Diabetes is absolutely life changing for Southeast Texas seniors. EPO – Eastex Physician Organization understands. EPO is dedicated to getting real, useful information to Southeast Texas senior diabetics.

Today’s information from EPO – Eastex Physician’s Organization will provide usable information Southeast Texas seniors with diabetes can use for every day meal planning.

Stay tuned on SetxSeniors.com for more Southeast Texas senior health information from EPO – Eastex Physician Organization.

Southeast Texas diabetics can aim for each meal to be a good balance of nutrition and taste. A little planning and prep work can help make this happen without making it too difficult or frustrating.

Would you like a coordinated approach to your healthcare? EPO can help.

Here are some estimates Southeast Texas diabetics can shoot for over the course of a typical day:

• About 10% to 20% of the calories you consume should come from protein, ideally lean proteins. Experiment with lean meats like chicken or fish. Most Southeast Texas seniors grew up eating lots of chicken and fish- it can be as simple as switching from fried chicken and fried fish to grilling or baking them.
• Approximately 25% to 30% of daily calories should come from fat. Try to avoid foods with lots of trans and saturated fats (or eat them sparingly). Your doctor can give you a list of foods to avoid and recommend alternatives.
• Between 50% and 60% of the calories you consume each day should come from carbohydrates. Try to eat lots of green and orange vegetables in your daily diet — like carrots and broccoli. Choosing vitamin-rich brown rice or sweet potatoes instead of white rice or regular potatoes can be a great way to enjoy foods that are similar to ones you’re used to.

Your doctor or dietician can help with meal planning guidelines. Your meal plan won’t tell you specific foods to eat, but it may suggest mealtimes, recommend food groups to choose from, and ideal portions to eat from these food groups.

There’s no sense in having a boring diet you won’t stick to, so your physician or nutritionist will be happy to work with you  to build a plan based on the foods that you usually eat. To find out what you like to eat, the team may ask you to keep a food diary or write down what you eat and drink for a few days to get a good picture of what you do and don’t like.

Hopefully this has provided some information you can use to coordinate meal planning into your approach to fighting diabetes.

East Texas Physician’s Organization (EPO) knows diabetes is a growing problem in our Southeast Texas communities. If you or a loved one would like additional information about diabetes and diabetes control, please call Eastex Physicians Organization: (800) 564-6376.