Written by Sheaffer Rafto, MPH

Last March, GLITEC published two new food-related handouts in partnership with Mending the Disconnect With Food: An Oneida Food Sovereignty Initiative. These resources are designed to help community members and families identify healthier alternatives to common processed foods and sports drinks.

One handout is titled Learn the Difference Between Whole, Processed, and Ultra Processed Foods. This document provides examples of common foods in their various forms, ranging from whole, fresh, or minimally processed options to ultra-processed versions. Foods that are often perceived as healthy, such as yogurt or jarred pasta sauce, may contain added ingredients to enhance flavor, texture, and shelf life.¹ Individuals are encouraged to choose the least processed options when possible while also making choices that align with their nutritional needs and access to foods.

The other handout is called Understanding Sports Drinks and Their Alternatives. It highlights sports drinks and their ingredients. Sports drinks are commonly marketed as a product that can improve performance and recovery. However, their benefits are typically limited to individuals who engage in intense physical activity that lasts one hour or more.² For individuals not engaging in this level of activity, sports drinks can add excess sugar, electrolytes, and artificial ingredients to their diet. In particular, high sugar intake is associated with increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, gout, and dental cavities.² Healthier alternatives such as coconut water, teas, or homemade electrolyte drinks can provide hydration while reducing the intake of added sugars, sodium, and other additives.

Your Choices Today Can Create a Healthier Tomorrow

These two handouts aim to empower communities and individuals to take small steps that will add up to greater long-term health gains. For example, everyday food and drink choices can help manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes or prediabetes. In 2024, 13.6% of American Indian/Alaska Native adults in the United States were living with diabetes, compared with 10% of adults in the United States.³ Data from 2022 showed that American Indian/Alaska Natives in the United States were nearly twice as likely as the overall U.S. population to die from diabetes.⁴

Diabetes is a complex condition that often requires comprehensive management, including changes to what you eat and drink, increased physical activity, and, in some cases, taking medicine. While these handouts only address one aspect of diabetes management and are not designed specifically for people who have diabetes or prediabetes, they may be used to help anyone make choices today that can create a healthier tomorrow. 

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Sources 
1.    Harguth A. What you should know about processed, ultra-processed foods. Mayo Clinic Health System. July 25, 2024. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/processed-foods-what-you-should-know

2.    Sports drinks. The Nutrition Source - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/sports-drinks

3.    Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. National Center for Health Statistics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 27, 2018. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_adult/index.html

4.    Diabetes and American Indians/Alaska Natives. U.S. Department of Human and Health Services Office of Minority Health. Accessed April 24, 2026. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/diabetes-and-american-indiansalaska-natives