Tuesday, September 15, 2009 1:25 PM CDT
Facts for Families: It's never too late to lower diabetes risk
By Bev Combs, University of Illinois Extension
It is never too late to lower your risk of diabetes. Researchers of the Harvard School of Public Health recently reported that combining just five positive lifestyle factors could reduce diabetes incidence by 89 percent for people age 65 and up!
The health habits they looked at were:
-- Physical-activity level, indicated by above-average leisure-time activity and walking pace;
-- Healthy diet, defined as above-average intake of fiber, a positive ratio of polyusaturated fat to saturated fat, low trans-fat intake, and low average glycemic index;
-- Light or moderate alcohol consumption;
-- Not smoking;
-- Avoiding being overweight —– body-mass index less than 25 or waist size under 34.6 inches for women, 36.2 inches for men.
Even if you do not have a “perfect score” on all five lifestyle factors, each additional positive factor reduces diabetes risk by 35 percent. The combination of just the two key factors — physical activity and a healthy diet — is associated with a 46 percent lower risk. Women appear to benefit the most from adopting healthy habits, but age made little difference.
Q&A
Question: What is whole white wheat flour? I thought whole wheat was always darker in color.
Answer: Most American wheat is hard red spring wheat, but about 15 percent now is hard white wheat, which is a sort of albino wheat. Whole white wheat looks like refined wheat (which has had the bran and germ removed), but in fact it contains the whole grain.
Hard white wheat is not new — Australia and China grow lots of it. It has all the fiber, vitamins and minerals of regular whole wheat, but is slightly different in chemical composition and has a milder taste. If you are buying bread or crackers, check the ingredients.
“Whole wheat” is the best choice nutritionally, whether it is whole white wheat or regular whole wheat. It should be 100 percent whole wheat, or else whole wheat mixed with other whole grains, such as oats. Don’t be confused by “enriched wheat flour,” which is always refined wheat.
Question: Do dried fruits have the same nutritional value as their fresh counterparts?
Answer: Like fresh fruit, dried fruits are good sources of many nutrients, including fiber, potassium, copper, iron, calcium and vitamins. However, dried fruits lose some of their vitamin C during processing.
Since drying fruit removes up to 80 percent of the fruit’s water content, the fruit’s calorie and sugar content is at a much higher concentration, so it is particularly important to keep portion size in mind. One-quarter cup of dried fruit is roughly equivalent to one-half cup of fresh fruit.
Some dried fruits contain added sugar, so check the ingredients list. Also look for sulfur dioxide, a preservative often added to keep the fruit from turning brown. For people with sulfur sensitivities or asthma, sulfites can be problematic. If you want to avoid sulfites, try drying your own fruit or purchase organic brands.
Fall plant sale
Coles County Extension master gardeners will hold their annual fall plant sale in conjunction with the Farmers Market on the Charleston Square tomorrow morning. Be sure to stop by starting at 7 a.m. to get plants or bulbs to update your gardens.
You will find pumpkins, indigo bush, rubber trees, herbs, coreopsis and more available for your purchase. In addition, they will have gardening gloves available in a variety of colors and sizes.
Proceeds from the fall plant sale will be used to continue U of I Extension agriculture and natural resource programming in the county.
The Extension Master Gardeners also will be glad to answer any of your gardening questions during the morning. If you had disappointments this spring and summer, bring samples or questions and they will be glad to look it over and offer suggestions.
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