Welcome to American Diabetes Awareness Month! At our Houston podiatry practice, we’ve seen firsthand the toll this disease can take on your feet, and we’ve made it our mission to help people stay on top of their diabetic health through regular foot exams and healthy eating.
Throughout November, in addition to weekly diabetic recipes, we’ll also be sharing important diabetes information you need to know to stay healthy. So, to kick things off, let's take a closer look at the biggest threat to diabetic foot health: ulcers!
Diabetes Awareness Month: Important Ulcer Information ![Whole roasted chicken for diabetic diet recipes]()
Foot ulcers can quickly become medical emergencies, threatening loss of limbs or even loss of life. Unfortunately, you can't heal an ulcer on your own: over-the-counter products simply can't address this complex concern. But Dr. Schneider uses evidence-based approaches to healing. So you get treatments that really work, and that speed up ulcer healing time as much as possible.
First of all, you must remember this: early treatment makes all the difference when it comes to diabetic foot ulcers. The sooner you begin, the faster your ulcer will heal--likely with fewer complications. Now, there are multiple ways to treat an ulcer. But regardless of the one we choose for your feet, there are two core principles we always follow:
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Offloading.
This step involves removing pressure from the ulcer so it can heal. We may offload your wound with a removable walking boot, total contact cast, or with the use of surgical or wedge shoes. The choice we make will depend on your wound, as well as your overall lifestyle and health constraints. Some patients may even need to undergo complete non-weight bearing, getting around with crutches or knee scooters. -
Wound debridement.
This is the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue from the wound so that it can't block healing. You may undergo sharp debridement, in the office, using surgical instruments to carefully remove dead tissue. Enzymatic debridement uses a topical ointment containing special enzymes that break down dead tissue. Autolytic debridement uses the body's own enzymes to break down the dead tissue by maintaining a moist environment that allows the body's natural healing processes to work. Whichever method is used, we typically debride ulcers every one to two weeks, depending on how much dead tissue is present.
Along with offloading and debridement, we may apply additional treatments such as biological skin substitutes. But, even with proper care, ulcer healing can take plenty of time. And, for that reason, we always focus on ulcer prevention as part of our diabetic foot care program in Houston.
Preventing Ulcers with a Diabetic Diet and Foot Care
Since treating ulcers is so complicated, we devote time each Diabetes Awareness Month (and all year long) toward promoting prevention through diet and other lifestyle measures. First and foremost, diabetic patients have to perform daily foot exams. This is the best way to spot potential foot problems before they develop into serious complications like ulcers. (Learn more about how to perform a diabetic foot exam here.)
However, to prevent these problems from developing, you must also keep your diabetes in control, to maintain optimal blood sugar levels. One way to do so is by getting regular exercise. (As long as your healthcare provider has cleared you for safe physical activity.) But another way to do so is by carefully following a diabetic diet. And, to help you do so without getting bored or intimidated, we're here to share tasty and simple diabetic diet recipes that can jumpstart your meal planning--and your new commitment to ulcer prevention!
Diabetes Awareness Month: Diabetic Diet Recipes
We know that changing your diet can feel like a lot of work. But it doesn't have to be. That's why we frequently share diebtic diet recipes for inspiration. (Find them by searching our library for our What to Eat Wednesday series!) Looking for immediate dinner inspo, without the need to search out new recipes? To kick things off, let’s all try this delicious Roasted Chicken recipe from the American Diabetes Association. Enjoy!
Budget-friendly Cilantro Lime Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2½ pound whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Remove the skin from the chicken and arrange in a single layer in the baking pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, honey, garlic, ground black pepper and salt (optional). Pour the
mixture evenly over the chicken and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the largest piece of chicken is 165
degrees.
Side Suggestion: Frozen tri-color pepper mixture, steamed.
