Bartlett Regional | HouseCalls | Spring 2016

Fat-free milk and yogurt. These dairy products are excellent sources of calcium and potassium and may also be fortified with vitamin D. The nonfat versions of milk and yogurt have the same nutritional value as the full-fat ones—without the saturated fat. Most adults should get 3 cups of milk products a day. Sweet potatoes. Sometimes miscalled yams, sweet potatoes aren’t true yams, which are less nutritious tubers that aren’t often found in the grocery store. Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber and vitamins A and C. They also have small amounts of calcium and iron. Try them in place of regular potatoes. Berries. Strawberries, black- berries, raspberries, blueberries—there’s Beans. Think pinto, kidney, navy and black beans, just to name a few. Beans come in an amazing variety, and they’re very versatile. Nutritionally, they’re great as a vegetable and as a source of protein. A half-cup of beans gives you a third of your recommended daily value of fiber and as much protein as 1 ounce of meat. Beans are also a good source of magnesium, potassium, folate, iron and zinc. Citrus fruits. Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes—citrus fruits deliver a sweet-tart kick along with a healthy punch. Known for their vitamin C, these fruits have even more to offer. Oranges, for example, contain folate, calcium, potassium, thiamine, niacin, magnesium and fiber. There’s no such thing as a perfect food. But if you have diabetes, there are 10 foods that come close. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) dubs them diabetes superfoods, and they’re a delicious and easy way to meet your dietary needs. These foods have plenty of vitamins and nutrients, such as calcium, potassium and fiber. Plus, each has a low glycemic index (GI). GI is the measure of how much a food with carbohydrates raises blood glucose (sugar). For most people with diabetes, counting carbohydrates is key to managing blood glucose, according to the ADA. In addition, paying attention to a food’s GI may help fine-tune your control. Even better: A healthy diet, including these superfoods in reasonable portions, may help prevent diabetes complications, such as heart disease and stroke. Here’s a close look at these don’t- miss foods. Have diabetes? Stock your kitchen with these 10 superfoods 10 HouseCalls Spring 2016 Got questions? Call Bartlett’s diabetes educator, Cynthia Nickerson, at 907-796-8649 or email her at cnickerson@ bartletthospital.org .