Tina Busetto Regional Dietitian

 Nutrition affects all the cells in your body!  Impacts blood sugars, blood pressure and blood fats  What else?

 Diabetes  High Blood Pressure  High Blood cholesterol  Kidney Disease

 Type 1 Diabetes Usually earlier in life Insulin is required to live  Type 2 Diabetes Lifestyle factors Family history  Gestational Diabetes Diabetes in Pregnancy  Prediabetes  Which foods affect blood sugars the most?

Foods that contain carbohydrate include:  Breads, cereal, pasta, rice, dairy, fruit etc 100% turn to sugar – best fuel source Some carbs turn to sugar faster than others The amount of carb you eat affects your blood sugars. Best to spread carbohydrate foods over the day Sugar (outside of food groups) is OK in moderation

 Good (H ealthy DL) Cleans out our arteries  Bad (L ousy DL) Clogs arteries  Triglycerides

 Less animal fats Lean meats, low fat dairy  More fats from plants Nuts, seeds, avocados, oils  Omega 3’s  High fibre!

 Force of the blood against the walls of arteries  Narrow arteries makes the heart work harder!  What do we eat that affects our blood pressure?

 Salt or sodium is important to function but most people take in a lot more than is needed  Less than 25% DV per serving is HIGH salt  What are good substitutes?

 Whole grains (look for fibre!) More than 4grams per serving Fibre should be higher than the sugar  Healthy fats More unsaturated!  Lower sodium Read the food label  Balance!