SAN DIEGO — November is National Diabetes Month and the CDC calls diabetes a growing health problem. It’s a disease that affects more than 30 million Americans. And in order to help those impacted, Scripps Health in Torrey Pines hosted a cooking class Wednesday to teach how food can help manage diabetes symptoms.
The class was held at Scripps’ Whittier Diabetes Institute.
“We are hoping to promote healthy lifestyle changes by using healthy foods,” said registered dietitian Janine Penha.
For the class, Penha stepped in as top check helping whip up chimichurri buddha bowls and blueberry cheesecake for a menu adapted for those with diabetes.
"We are often called the food police, but we are not,” she said.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar is too high. The disease is the seventh highest cause of death in the country but can be managed with a healthy diet and exercise.
Experts say it's not so much cutting foods out but cutting them down to size.
"We want people to know there are no foods they can't eat - it really comes down to portion sizes,” Penha said.
Thursday is World Diabetes Day. For more information about living with diabetes, click here.