Dietitian Comes to University of Maryland

On November 12th, Operation Diabetes brought Annette Hottenstein to speak at the University of Maryland. Annette is a Registered Dietician and is involved with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Diabetes Association. From her presentation, students learned about th history of nutrition therapy in diabetes. She pointed out that being overweight is not the only risk factor for diabetes. People who are not overweight can also be at risk. She taught that diabetics shouldn't skip meals, they should avoid sugary drinks, and eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish. In fact, the diabetic diet is the same as the recommended American diet. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is far from the recommended diet and she passed around bags showing the typical amount of fat and sugar in a fast food meal.

 Amount of butter in a fast food meal:                                            Amount of sugar in a fast food meal:

 

Annette also talked about foods that are good for diabetics. Oatmeal has been shown to be good for controlling blood sugar. Some diabetics feel that cinnamon is helpful but there is unclear evidence about its benefits. Fenugreek spice has some data showing its benefits and it tastes like maple. Whey has more evidence supporting it, but Alpha Lipoic Acid has the strongest evidence that it will effect glucose levels in the blood.

MOD learned a lot from Annette Hottenstein's talk!