• 19Sep

    Step Out for Diabetes this Saturday @ Grant Park

    Are you or someone you know one of the 25 million Americans with diabetes?  If you live here in Georgia, the answer is probably “yes.”

    Georgia makes up one of the 15 mostly Southern states labled the “Diabetes Belt.”   Why Georgia?

    Diabetes rates are often high in areas where obesity is high (Georgia ranked a stellar #14 out of the 50 US states in 2009.)   Obesity causes insulin resistance that can eventually lead to diabetes.

    There are also a higher proportion of Afiican Americans living in the Southeast, who are more prone to develop diabetes, for reasons researchers still don’t fully understand.   And…   the traditional Southern diet of biscuits, cornbread and fried chicken doesn’t help either.

    This Saturday, the American Diabetes Association hosts the Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes – a 5K fundraising walk in Grant Park.  With strong support from local businesses in cities across the country, this event raises over $20 million nationwide to find a cure for diabetes and to support ADA’s mission.

    Good Measure Meals will be attending this Saturday’s event to support our local partner and provide education to our local community.  Stop by our booth if you plan to attend!

    Want to join the fun but not yet registered?  You can still register for free!  If you can’t make this week’s walk but want to support the cause, you can also be a virtual walker or sign up for the next Step Out Walk in Atlanta in Alpharetta or Saturday, October 8th.

    To learn more, follow this event on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/StepOutAtlanta or like this event on Facebook @  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Step-Out-Walk-Atlanta/185301648179376

     

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  • 16Feb

    GMM Video: The Vegetarian Meal Plan

    Vegetarianism has greatly increased over the years. The reasons why people decide to become vegetarian vary greatly. Whether the choice to become vegetarian is for health reasons, environmental, compassion for animals, belief in nonviolence, religious or spiritual views, Good Measure Meals (GMM) has a great option. GMM introduced the vegetarian menu in 2009. We held a focus group of vegetarians and asked them a variety of questions including where they liked to eat out, what cuisines they liked most, what foods they eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the types of meat substitutes they eat, and how often. We learned a lot! We compiled all of the feedback and developed a menu that is constantly evolving based on current customer feedback. We quickly noticed that just as there are a variety of different reasons why people chose vegetarianism there are also a variety of eating styles ranging from very strict vegetarians to flexitarians to semivegetarians. We feel that this menu is great for a lot of different types of vegetarians. We also learned that vegetarians are very health conscious and are concerned about getting the right balance of nutrients from whole, unprocessed foods. One of the major benefits of the Good Measure Meals vegetarian plan is that each day is nutritionally balanced. We have included a variety of nutrient-dense vegetarian friendly ingredients including many plant based protein sources like lentils, quinoa, a variety of beans, nuts, and seeds. Because we follow the guidelines from the American Diabetic Association, this menu is appropriate for diabetics.

    We are proud to say that this meal plan is the only one of its kind in Georgia. Watch our newest video to learn more and check out the menu online. And as always, we would love your feedback! Have more questions? Email me – aritchie@goodmeasuremals.com or leave your comments here.

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  • 11Feb

    Video Interview: GMM’s Sr Director of Nutrition Services

    We are so lucky to have Charlotte Hayes on our staff! She has over 25 years of experience in dietetics and fitness and has a special interest in helping people that have diabetes. She has been the Senior Director of Nutrition Services for Good Measure Meals and Open Hand/Atlanta since 2005.

    Her experience includes serving as a diabetes nutrition/exercise specialist for Diabetes Treatment Centers at West Paces Medical Center in Atlanta and at Holy Cross Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. In addition, she worked as a nutritionist in the Wellness Center at Lee Memorial Hospital in Ft. Myers, FL.

    She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics and community nutrition from Iowa State University in Ames, a master of medical science degree in clinical dietetics from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and a Master of Science degree in adult fitness/cardiac rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. She completed a graduate assistantship in the La Cross Exercise and Health Program and an internship at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix.

    Additionally, Charlotte served on the Clinical Diabetes and Diabetes Spectrum editorial boards and as a consultant to health, weight management and diabetes programs at hospitals and athletic clubs. She authored “I Hate to Exercise Book for People with Diabetes”, published by the American Diabetes Association and numerous articles on diabetes management, nutrition and physical activity. She is frequently invited to speak and present programs on these topics.

    Professionally, Charlotte is on the Board of Directors with the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), and is an active member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Hayes is a registered dietitian licensed in Georgia, a certified diabetes educator, and an ACSM certified exercise specialist.

    Check out our interview with Charlotte!

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  • 08Feb

    In the Community: Video with Local Diabetes Educators

    On January 24th, Good Measure Meals catered the dinner for a continuing education event sponsored by the Greater Atlanta Association of Diabetes Educators (GAADE) & The Greater Atlanta Dietetic Association (GADA) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

    We were honored to provide the meal for this event. It is a great way for us to show our support for the local diabetes educators, nurses, healthcare providers and dietitians.

    Check out this video to see an interview with Sue Tocher, Diabetes Educator at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Carole Helms, from the American Diabetes Association and learn more about the prevalence of diabetes and how Good Measure Meals can help.

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  • 16Jun

    What do you want on your oatmeal? VOTE HERE!

    This recipe is oh so healthy!

    Oatmeal has soluble fiber which can help you lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and possibly reduce your risk of heart disease.

    Flaxseed is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega 3s are polyunsaturated fats, and you need them for good health.  Our bodies can’t make omega 3s, so we have to eat them.  That’s why it’s good to eat foods like flax, walnuts, and salmon.

    Check out this link to see how The American Heart Association answers questions about “better” fats

    Cinnamon may help lower cholesterol and help you maintain a lower blood glucose level, but the research isn’t solid yet.  One thing we do know is that it tastes great in oatmeal!

    So what do you want on top of these wonderful oats?

    Here are the options again:

    #1 – raisins, a pinch of brown sugar and almonds

    #2 – dried cherries, a little bit of honey and pecans

    #3 – dried bananas, a little bit of maple syrup and granola

    I can’t wait to see which topping wins!! Vote by leaving a comment.

    Permalink Filed under: In the Kitchen, Nutrition Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments