SEARHC holds talk on traditional foods and diabetes

SEARHC, the medical provider that recently took over management of the Wrangell Medical

Center and is currently overseeing construction of a new hospital, held a talk Monday, Oct. 21,

on diabetes and traditional foods. The talk was lead by Kelly Lakin, a diabetes educator with

SEARHC.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when one's blood sugar is too high, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Insulin is a hormone that the body produces to

transfer sugar from food and drinks to the

body's cells, providing energy. If the body does not produce enough insulin, the sugar will stay

in the blood and not reach the cells. Too much

sugar in the blood can lead to a variety of health problems.

"It's very common throughout the United States," Lakin said. "I'm sure almost everybody can tell me somebody in their family or somebody that they know that has diabetes."

Within the U.S., Lakin said, about 30.3 million people have some type of diabetes. It is the 7th leading cause of death in the country, she said, and one out of every three people have "pre-diabetes." This means that their blood sugar is high, but not high enough to become permanent diabetes. In Alaska, Lakin said that about 59,000 people have diabetes.

Something else that is interesting with diabetes, Lakin said, is it especially prevalent among indigenous peoples. According to a graph Lakin presented, among natives 18-years-old or younger, between the years of 2013 and 2015,14.9 percent of men and 15.3 percent of women had diabetes. There are several factors determining why this demographic is more susceptible to diabetes, but Lakin said that a rapid change in diet is a big one.

"Over the last 50 to 100 years there's been a rapid shift in the change of their diet," she said. "The Alaska Natives, their body has not been able to genetically modify to be able to digest all those processed sugars, foods, and processed foods. So they're used to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and it's eroded the nutritional content of those Alaskan diets."

With this information in mind, Lakin said it would be a good idea to learn more about a traditional Alaskan diet and the nutrition that it can provide. According to MyPlate, the federal government's nutritional recommendations that have replaced the "food pyramid," a healthy meal consists of reasonable portions of grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. Much of this can be found in a traditional native diet, Lakin said.

"One way that we can help prevent diabetes, or at least protect ourselves from getting complications from diabetes is by eating right," Lakin said.

Under the grains category, Lakin said that a good option to consider for an Alaskan Native diet is the Chocolate Lily. Also known as Wild Rice, this plant is a good source of fiber and is low in both fat and sodium. With hunting and fishing being so prevalent in this part of the world, Lakin pointed out that there are many options available for protein, as well. Salmon is probably the most well known source of protein. Other sources of protein include abalone and Sitka Black Tail deer, both of which are also high in iron content and low on saturated fats.

For vegetables, Lakin pointed out beach asparagus and fiddlehead ferns as two available options. Beach asparagus is a good source of Vitamin A, is low sodium, and also has few calories. Fiddlehead ferns are also low sodium and a good source of Vitamin A, but they are also low fat and provide some carbohydrates and protein.

Berries are a common sight on many of the islands around Southeast Alaska, and these make up the "fruit" portion of an Alaska Native diet. Lakin pointed to blueberries, salmonberries, and huckleberries as good sources of fiber, Vitamin C, and other nutrients.

To learn more about healthy eating, visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov.