Healthy Snacking Tips for Book Lovers from Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES

How are you coping with stress and anxiety related to the new ‘normal’ from the pandemic?

Are you binge watching TV or are you reading books like me? I just finished reading Linda Holmes’ debut novel, “Evvie Drake Starts Over”.

Unfortunately I’ve been known to polish off a salty snack or two while I’m reading without noticing! Since many Divabetics like to read after dinner and/or before bedtime, I contacted our good friend, a Diabetes Late Nite podcast guest, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES for her advice about healthy snacking.

Q: I’ve been known to polish off a bag of pretzels while I’m reading without noticing! And a lot of us like to read after dinner and/or before bedtime.

Susan Weiner (SW): Try not to eat directly out of a bag, container or box! You can avoid portion distortion if you pre-portion your snack and put it in a small bowl or dish.

Familiarize yourself with the difference between a serving and a portion. The nutritional information listed on a food item is based on a single serving (a specific amount will be listed for an individual food item). Portion size is the amount you eat or what you put on your plate. Please note that the portion that you are eating may be much larger (or smaller) than the serving size listed on the nutrition facts label. If you eat twice the amount of the listed serving size, you will be consuming twice the calories, carbohydrate, fat, sodium etc as listed.

Cut up colorful, low carb veggies in advance. Try some radishes, cucumbers, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. That way you have them at the ready, and can much on them as you read. In the mood for a dip? Mash up a ripe avocado and mix in some lime juice, garlic and onion powder.

Q: What you recommend as a late night snack?

SW: If you are not a late night snacker, there is really no reason to start now! But if you are looking for something crunchy and yummy, try a couple of flaxseed crackers with a spoon full of almond butter. It’s a delicious snack anytime!

Q: In Divabetic’s Diabetes Mystery podcast, ‘Phantom of the Okra’ you used a combination of carbohydrate counts to unlock a safe, how can counting carbohydrates help people with diabetes? Can you provide a few tips for beginners?

SW: Carbohydrate counting, or carb counting can help a person with diabetes manage their blood sugars. Carbohydrate containing foods raise your blood sugars, and therefore it’s important to be aware of which foods contain carbohydrates and how much carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food item. That way you can count the amount of carbohydrate in a serving of a food.

Common foods which contain carbohydrates include bread, pasta, cereals, rice, fruit, beans, sweets, cakes, cookies, candy, regular soda and fruit drinks.

In addition to reading food labels, there are a number of websites and apps which can get you started with carb counting. Please know that in addition to food, many other things can affect your blood sugar, including your physical activity level, stress, medications and lack of sleep and so much more. So, please take good care of yourself and reach out to your health care professional.

For more information visit:

American Diabetes Association – Get Smart on Carb Counting

New York-Presbyterian – Carbohydrate Counting for People with Diabetes

Beyond Type 2’s 5 Calorie-Counting Apps To Help Achieve Your Goals

**Divabetic Mystery Podcas: Phantom of Okra**

Find out what happens when Mr. Divabetic, the Diabetes Late Nite cast and some special friends try to solve this diabetes murder mystery, Phantom of Okra, loosely based on “The Phantom Of The Opera.” Enjoy diabetes self-care advice and nutrition information in between moments of suspense, wide-goose chases, and entertaining banter.

Co-starring Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown (founder of the We Are Diabetes organization), Central Farm Markets Co-Founder Debra Moser, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Author Peter Arpesella, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES, Leisa Chester Weir, Terri Seidman and Mama Rose Marie.

This podcast features song selections from “The Phantom Of The Opera” soundtrack courtesy of SONY Music.

LISTEN NOW

<!-- wp:group --> <div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container"><!-- wp:group --> <div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></div></div> <!-- /wp:group --></div></div> <!-- /wp:group --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> — BUY NOW

In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth “Evvie” Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them.

Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the “yips”: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future.

When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out.