With World Diabetes Day on November 14 and American Diabetes Month, November is a big month for diabetes awareness! Every year, the nation comes together to ring the alarm on the diabetes epidemic making November a great time to educate clients, connect them with resources, and make sure those around us are aware of their risk, too.
A recent study1 in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that 1 in 5 teens in the United States has prediabetes. The prevalence of diabetes increased significantly from 1999 to 2018, specifically, among U.S. youth aged 12 to 19. Junting Liu, from the Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing, and colleagues used data from 10 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018, combining every two consecutive cycles, to examine trends in prediabetes among U.S. youth aged 12 to 19 years. The analysis included 6,598 individuals (3,186 female; 3,412 male). The researchers observed a significant increase in the prevalence of prediabetes among U.S. youth, from 11.6% in 1999 to 2002 to 28.2% in 2015 to 2018.
Now more than ever, clients are looking to you for tips on how to manage diabetes and prediabetes, not just for themselves but for their loved ones. Dietary and lifestyle interventions are an important part of stopping the progression of prediabetes to diabetes. Almonds are a low glycemic index food and a powerful nutrient package, which includes plant protein (6 g/oz), filling dietary fiber (4 g/oz), unsaturated fats (13 g/oz), saturated fats (1g /oz), and important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E (7.3 mg/oz), magnesium (77 mg/oz) and potassium (200 mg/oz). Their nutrient profile combined with their versatility and many forms makes them a smart snack for those with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes.