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Native American Diabetes Project Meeting 2: Eat Less Fat |
Welcome! |
We are so pleased that you are here! It's good to
see you again! Before we get started with today's
meeting, let's take a few minutes to review the last meeting.
Last time we talked about what exercise is and why exercise is important. We said healthy exercising means that you do it: |
Exercise lowers blood sugar. |
while you're exercising, and |
Exercise can prevent or delay diabetes. |
Exercise is very important for everyone, but
especially for people with diabetes because
exercise lowers blood sugar.
Your family and friends can delay or prevent diabetes through exercise. So how are you doing? Let's look at your exercise calendars. What exercises are you doing? How often are you exercising? |
As we continue on our journey. |
Through the eagle's vision, he sees us exercising
to make ourselves healthier, and he sees us
changing the way we are eating. The eagle sees
us learning to make changes in buying and
preparing the foods that we enjoy, and our
families are learning from our example.
This meeting will provide us with information to eat less fat, so that we can become healthier. The eagle knows times were hard for our ancestors, but people had gardens of healthy foods like beans, corn, and squash. Wild game, like deer, which has very little fat, was the main source of meat. Let's listen to part of the story again. Times were hard for our ancestors and many changes have come about to make life easier for us in some ways. Gardens are few now and people buy what they could grow. Eating out is common and no longer something we could look forward to for a special time. Along with this, our foods are high in fat and not as healthy. Today the eagle sees us buying many prepared foods and eating at fast food restaurants. The eagle sees us eating foods that have lots of fat in them. We can change this by learning to make healthier choices in what we eat and how it is prepared. So what is fat and why should we eat less fat in our foods? |
What is fat? |
Fat is a part of food that our bodies need to
function well. A small amount of fat is good for
our bodies, but too much fat is bad, especially if
you have diabetes.
If you have diabetes, the amount of fat you eat affects your blood sugar control. In the long run, years of eating too much fat can cause a worsening of your blood sugar and cause other health problems too. So it's important to eat less fat! |
How can I eat less fat? |
1. Learn which foods have lots of fat and eat less of them.
2. Learn how to prepare foods using less fat. 3. Learn how to make lower fat choices when you eat away from home. 4. Learn which foods have less fat and eat more of them. 5. Learn to buy leaner cuts of meat when grocery shopping. |
These foods have lots of fat. |
fried meat whole milk sunflower seeds cookies and cakes lard, butter, margarine potato chips and tortilla chips fried potatoes and refried beans bacon, weiners, bologna, canned meats all nuts, like pinons, and peanut butter fast foods, like hamburgers and french fries |
Can I ever eat those foods again? |
It's okay to eat these foods once in a while, but not everyday. You can learn how to make these foods more healthful. You can eat less of the foods that have lots of fat; you can make lower fat choices; and you can learn ways to cook with less fat. Less fat can taste great! |
Cooking with fat makes fooks high in fat. |
Often we cook with fat. And, guess what?
We have high fat foods!
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Adding fat to foods makes foods high in fat! |
We also add fat to foods that are already low in fat.
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Some foods are high in fat naturally. |
Where does all that fat come from?
Sometimes fat is found in foods naturally, like cheese. But we can choose low fat alternatives.
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7 easy ways at eat less fat.
1. Fry less. |
Here are seven ways to eat less fat!
1. Fry food less often and eat fried food less often. Instead try:
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2. Buy leaner cuts of meat. |
2. Buy leaner cuts of meat such as extra lean ground beef or round steak. Tip: When you buy extra lean meat, you get more for your money because you can get 5 hamburger patties instead of 4 patties from regular ground beef! |
3. Drain and rinse ground meat. |
3. Drain and rinse the fat off ground meat.
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4. Cut fat off meat and throw the fat away. |
4. Cut the fat off the meat and throw it away.
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5. Skim fat off of soups and stews. |
5. Chill soups and stews to harden the fat and throw the fat away.
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6. Take the skin off chicken. |
6. Take the skin off the chicken (skin is fat) and throw it away.
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7. Cook with less fat. |
7. Use less fat in everything you cook! Whether you are using lard, Crisco or vegetable oil, fat is fat! Fry less often and fry fewer foods. Remember to boil, bake, broil, steam, and grill. Do any of these, but fry foods less often. |
Hint: |
Buy yourself a teflon coated pan and some vegetable spray, like Pam. These will keep low fat foods from sticking and make cleanup easier. |
Foods already low in fat! |
Take a minute and think of some foods that are
naturally low in fat. What foods can you think of?
Here are some foods that have less fat and have the Eagle's approval! |
Foods with less fat to enjoy. |
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Traditional Native American foods are low in fat! |
As you can see many foods that taste good are
also good for us! Did you know that many of the
foods on this list have Native American beginnings?
