Charles Maddocks: Eating Healthy and Staying Fit To Control and Manage Diabetes

What is diabetes and are you at risk?
Diabetes is a disease that results in too much sugar (glucose) in the blood. Your body does not have enough insulin available to turn food into energy. High levels of glucose slowly damage your eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves, legs, and feet. Diabetes is a serious disease affecting 20.8 million people in this country, and you may be at risk if you are Hispanic, overweight, or do not exercise regularly. Hispanics are nearly twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop this disease. 

Steps to healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle to control and manage diabetes:
  • Begin with a healthy eating plan. Healthy eating means eating more grains, fruits, and vegetables, and less meat, sweets, and fats every day. "Let the Food be the Medicine and Medicine be the Food" (Hippocrates). 
  • Be physically active every day to help prevent weight gain and improve blood sugar control. 
  • Check the sugar in your blood and take your medication every day if needed. 


How to create a healthy meal plan:
To create a healthy meal plan you should do the following:
  • Eat a variety of foods as recommended in the Diabetes Food Pyramid to get a balanced intake of the nutrients your body needs - carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. 
  • Make changes gradually because it takes time to accomplish lasting goals. 
  • Reduce the amount of fat you eat by choosing fewer high-fat foods and cooking with less fat. 
  • Eat more fiber by eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. 
  • Eat fewer foods that are high in sugar like fruit juices, fruit-flavored drinks, sodas, and tea or coffee sweetened with sugar. 
  • Use less salt in cooking and at the table. Eat fewer foods that are high in salt, like canned and packaged soups, pickles, and processed meats. 
  • Eat smaller portions and never skip meals. 
  • Learn about the right serving sizes for you. 
  • Learn how to read food labels. 
  • Limit use of alcohol.​
  • What is the Diabetes Food Pyramid?
The Diabetes Food Pyramid is a general guide of what and how much to eat each day. It is similar to the Food Pyramid you see on many food packages.

The pyramid is divided into six groups. You should eat more foods from the largest group at the base of the pyramid and less from the smaller groups at the top of the pyramid. The number of servings needed every day is not the same for everyone, so a range of servings is given to ensure you get the foods you need for good health. The food groups and suggested servings per day are listed below.
  • Grains, Beans, and Starchy Vegetables: (good source of B vitamins and fiber) 6 or more servings/day 
  • Fruits: (contain vitamins C, A, potassium, folate, and fiber) 3-4 servings/day 
  • Vegetables: (provide vitamins A, C, folate, and fiber) 3-5 servings/day 
  • Milk: (source of calcium, protein, vitamins A and D) 2-3 servings/day
  • Meats and Others: (good source of iron, zinc, B vitamins, and protein) 2-3 servings/day 
  • Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol: The foods at the tip of the pyramid should be eaten in small amounts. Fats and oils should be limited because they are high in calories. Sweets are high in sugar and should only be eaten once in a while.

What is the right number of servings for you?
The Diabetes Food Pyramid gives a range of servings for each group, but it is only a guide. If you have diabetes, a dietitian can design a specific meal plan for you. 

Remember that the number of servings listed is for the entire day. Since food raises blood sugar levels, it is best to space servings throughout the day. For example, 4 servings of fruit might be divided between 3 meals and 1 snack.

Keep in mind... Follow a healthy lifestyle, eat healthy foods, and keep physically active to help control diabetes. If you have diabetes, be an active member of your diabetes care team: you, your doctor, dietitian, and other health care providers. This meal planner gives you only general information. Consult with your diabetes care team.
​
What is a serving size in the Food Pyramid?
Each of the following represents one serving from each of the food groups in the Diabetes Food Pyramid:

Grains, Beans, and Starchy Vegetables
1 slice of bread; 1/2 small bagel, English muffin, or bun; 1/2 cup cooked cereal, pasta, rice; 3/4 cup ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2 cup cooked dried beans, corn, peas 

Vegetable Group
1 cup raw vegetable; 1/2 cup vegetable juice 

Fruit Group
1 medium-size fresh fruit; 1/2 cup canned fruit; 1/2 cup fruit juice 

Milk Group
1 cup (8 ounces) milk or yogurt 

Meat Group
2-3 ounces cooked lean meat, skinless poultry, or fish; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons peanut butter; 2-3 ounces cheese 

Fats, Sweets, and Alcohol
1 teaspoon butter, margarine, or mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon cream cheese or salad dressing; 1 tablespoon cream cheese; 1/2 cup ice cream.

Your own Meal Plan
If you have diabetes, consult a registered dietitian to help you make your own meal plan. Your meal plan will be based on many factors, including your weight goal, height, age, and physical activity. 


National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP)
​ndep.nih.gov 
NIDDK, National Institutes of Health
Charles Mattocks
​International Diabetes Foundation > Blue Circle Champion
UNTIL THERE IS A CURE
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About Charles

Charles was recently a featured speaker at a prestigious TEDx conference in San Francisco. Charles is also a Blue Circle Champion for the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).  He inspired thousands of the movers and shakers in diabetes across the world as a featured speaker highlighting his work during the IDF’s World Diabetes Congress held in Australia. He also works with the American Diabetes Association and just concluded writing a new cookbook  released in June 2014. Charles is also a contributor to NBC/BLK where he talks candid about diabetes.

He is committed to providing free health testing along with information and products for people from Orlando to India, the Caribbean and beyond. His RV Testing Tour will and has appeared at hospitals, wound center, sporting events, malls and other venues across America and continues to educate and inspire the masses on diabetes and managing this disease. During a recent humanitarian trip to India, Charles helped test hundreds for diabetes!

Charles’s mother, Constance Marley, also the sister of the late Reggae legend Bob Marley, was diagnosed with CRPS/RSD in 2008. Charles has seen the pain and the mismanagement of the condition first hand. Charles, who also lost his father in November of 2014, was moved to get his mother the needed help, with also bringing awareness to the condition that has brought severe pain to the lives of almost two million people around the world.
With this strive to achieve awareness, Charles has recently completed a documentary on this debilitating disease, entitled "Trial By Fire". The film has won a total of seven award around the world and Charles won best director.

​Charles is production and pre-production on a few other projects. As an award winning director he is developing a show entitled 'The Promoters' based on the lives of five major movers and shakers in the entertainment and sports filed. His company also is set to start shooting the first ever diabetes reality TV show entitled 'Reversed' and his film based on global pain 'A World Of Pain'. The best is yet to come as this advocate of people is tirelessly fighting for others.