Numbered Publications: FCS3
FCS3-564: Gluten-Free: Is It for Me?
Anna Cason, Janet Tietyen-Mullins | May. 1, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Known for giving baked goods their fluffiness, gluten is frequently found in cereals, breads, pastas, and other bakery items. Gluten can also be found in other foods, such as salad dressings, canned foods, sauces, seasonings, and soups. Malted alcoholic beverages such as beer, porter, stout, and pilsner also contain gluten, due to the barley content. Oats do not contain gluten naturally; however, oats are commonly milled and processed in the same facility as wheat. This contamination is harmless for most people but is dangerous to individuals experiencing gluten sensitivity. There are many causes for experiencing symptoms after eating gluten-containing foods. Three of them are celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), and a wheat allergy.
FCS3-646: Food Allergens: Alpha-Gal
Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Anna Cason | May. 1, 2025 (New)
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as red meat allergy, is a condition that results in an allergic reaction to some animal products after a tick bite. Lone star ticks are the species most associated with AGS in the United States. A bite from one of these ticks may cause a person to develop an allergic reaction to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, a sugar molecule found in the meat of some mammals. Those mammals include cows, pigs, and lambs, or what we commonly think of as red meat. The name alpha-gal comes from the name of the sugar that causes the allergic reaction. Alpha-gal syndrome is becoming increasingly more common. As it does, we continue to see that it causes different symptoms and severities in people.
FCS3-546: Carbohydrate Counting
Anna Cason, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Ingrid Adams | Mar. 13, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Carbohydrate (carb) counting is one way to identify the amount of carbohydrates you get from the foods you eat. Carbohydrate counting can help you manage your blood-glucose levels in different ways, depending on what type of diabetes you have and your treatment plan.
FCS3-550: Diabetes and Foot Care
Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Mar. 13, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Taking good care of your feet is important for maintaining good health, especially for those who have diabetes. When blood-glucose levels stay high for a long time, it can cause problems for your feet in particular, by reducing sensitivity and limiting the blood flow that your body uses to heal itself.
FCS3-551: Monitoring Blood Glucose
Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Mar. 13, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Checking your blood glucose tells you what your blood sugar level is at the time of testing. Keeping your blood-glucose level within the target range set by you and your doctor reduces the risk of diabetes complications. It is important to check your blood glucose regularly so you can see how certain foods, activities, and medicine affect your blood-glucose level and address it if necessary.
FCS3-334: Home Freezing Basics
Annhall Norris, Sandra Bastin | Feb. 28, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Are you interested in saving time on meal preparation? Do you want to minimize food waste? Would you like to save money by extending the harvest from your garden, prolonging the use of leftovers, or stretching out the shelf life of sale items from the store? If the answer to any or all these questions is “yes,” consider preserving these foods by freezing. Freezing is one of the easiest, most convenient, and least time-consuming methods of preserving foods. Using your home freezer, basic containers, and research-based preparation techniques, you can extend the shelf life of most foods.
FCS3-541: Diabetes and Physical Activity
Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Feb. 26, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Physical activity plays an important part in health. This includes any movement that uses energy. Taking part in physical activity provides protection against heart disease and stroke and can help manage blood pressure.
FCS3-542: Diabetes and Hemoglobin A1C
Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Feb. 26, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Hemoglobin A1C is a measure of average blood-glucose levels over the past two to three months. Health-care providers sometimes reference hemoglobin A1C as “HbA1C” or “A1C.” These names all mean the same thing.
FCS3-543: Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Feb. 26, 2025 (Minor Revision)
Diabetes increases the risk for developing high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure means your heart works harder to pump blood through your body. This increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. It also increases the risk of diabetes complications, including kidney disease, eye problems that may lead to blindness, and nerve problems.
FCS3-540: Managing Diabetes
Anna Cason, Ingrid Adams | Jan. 30, 2025 (Reviewed)
Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot properly use glucose for energy. This causes glucose to build up in the blood. High levels of blood glucose can result in health conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and more. There are several known benefits of managing diabetes appropriately.
