Type 2 Diabetes Risk Management: Moving the Conversation to the Entire Family
Over 30 million Americans are currently living with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a disease that has morphed into a multi-generational epidemic, alongside soaring rates of obesity. The facts are alarming:
One in five children and adolescents are affected by childhood obesity, a significant risk factor in developing T2D
The CDC predicts a 700% increase in T2D incidence if trends continue.
The role nurses play in guiding patients to make health-altering diet and lifestyle changes and invest in their health is more crucial than ever. But now, prevention conversations need to start sooner, and health and wellness disease management plans need to include the entire family.
Continuing to recommend patients eat more produce is one simple point, and highlighting specific nutrient profiles in fruits and vegetables can have a prominent effect on health outcomes.
How Do Avocados Play a Role?
When it comes to diet as part of T2D early prevention and risk reduction plans, avocados stand out. Their blend of heart-healthy unsaturated fats and fiber—unique among fruits—positions them as an ideal food for blood glucose regulation and weight management, two critical risk factors for the development of T2D. Plus, they’re loved by the whole family, offering versatility and flavor to health-conscious diets.
A Food-Focused Approach to Health
Food is Medicine is a centuries-old approach to wellness reemerging under a new name and initiative. It recognizes the power of healthful eating in achieving optimal health and living life free of chronic diseases. Use this new handout to help patients understand how a food-focused approach to health can positively impact the long-term health of their whole family.
A New Cookbook to Help Patients Cut Down on Added Sugar
This new mini cookbook is a simple tool to help patients and their families develop healthful eating patterns to reduce the risk of T2D or manage the disease – plus, the recipes also double as heart- healthy options. The recipes are easy and delicious, without added sugars, and the cookbook includes tips on how to pick, buy and store avocados.
Making Smarter Sugar Choices
Many favorite foods, especially those appealing to children, have sneaky added sugars, which add non-nutritive calories to diets and can contribute to weight gain when eaten in excess. Use this new guide to help when coaching patients about the difference between natural versus added sugars and how to identify what is really in the foods they eat.
New Findings: Avocados + T2D Management
In just the past year, new studies have been published offering fresh, evidence-based insights into the significant role avocados can play in managing T2D. Download a fact sheet summarizing the findings, or read the studies below.
Associations between Metabolomic Biomarkers of Avocado Intake and Glycemia in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Avocado intake and cardiometabolic risk factors in a representative survey of Australians: a secondary analysis of the 2011–2012 national nutrition and physical activity survey
Associations between Avocado Intake and Lower Rates of Incident Type 2 Diabetes in US Adults with Hispanic/Latino Ancestry
ADA Podcast: The Importance of Nutrient-Dense Diets
Listen to a special edition of Diabetes Core Update from the American Diabetes Association® as fellow health professionals and diabetes experts share scientific evidence supporting nutrient-rich eating patterns, why nutrients like unsaturated fats and fiber are beneficial, how foods like fresh avocado can support positive health outcomes, and best practices and approaches for helping patients implement sustainable dietary changes.
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