Join the 4 Week DS4L Nutrition Challenge with us!

Ideal challenge for a diabetic!

National Nutrition Month was started to encourage everyone to focus on making more informed food choices and developing better & consistent physical activity and eating habits.

Week 1 March 1st – March 7th

For the next week we’re cutting out:

1. Junk Food

2. Salt

3. Sugary Drinks

JUNK FOOD

Did you know that eating fast food twice a week can lead to Type II diabetes? You become more susceptible to weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, developing insulin resistance & blood sugar spikes, and all while decreasing your cardiovascular health. And if you’re already a diabetic, you know how serious all of these issues are to us.

This week: We vow to not eat any junk food.

What is junk food? Junk food is fast food & food with no or low nutritional value (snack foods & desserts). We found this really great article that gives you an in depth look at exactly what is considered “junk food” by FatFreeKitchen.

Instead try: Extend Nutrition Snacks 

They have a whole collection of  delicious shakes, bars, and crisps dedicated to helping manage diabetes.

SHOP NOW!

(Photo from Extend Snacks website)

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SALT

Did you know that consuming too much sodium can leave you feeling (and looking) bloated? This is because sodium causes your body to retain water. It is recommended by the American Diabetes Association for diabetics to consume less than 2300 mg per day. To give you an idea of how quickly those mgs can add up, lets do a little math:

A single serving (15 chips) of Lays potato chips is 170mg. And who can only eat 15 chips? Not me! So realistically  : 340mg

1 hot dog : 567mg

1 tbs of ketchup : 154mg

1 hot dog bun : 206mg

1 can of coke : 50mg

That’s a total of 1317 mg for a quick lunch! Yikes!!

With that being said…

This week: We vow to not use any additional salt as food seasoning.

As you see, food already comes with enough sodium. We’ll have to get more creative with adding flavor to our food for this challenge!

Instead try: Chef Paul’s No Salt No Sugar Seasoning Blends 

He has a whole line of creative seasoning blends aimed for diabetics.

SHOP NOW!

Or create your own seasoning blends by combining spices, herbs, vinegar, citrus, garlic and vegetables.

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 SUGARY DRINKS

Did you know that sugary drinks not only affects your blood glucose level but are also calorie packed contributing to weight gain? That’s right. That 12oz can of soda you’ve been having everyday has been packing on the lbs.

This week: We vow to not consume (not even look in the direction of) sugary drinks.

What’s a sugary drink? Examples of sugary drinks include soda, fruit juice, fruit punch, energy drinks, sweet tea, sports drinks, lemonades (and all “ades”), and yes-beer & margaritas (sorry!).

Instead try: Vitazest Drink Mix

Add one of these fruity flavors to your water for taste. They have zero carbs, zero sodium, zero sugar, and zero calories PLUS 10 vitamins & minerals!

SHOP NOW!

Or add lemon or lime squirts to your water for a great pick-me-up!

Please note: 100% fruit juices with no added sugars and unsweetened tea are A’OK with us! To save on carbs, choose a low-sodium vegetable juice.

Who’s with us? Are you up for the challenge?! Please let us know in the comments!

BONUS: If you join the DS4L Nutrition Challenge, tag #ijoinedtheds4lchallenge on Facebook & Twitter & join the DS4L Nutrition Challengers group for a chance to win a free gift! Everyday for the month of March we will post a diabetic related nutrition fact/question, then choose 1 person who has liked & shared the post to send a free gift! And if you actually answer the question, all of your friends will get to see how smart you are!

*Free gifts include any of the following: test strips, log book, seasoning blends, or a 10% off coupon.

To Come:
Week 2 > The Extras
Week 3 > Getting Active
Week 4 > Get Informed