ Marmion Way– Ave 57/58, TU 3p-7p

Pacific Palisades @ Swarthmore/Sunset, SUN 8a-1:30p

Pasadena Victory Pk @ N Sierra Madre/Paloma, SAT 8:30a-1p

Pasadena Villa Pk @ E Villa St/N Garfield Ave, TU 9a-1p

Pomona @ E Pearl St/N Garey Ave, SAT 7:30a-11:30p

Redonodo Beach @ Harbor Drive, TH 8a-1p

Rolling Hills Estates @ Peninsula Shopping Center, Sun 9a-1p

San Dimas @ 245 E Bonita Ave, WED 4:30p-8:30p

San Pedro @ Mesa/7th, FRI 9a-2p

Santa Clarita @ College of the Canyons Lot 8, SUN 8:30a-12p

Santa Monica @ Pico/ Cloverfield, SAT 8a-1p

Santa Monica @ Arizona Ave/3rd St, SAT 8:30a-1p, WED 9a-2p

Santa Monica @ Ocean Park/Main, SUN 9:30a-1p

Sherman Oaks @ 14006 Riverside Drive, TU 3p-8:30p

Sierra Madre @ S Baldwin/Mariposa, WED 3p-7p

South Gate @ Tweedy Blvd/ Pinehurst Ave, MON 9a-1p

South Pasadena @ Meridian Ave/Mission St, TH 4p-8p

Studio City @ Ventura Place/Ventura Blvd, SUN 8a-1p

Toluca Lake @ 4500 N Sancola Ave, SUN 9:30a-2:30p

Torrance @ 2200 Crenshaw Blvd, SAT 8a-1p, TU 8a-1p

Van Nuys @ 14410 Sylvan St, TH 9a-2p

Venice @ Venice Way/Venice Blvd, FRI 7a-11a

Watts, LA @ 103rd/Central Ave, SAT 10a-2p

West Covina @ W Covina Pkwy/California Ave, SAT 8a-2p

West Hollywood @ N Vista/Fountain Ave, MON 9a-2p

West LA @ 1645 Corinth Ave, SUN 9a-2p

West LA Kaiser @ 6041 Cadillac Ave, WED 9a-1:30p

Westchester @ 7000 W Manchester Ave, WED 8:30a-1p

Westwood @ Vets Garden, TH 12p-6p

Whittier @ Bailey St/Greenleaf Ave, FRI 8:30a-1p

Wilmington @ Avalon Blvd/L St, TH 9a-1p

Woodland Hills @ 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd, SAT 4p-9p

Bold = Accepts EBT cards

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a “chronic disease”, not like a cold that will be gone in a couple of days. It is a lifelong disease. There are different types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is what kids and young adults get most often, and happens when a person’s pancreas does not make any insulin. They need insulin shots every day to stay healthy. Type 2 diabetes is found mostly in older adults, but is being seen more often in kids and young adults with rates of obesity on the rise. With type 2 diabetes, a person’s pancreas makes insulin but not enough, and/or they may need help using the little insulin they make. Often, people with type 2 diabetes need medication to increase the production of insulin and to help the insulin work better.

Why is insulin so important anyway? Well, without it, sugar will build up in your blood, and your cells won’t get the energy you need to play or even do your schoolwork. Without insulin, you may feel too tired to do anything, your eyesight may go fuzzy, you may have to go to the bathroom all the time and be really thirsty and hungry. You might lose some weight, and may even be grumpier than usual! Your health care team will help you develop a plan to manage your diabetes well enough to live a very normal life.

So, you have to manage your diabetes. What does that mean? It means that although your health care team will help, YOU are the one in the diabetes driver’s seat. Here are some things for you to think about, and hopefully use as part of your diabetes tool kit:

Diabetes and Weight

One of the first things to think about is your weight. Do you weigh too much? Although this is hard to think and talk about, most kids with type 2 diabetes weigh more than they should. There are many reasons that you could be overweight: your family genes (and not the pair of pants passed down from Grandpa Ed!) affect the way your body stores fat. Your favorite foods may have a lot of calories, and if you eat them often, they can lead to weight gain. If you eat too much food, you will gain weight. Also, if you are sitting for most of the day instead of actively playing, this can lead to weight gain too. The more active you are, the more fat you will burn!

Diabetes and Food

Before all of this medical technology, people with diabetes were very limited in foods they could have, and most of the approved foods had little or no sugar. Aren’t you glad those days are over? With insulin shots and diabetes medications, the options are almost endless for you! You just have to watch out for how much you eat of each food. Your food plan won’t be much different than what all of your friends should be eating too, so you can be a trend-setter!

Carbohydrates raise your blood sugar the most. One way to keep your carbohydrates in balance at every meal is to draw imaginary lines on your plate, with ½ of your plate for vegetables, salad and fruit, ¼ of your plate for carbohydrates, like rice, pasta or potatoes, and ¼ of your plate for protein, like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or tofu. Your meal can be rounded out with some milk to drink and you have a balanced meal that will keep you feeling full and energized and will help keep your blood sugar under control.

There are many different categories of food, all of which you need for a healthy, balanced diet.