It's true. Our ancestors were the first ones to grow many
healthful foods. Many traditional Native American foods
are naturally low in fat.
Did you know that corn, which is naturally low in fat, was grown by Indian farmers thousands of years ago. Native Americans first grew these traditional foods:
chile beans squash berries potatoes tomatoes pumpkins chile peppers sweet potatoes Foods that are commonly eaten today are sometimes thought to be "traditional". For example, fry bread, which is high in fat, is actually a "contemporary" food and not a traditional food. A more traditional bread would be blue corn tortillas, which are naturally low in fat. |
Three cheers for chile! |
Did you know that both red and green chile are low in fat?
Pinto beans, corn tortillas and posole have no fat either!
Next time you go shopping, look for traditional foods and ingredients that re naturally low in fat. |
How to handle a hungry family! |
Are you thinking about how your family will feel if you ask them to eat low fat foods? Here are four easy ways to eat less fat and still feel satisfied! |
1. Serve more vegetables. |
1. Serve more steamed, broiled, baked or
microwaved vegetables, such as corn, peas,
cabbage, broccoli, squash, and potatoes.
Baked, boiled, steamed, or microwaved potatoes are a nutritious way to fill up a hungry man or woman or child! |
2. Serve more grains. |
2. Serve more grains such as macaroni, (go light on the cheese), rice, and whole wheat bread. Grains have lots of fiber. These foods are low in fat and fill you up. |
3. Serve less meat. |
3. Serve less meat. Two pieces of meat, each piece about the size of a deck of cards or the size of the palm of your hand, are enough for one day. Your family may be used to eating lots of meat, or eating meat at each meal, but for your health and your family's health (not to mention your wallet), less meat is better! Why? Because meat has lots of calories and fat. |
4. Serve more water. |
4. Serve more water. Each of us needs 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. |
Let's make low fat food choices! |
Let's try making some low fat meals together! |
Let's get the fat out of breakfast! |
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Now you try it. |
How can we make a breakfast burrito with less fat?
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Coffee break! |
half and half in your coffee.
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No time for extra fat at lunch time. |
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Now you try it. |
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What's between the bread? |
Do you love sandwiches? Here's how you can eat less fat and still have a great tasting sandwich |
Butter? | 100 % fat |
Try low fat margarine, low fat salad dressing, or mustard instead! |
Hint: | Try the light or fat-free culd cuts. If you eat lunch away from home, take the time to pack a low fat lunch. You will be less tempted to eat fast foods and you'll save money too! |
Eat less fat at the dinner table. |
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Now you try it. |
Let's get the fat out of your dinner.
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These can add a lot of fat to your meal. |
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When eating out: |
How can I eat less fat when I go out to eat?
It's easy! You can use all the new ideas you just learned. Just like you can make foods low in fat at home - you can make low fat choices when you go out to eat. It's your choice! |
1. Choose more baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled. |
1. When eating out, order more foods that are:
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2. Choose more lean meats. |
2. Choose lean meat and more meat like chicken, turkey, and fish. |
2. Choose more vegetables. |
3. Eat more fresh vegetables, like salads. |
4. Don't add extra fat. |
4. Remember to eat less of the foods that have lots of fat. Sauces, creams, batters, butters, mayonnaise, and dressing have lots of fat. |
5. Get a doggie bag! |
5. You're paying for your food, so go ahead and
enjoy it. But, don't feel like you have to eat it
all at once. It's okay to ask to take your
leftovers home, for tomorrow.
We've included a fast food fact sheet for you. You'll find it at the end of this session. |
Healthy foods for Feast Day. |
Food plays a special part in our lives, especially
on Feast Days. On Feast Days we prepare,
share and serve lots of food to our family and
friends. Can Feast Day foods by made healthier?
Yes! Let's listen to a story about a woman who, just like you, cares very much about her family and friends and their health. She knew that low fat and low sugar foods were good for everyone, but could Feast Day foods be made healthier? She planned to try it out and use the new ideas in all her old recipes. Let's find out what happened. |
Nambe Feast Day, 1994 |
by Georgia Perez, Nambe Pueblo Nambe Pueblo Feast Day was soon approaching and while I am working with the Native American Diabetes Project, I started to think if it was possible to cut the amount of fat and sugar in the foods that I prepare for that day. Now I am one who is willing to give anything new a try, but I wasn't too sure on this one. I feel strongly about the Project, but I felt that I needed to prove to myself, that it is possible to have Feast Day foods that are healthier, and also taste as great as if they were traditionally prepared. |
Make one or two changes at first. |
To begin with, I started by writing down the
different foods that I normally serve on feast
day. Everything sounded so good that it was
making me hungry just to think about it. You
know how that is. Just think of food and um....,
you get hungry! Well, enough of my hunger
pains, so let's get down to business.
