Diabetes has become a prevalent condition in our society and culture. Type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in younger individuals, especially in minority populations, and accounts for the majority of diagnosed cases and is a progressive disease that is usually present for a while before diagnosis.

Carbohydrate counting is a type of meal planning method utilized for individuals diagnosed with diabetes and is based on the thought process that all types of carbohydrates are digested, and that most are absorbed into the bloodstream as glucose. It is important to examine food labels, and education needs to be provided to patients in order to conduct this process properly. For example, an individual could look at the nutrition facts on the back of the food product they would like to eat. It is important to check the serving size, and then find the portion that discusses the total carbohydrates. For an individual that is monitoring carbohydrate intake, dividing the grams of total carbs by 15 will determine the number of carbohydrates per serving.

Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet is largely beneficial to health maintenance and prevention of disease. Summer is such a great time to increase fruit and vegetable intake, as there are many fresh options available. One of my favorite parts of summer is the ability to go strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and cherry picking. It is always such a fun experience, and it is great to have farm fresh fruit for baking and eating! A healthy diet is all about moderation and consistency, and doing small activities like fruit picking, or creating a vegetable garden are awesome ways to improve your overall health.