English: For many Latino families food is an important part of their customs and family traditions. Tables filled with food ranging from rice and beans, to tortillas, empanadas and flan for dessert bring families together in many celebrations and traditions. While delicious, many of these foods can be high in carbohydrates and salt and fat.This is important because of the role diet plays in the epidemic of diabetes facing Latinos. According to the office of US Department of Health and Human services Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes .They have higher rates of kidney failure caused by diabetes and they are 40 % more likely to die from diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.It is estimated that 2.5 million, or 10.4 percent of Hispanic and Latino Americans aged 20 and older have diabetes. One of the scariest statistics is that projections are that it is only going to get worse if things don’t change. Nearly half of Hispanic children born in the year 2000 are likely to develop diabetes during their lives.However, there is good news – unlike some diseases there are a lot that families and individuals can do to prevent this trend. Start by making healthy food choices every day. Start with small changes, such as eating brown rice instead of white rice, or baking dishes instead of frying.Choose foods that have lots of fiber such as fresh fruits and vegetables. A southwestern salad topped with tomatoes, low-fat cheese, black beans, corn, grilled chicken, and low-fat or fat-free sour cream sounds like a good choice for the next family celebration. Enjoy!Mary E. Kelleher, MDChief Medical OfficerBerks Community Health CenterThree Reading locations– New Patients Welcome!838 Penn Street(610)988-48381040 Liggett Avenue(484)220-2955430 N. Second Street(610)463-3263