"Think of healthy, low fat and low sugar." These things we should have all the time and not just for people with diabetes. As I went down the list, I wrote out my grocery list. First item was list, I wrote out my grocery list. First item was red chile stew. Easy enough, I thought, I'd just buy lean meat and not as much. The green chile stew was going to be with no meat, just vegetables. My daughter had told me you can't make chile without meat, but I was going to try it anyway. I told myself anything was possible and I was going to prove it to myself. The posole was going to be made with chicken instead of pork and the garbanzo stew made with less meat. Sounded great so far! I would prepare the beans with no added fat. I decided we would have a fresh tossed salad and serve only low ft dressings. The potato salad would be made with "light" mayonnaise. (I was able to find Weight Watchers mayonnaise at the same price as regular mayonnaise!) I would make the oven bread from whole wheat flour and use canola oil and bake it in the outside oven as usual. I decided to cut down on the amount of sugar I was using too. I decided that the Indian pies would have no added sugar. I would choose sugar-free Jell-o, add fruit to it, and use light Cool Whip. I would make the bread pudding with naturally sweetened apple juice and no cheese, instead of the sugar syrup that I would have made. For the beverages, I decided to serve water, ice tea, Kool-Aid sweetened with Sweet-n-Low and black coffee. This was all kind of risky, but I decided to give it a try. Feast Day came and I am proud and happy to say that everything turned out great! All my guests enjoyed the food, and they didn't even notice that the foods were slightly different. By different, I mean lower in fat and sugar, and healthier. |
Nambe Feast 1994: A great success story! |
I can now say that:
1) I can still serve a taste pleasing meal to
all my visitors on Feast Day. Give it a try, won't you? |
Low fat foods taste great, are easy to prepare and cost less. |
Did you know that buying low fat foods actually cost less? Georgia was able to save $210 on meat! Georgia found that, not only was it cheaper to prepare low fat foods, it actually was easier too! Look at the next page to see how many calories from fat and dollars Georgia saved. |
Feast Day recipes are included for you to enjoy! |
On Feast Day, Georgia planned and served a
delicious meal to her family and friends, and
shared her new ideas with those she cares about
very much, her family and friends!
To learn exactly how Georgia prepared healthful Feast Day Foods, a recipe book is included for you. |
Feast Day Foods! |
Old Recipe per serving |
New Recipe per serving |
Savings overall recipe |
Posole |
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18 calories from fat |
$30 |
Red Chile Stew |
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56 calories from fat |
$80 |
Green Chile Stew |
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1 calories from fat |
$120 |
Garbanzo Stew |
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28 calories from fat |
$100 |
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1,200 calories saved from fat |
$330 |
Reflections on our journey. |
Four Easy Ways to Eat Less Fat
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Plan to eat less fat! |
Just as you plan your garden and plan your
exercise, you have to plan to eat low-fat meals.
We've learned a lot of easy ways to eat less fat.
Take a few minutes and think about some ways
you can plan to eat less fat this week?
This week, in order to eat less fat, I plan to...
_______________________________________________.
I will ask my friend or family member to help me
by ____________________________________________.
My reward for at the end of the week is
_______________________________________________.
I promise to do the best I can with my low-fat
eating plan. Don't forget to use your calendar to help keep you going with your exercise and low fat eating plans. |
A new vision for you! |
Before we leave, close your eyes and imagine the
eagle soaring over us now. The eagle sees us making
one change, then two. As we continue to make more
and more changes by exercising more and eating
less fat, we get stronger in body, mind and spirit.
The eagle in his wisdom knows that we can control
this thing called "Too Much Sugar in the Blood".
As we make these changes in our lives, our children become stronger and healthier, too. They learn through examples set by us. And we must give them the wisdom of the eagle, showing them what they need to do to keep their sugars down and have a healthier life, too. Great Spirit, we thank you for your blessings that have provided the healthy foods to nourish our bodies. May we learn to appreciate and not take for granted all that we now know to make us healthier. May we be open to accept change that will benefit not only ourselves but our children as well. Thank you for coming. |
What to you think? |
Before we finish, take a few minutes and tell us
what you think about this meeting. Be as honest
as you can, we want to know what you really
think. This information will be used to make
our program better.
What did you like best about today's session?
What didn't you like about today's session?
What would you add to this session to make it better?
Remember to bring your calendars next time! Thank you for coming to the next meeting. |