November is American Diabetes Month®

November is American Diabetes Month® Manage Your Blood Sugar With the “Five Meals A Day Rule “ from My Weight Doctor® (COLLEGE PARK, MD)- According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), one person contracts diabetes every 17 seconds and more than 29 million Americans have the disease with another 79 million at risk. This month , in support of American Diabetes Month®, experts at My Weight Doctor®, one of the nation’s leading medical weight loss clinics, are urging persons to observe the “five meals a day” rule. My Weight Doctor® medical director, Arman Ghanei, M.D. explains how diabetes develops, “Insulin, a metabolic hormone, helps the cells to take in glucose and generate energy. Excess weight, lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits such as lots of heavy, high-carbohydrate meals and snacks can over time cause Insulin resistance. This means that our cells no longer respond properly to insulin and as a result blood sugar and fat level rise, “says Dr. Ghanei. “If untreated, Insulin resistance will increase the risks of developing diabetes, heart and vascular diseases,” he adds. Dr. Ghanei stresses the importance of persons with diabetes or at risk of diabetes eating five small meals a day, distributed throughout the day. “Small, frequent meals make it easier for our body to digest the nutrients in our food more efficiently,” he says. My Weight Doctor® offers the following suggestions for the “Five Meals A Day” rule: • Fresh foods such as whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, which contain less sugar and fat than processed foods. • Whole grain-containing foods such as bread, brown rice, and oatmeal that contain rich amounts of fiber which slow down digestion and allow the body to absorb more nutrients.. • Fruits and vegetables which can prevent the sugar highs and lows that we experience after eating highly refined and processed foods. • Protein, found in lean meats and low-fat dairy products, when eaten with a carbohydrate-containing food product, helps to lessen the effect of glucose on