If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, regardless of type, you might have already heard of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). But, what exactly is this organization, and how can it help you?
The American Diabetes Association is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate the public about diabetes. They also offer help to those affected by the condition through funding research to manage, cure and prevent diabetes, which includes type 1 and 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and prediabetes.
Other than funding diabetes-related initiatives, they also:
- Deliver services to hundreds of communities
- Provide objective and credible information
- Give voice to those who are denied their rights because of diabetes
American Diabetes Association 2022
In 2022, the American Diabetes Association is the moving force behind the work of more than 565,000 volunteers, their families and caregivers. It is composed of a professional society of nearly 16,000 health care professionals and more than 250 staff members.
The latest statistic regarding diabetes further highlights the role and importance of ADA in helping those vulnerable to the condition. According to 2019 data, 37.3 million Americans, or 11.3% of the population, had diabetes. Almost 1.9 million Americans contract type 1 diabetes, which includes 244,000 children and adolescents. Each year, 1.4 million US citizens are diagnosed with diabetes.
American Diabetes Association Diet
Your food plan is a valuable tool for controlling diabetes and prediabetes. The American Diabetes Association strongly focuses on the importance of diet to manage this condition. That is why they recommend using the Diabetes Plate Method. But, what is the Diabetes Plate Method exactly?
According to the American Diabetes Association, using the Diabetes Plate Method, you can plan perfectly portioned and balanced meals composed of vegetables, protein and carbohydrates. The good thing about this method is it is hassle-free from calculating, weighing, measuring, and counting sugar levels.
It is the simplest way to create diabetic-friendly meals to help manage your blood sugar. Here are the simple steps you need to follow with the ADA’s Diabetes Plate Method:
STEP 1: Fill half your plate with non starchy vegetables.
Examples:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli or Cauliflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Leafy greens such as kale, collards, mustard greens, or Swiss Chard
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Green beans, pea pods, snow peas, and sugar snap peas
- Peppers such as bell peppers and hot peppers
- Salad greens such as lettuce, spinach, arugula, endive, and other salad mixes
- Squash such as zucchini, yellow squash, chayote, spaghetti squash
- Tomatoes
STEP 2: Fill one-quarter of your plate with lean protein food.
Examples:
- Chicken, turkey, and eggs
- Fish like salmon, cod, tuna, tilapia, or swordfish
- Shellfish like shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, or lobster
- Lean beef cuts such as chuck, round, sirloin, flank, or tenderloin
- Lean pork cuts such as center loin chop or tenderloin
- Lean deli meats
- Cheese and cottage cheese
STEP 3: Fill one-quarter of your plate with other nutrients:.
Examples:
- Whole grains such as brown rice, bulgur, oats/oatmeal, polenta, popcorn, quinoa, and whole grain products (bread, pasta, tortillas)
- Starchy vegetables such as acorn squash, butternut squash, green peas, parsnips, plantain, potato, pumpkin, and sweet potato/yam
- Beans and legumes such as black, kidney, pinto, and garbanzo beans
- Fruits and dried fruit
- Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and milk substitutes (i.e. soy milk)
STEP 4: Choose water or a low-calorie drink
Examples:
- Unsweetened tea (hot or iced)
- Unsweetened coffee (hot or iced)
- Sparkling water/club soda
- Flavored water or sparkling water without added sugar
- Diet soda or other diet drinks
Note: You can still utilize the plate method when preparing and portioning combo meals. Just list the various ingredients in the meal and consider where they would fit on the plate.
American Diabetes Association Guidelines
The American Diabetes Association published its Standards of Care for 2022, which offers a yearly update on recommended practices in managing diabetes.
The ADA’s Professional Practice Committee (PPC), which examines current research and seeks input from subject matter experts, updates this document annually every January. The objective is to give recommendations on the diagnosis and management of diabetes to healthcare professionals, researchers, insurers, persons with diabetes, and their loved ones.
This year’s updates focus on screening, preventing complications, use of technology, and individualizing diabetes care.
According to Dr. Robert Gabbay, the ADA’s chief scientific and medical officer, the science of diabetes care continues to evolve. As innovations and understandings occur, the ADA is committed to sharing this information with the public to provide the best care for people with diabetes.