T.J. Samson | Destination Health | February 2019

February 2019 3 When it comes to diabetes, there’s more to staying healthy than managing your blood sugar. You also need to know the ABCs of diabetes. Here’s a quick look at what these letters stand for and why they matter to your health: Know the ABCs of diabetes TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR Ask your doctor about when to have A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol tests.There are target levels for each that you should aim for to help lower your risk of diabetes-related complications. Ask your doctor what those targets should be for you and how to reach them with healthy lifestyle changes, medicine or both. Sources: American Diabetes Association; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases “A” is for A1C blood test. Your A1C number reveals your average blood sugar level for the past three months. It matters because over time, high blood sugar can damage your body and open the door to a lengthy list of complications. Your A1C number shows you how well your treatment is work- ing to help prevent this from happening. “B” is for blood pressure check. When blood pres- sure climbs, so does your risk for heart disease, stroke and more. To make matters worse, you’re more likely to have high blood pressure when you have diabetes. But you won’t know what’s up unless you get your blood pressure checked. “C” is for cholesterol test. A high level of blood choles- terol can clog your arteries. As with high blood pres- sure, your doctor can help you lower high cholesterol to help prevent its seri- ous consequences, includ- ing heart attack and stroke. That’s why it’s important to know if your choles- terol levels are in a healthy range. A C B How to choose healthy fats Fat has quite the reputation as a dietary supervillain, but there’s more to fat than that. A little dietary fat is essential for good health. In addition, some types of fat (in modest amounts) may even help protect your health. Other fats, however, may harm your health if you eat them too much. Here’s a closer look at these bad and good fats. THE BAD GUYS: SATU- RATED AND TRANS FATS These two fats raise LDL blood cholesterol—and with it your risk of heart disease and stroke: Saturated fat. This is found mostly in animal products, includ- ing red meat, lamb, chicken with the skin left on, butter, cheese, and full-fat or 2 percent milk. It’s also in some plant foods, such as coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter. Trans fat. This is found in foods with hydrogenated or partially hy- drogenated vegetable oil, including baked goods such as cookies, pies, doughnuts and snacks. It helps them have a long shelf life. Trans fat is also in some fried restaurant foods. THE GOOD GUYS: UNSATURATED FATS Eating healthy, unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat may help improve cholesterol levels.The two main unsaturated fats are: Monounsaturated. Examples of foods that contain monoun- saturated fats include olive and canola oil, nuts, peanut butter and avocados. Polyunsaturated. Examples of foods that contain polyunsaturated fats include salmon; tofu; and saf- flower, sunflower and corn oils. SERVE UP SOME GOOD HEALTH To help keep your diet focused on the good fats: ●  ● Plate up more fruits, veggies and whole grains, and less red meat. ●  ● Switch to low-fat or nonfat milk. ●  ● When sautéing or stir-frying, use olive, canola or other oils. ●  ● Eat fish at least twice a week. ●  ● Choose soft margarine instead of butter. Look for “0 grams trans fat” listed on the label. ●  ● Save sweets like doughnuts, cookies, pies and cakes for the oc- casional treat. Sources: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; American Heart Association Wellness