Talk about a bummer — and it’s a completely normal reaction. Just ask Suzanne Sheridan, who has been living with type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years. “My story is that I was at a regular checkup and the nurse said, ‘Your sugars are 385 [milligrams per deciliter] and you should go immediately to see a doctor.’ And I couldn’t believe it,” recalls Sheridan, owner of Suzanne Sheridan Photography in Westport, Connecticut. “I was in shock, and then I got depressed, and I felt like I wouldn’t be able to eat the kinds of foods that I like to eat.” But with the help of one of her doctors, Joseph Feuerstein, MD, assistant professor at Columbia University in New York City and director of integrative medicine at Stamford Health in Connecticut, Sheridan learned that food didn’t need to be boring or bland just because she was diagnosed with diabetes. Instead, it could be flavorful and healthy — not to mention, fun and easy to prepare. RELATED: What Is a Type 2 Diabetes-Friendly Diet? A Complete Guide Also, as Dr. Feuerstein points out, a quality diet can help support not only good diabetes management, including a potential lowering of A1C, but it can also make you feel good! Food is about “so much more” than calories, he says. “It’s the fact that actually food changes some of the chemicals in your brain and it has an effect on your emotions,” Feuerstein explains. In the video below, Feuerstein chats with Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, certified intuitive eating counselor, on how to combat emotional eating as a person living with diabetes. What’s more, chef Daniel Green, who specializes in whipping up healthy recipes, provides three yummy, diabetes-friendly recipes (including one dessert!) to add to your weekly meal rotation. You can find all the ingredients and instructions below.
