Special to The Herald-Sun
Nutrition tops Janet Puryear's list in controlling her diabetes. She does not use the word diet. "I look at it as a healthy way of eating," she said. In a recent interview, she also shared tips.
She starts the day off right at 7 a.m. with a breakfast of oatmeal (not instant), a boiled egg and one slice of turkey bacon.
"I eat a lot of fruit. Apples are my best friend -- two a day," she said.
She has an apple for a snack at 10 a.m. and the other apple at 3 p.m. Eating these snacks and three meals a day helps regulate her blood sugar and keeps her from being so hungry she overeats, she said.
For lunch, she may have a turkey sandwich or turkey in a salad.
Dinner may consist of baked chicken breast, broccoli and a small sweet potato or her homemade sweet potato fries. She sometimes cooks another favorite, Turkey Chili, from the Heart of Diabetes Cookbook (available for free through the Web site. www.iknowdiabetes.org).
She's also learned about cutting portion size. For instance, a portion of meat fits in the palm of her hand. For barbecue, a favorite food, that portion adds up to two tablespoons. "It satisfies that urge of wanting," she said.
She also allows herself a slice of dessert twice a week. From a friend, she learned the tip of cutting cake into thin slices and freezing it in individual plastic bags then taking out only one portion. "When I cut out everything, it makes me want it more. Knowing that it's there, just satisfies the mind," she said.