The first group is the grains. These include any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or other cereal grains. Some examples are bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, tortillas, potatoes, corn and grits. You’ll need to eat 6-8 servings of these breads and grains every day. Of these grains, you want to eat as many whole grains as you can every day. Whole grains have more vitamins and fiber, which helps you stay full longer and slows down sugar from entering your blood. Look for the word “whole” on the package, for example “whole wheat tortillas”. Grains have carbohydrates in them, which turn into sugar in your body. You want to pay attention to this so you know how much sugar you’re putting in your body.

The second group is the vegetables. These are beautiful, colorful foods that can be a delicious and crunchy addition to your food plan! You are going to need to eat 2-2 ½ cups of veggies per day. Try to stay away from canned vegetables because they have lots of added salt, which is not good for your body.

The third group is the fruits, which is made up of whole fruit and fruit juice. Fruits also come in tons of colors and can be pretty sweet tasting. They have carbohydrates, like grains, that turn into sugar in your body. They also have tons of vitamins and minerals that help keep you healthy, too! You are going to need to eat 1 ½ - 2 cups of fruit per day. If you want canned fruit, find some that do not have any syrup, but are canned in unsweetened fruit juice instead.

Next is dairy- the milk, yogurt and cheese group. The foods in this group have lots of protein for strong muscles and calcium for strong bones! Most of the choices from this group should be fat-free or low-fat. Milk has carbohydrates in it too and will contribute some sugar to your body. You are going to need to eat around 3 cups per day of milk, yogurt and cheese (1 ½ oz cheese = 1 cup milk or yogurt). Another protein group is the meat and bean group. All food made from meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts and seeds are part of this group. Like the milk, yogurt and cheese group, the meat and beans you eat should be low-fat or “lean”. You are going to need 5-6 ounce equivalents of meat and beans every day (1 ounce meat, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, ¼ cup dry beans, 1 egg, ½ ounce nuts = 1 ounce equivalent).

The last group is the fats, oils and sugars group, which are tasty, but shouldn’t be eaten often. Foods included in this group are potato chips, candy, fast food, cake and cookies. Save these foods for special occasions, like a birthday or holiday. Even then, make sure to know the serving size and how much sugar is in that treat so you know how it will affect your blood sugar.

Here are two tasty snacks to get you through the afternoon:

Cheesy Salsa Quesadilla (Serves 2)

You'll need:

• 1 - 6” whole wheat tortilla
• 2 Tbsp shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 Tbsp mild or medium salsa
• ¼ cup canned, drained and rinsed pinto beans

STEP 1: Layer 1 Tbsp. cheese, salsa and beans on ½ the tortilla and top with remaining 1 Tbsp. cheese.
STEP 2: Fold tortilla in half and microwave on a microwave safe plate for 30 seconds or until cheese is melted.
STEP 3: Cut the quesadilla in half and enjoy it with a friend!! (makes 2 quesadilla wedges)
(Calories: 150, Calories from Fat: 49, Fat: 5.5g, Total Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 12g)

Yummy Yogurt Smoothie (Serves 1)

You’ll need:

• ¼ cup non-fat, low sugar, fruit-flavored yogurt (Light n’Fit)
• ¼ cup silken tofu (or additional ¼ cup yogurt)
• ¼ cup unsweetened, frozen fruit (any fruit you want, or make your own fruit blend!!)
• ½ cup non-fat, vanilla-flavored soy milk (or non-fat cow’s milk)

STEP 1: Add all 4 ingredients into a blender.
STEP 2: Blend on high for 1 minute or until ingredients are completely blended.
STEP 3: Pour smoothie into a cup and slurp it through a straw!! (makes 1 ¼ cup smoothie)
(Calories: 119, Calories from Fat: 18, Fat: 2g, Total Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 7g)

Another easy way to know how much of each nutrient is in your food is to read a Nutrition Facts Label. Here is an example of one and how to read it:

Diabetes and Exercise

Exercise is one of the greatest ways to take care of your body… and it’s probably the most fun, too! Exercise makes your body work more efficiently, so the insulin you have will also work better. You will be able to feel the effects of your hard exercise for up to 24 hours after the activity! Exercising every day can help you build muscle, which is also great because muscle burns more sugar than fatty tissue. But the best thing about exercise is you don’t have to be a professional athlete to do it!

There are so many good things that happen to your body because of exercise. Exercise can help reduce your stress when you’ve had a really bad day (maybe the dog really did eat your homework!). You can use exercise as a way to reduce stress throughout your whole life. Exercise keeps you strong, improves coordination and helps build endurance, so you can play for longer periods without being tired. This is especially important to your lungs and heart, which both get a great workout while you exercise! You can also develop friendships because of exercise if you participate in sports and games.

Before you go scoring that winning goal, there are a few things to remember about exercising with diabetes. Make sure you test your blood sugar before, during and after your activity to make sure you’re not too low or too high, and pay attention to how your body feels. You want to keep your blood sugar in a safe range during the whole activity. Like all your friends, make sure you have plenty of water and a snack, as well as a form of sugar like lifesavers candy. Finally, make sure your coach knows about your diabetes so that he or she can take good care of you while you’re on the field.

With some weight loss, a healthy diet, and plenty of exercise, type 2 diabetes can be reversed… so get started today!

Sources
American Diabetes Association “Wizdom POD” http://www.diabetes.org/for-parents-and-kids/pods.jsp
United States Department of Agriculture “MyPyramid.gov” http://www.mypyramid.gov