Tag: diet

stay healthy during the holidays

How To Stay Healthy During the Holidays

Regardless of age, it’s important to know how to stay healthy during the holidays. While fun, these special days can seem like the perfect time to ‘let go’ of your healthy living habits in order to indulge in food and alcohol. But did you know that doing this can be harmful to your health…and possibly even life-threatening?

In this article, I will discuss why and provide an overview on what you can do during these times to maintain your best health and prevent holiday illness…so that you can spend your days focusing on enjoying the occasion.

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complete guide to multivitamins

Do You Need a Multivitamin? A Complete Guide to Supplements

Multivitamins. We see them everywhere. But have you ever wondered to yourself: Do I even need to take a multivitamin? Do they make a difference? And how do I even go about choosing one?  This article will answer these important questions as well as provide you some tips on finding the perfect supplement for your needs.

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PhoebeMD health blog hypoglycemia depression

Feeling ‘Hangry?’ – Hypoglycemia, Mental Health, and the Importance of Diet

By Barbara Leonhard | Featured Contributor


Depression is a complex weave, and I have explored it in various articles on Phoebe, MD. The grief of watching my mom decline with Alzheimer’s and the grief of infertility. However, did you know that some symptoms of depression can also result from a diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, which in some people can lead to postprandial hypoglycemia (extremely low blood sugar after a meal)? This has been another life challenge for me.

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diabetes meal planning carb counting

Carb Counting for Diabetes: 3 Easy Steps (with diabetes food list)

When you have diabetes, keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range is not only essential in keeping your diabetes under control, but it can help you feel your best. The easiest way to stabilize your blood sugar level is to watch your carbohydrate intake. This is because any carbohydrate food you eat (e.g., milk, fruit, bread, and pasta) is immediately digested into glucose (sugar), which causes your blood sugar level to increase. In this article, I will discuss one of the more “advanced” methods of diabetes meal planning: the “carb counting” method. A simpler method is the Diabetes Plate Method, so be sure to check out that article as well if you haven’t yet, along with the rest of the posts in the Diabetes Series!

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diabetes plate method eat with ease

Diabetes Plate Method: Meal Planning Made Easy

In my last post, I introduced one of the fundamental elements of effective diabetes management, which consists of knowing and understanding important health indicators (such as your A1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol). Now I will discuss another important skill that will play a massive role in determining whether your diabetes worsens or improves in the future—and that is eating the right way.

While there are many ways to approach meal planning, the Diabetes Plate Method (also called the “Create Your Plate” method) is an incredibly simple way to monitor portions and your carbohydrate intake, even if you are in a situation where you cannot plan ahead of time. 

For those who do not have diabetes, or have been told that they have pre-diabetes, you will find that this method is so simple and practical that you can easily incorporate it into your life to help you eat in a more balanced way. So let’s get started!


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