In the world of physics, every action is said to have an equal and opposite reaction. But that’s not quite true when it comes to diabetes management. Seemingly small actions you take during your day can cause a chain reaction that has a surprisingly significant affect on your blood-sugar levels and your health. Learn the real impact in and on your body when you do these healthy and unhealthy things.
What happens when…I have a cocktail before dinner? When you pour that pre-dinner drink, it’s been hours since you ate lunch. After your midday meal, your blood sugar rose, then dropped. To bring your blood sugar back to normal, your liver began releasing glucose into the blood. However, alcohol temporarily shuts down that process. In some cases this could cause you to develop hypoglycemia, or very low blood sugar. That’s especially true if you inject insulin or take diabetes medications. Bottom line: Never drink on an empty stomach. Hold off on your glass of wine or drink until after you’re well into your meal. And limit yourself to just one drink; when consumed with food, one drink is perfectly healthy.
What happens when…I spend the day really happy? When you’re feeling chipper, your body settles into a state of calm that has several physiological benefits. First, it keeps stress hormones at bay. And that means your blood sugar, heart rate, and blood pressure all stay mellow. Studies show that a calm, happy mood also can boost your immune system, making you less susceptible to colds and flu. Then there are the psychological benefits. Studies reveal that diabetes patients who are upbeat and optimistic are more likely to eat right and exercise—and have better blood sugar to show for it. Bottom line: Keeping a sunny attitude directly benefits your blood sugar management, as well as your heart health and overall well-being.
What happens when…I skip breakfast? When you wake up after a long night’s rest, your body has gone as much as 12 hours without a meal. That usually means you have a shortage of glucose in your bloodstream. Skip breakfast, and that shortage grows worse, meaning you get that low-blood-sugar jittery feeling, your brain is lacking in fuel, and your entire body chemistry starts the day out of whack. Even worse, skipping breakfast sets you up for bad eating choices later that day—unhealthy snacks, binge eating at lunch. Bottom line: While it’s natural to focus on dinner as the main meal of the day, breakfast plays the greatest role in establishing healthy internal chemistry for the day. Make a commitment: Never skip breakfast.
What happens when…I snack on an apple? Every bite of a juicy apple delivers vital nutrients and other food compounds that keep your metabolism on an even keel, curb your appetite, and nourish your heart. Chief among them is fiber, specifically soluble fiber, which has a talent that’s critical for controlling blood sugar: It turns all gooey in your intestines. That slows down digestion, which means the sugar in an apple—and it has plenty—is absorbed slowly. Eating one apple barely causes a blip in your blood sugar! Bottom line: An apple a day really does keeps the doctor away.
What happens when…I spend all day sitting around? On a day when you don’t give your muscles enough work to do, glucose remains in your bloodstream, going unused. Over time, a sit-around lifestyle encourages two major problems. Your body begins to convert that unused sugar to fat, putting hard-to-lose weight on your belly, butt and thighs. And that extra glucose in the blood increases dangerous compounds called AGEs that damage nerve and blood cells. Bottom line: Sitting all day is a set-up for bad blood sugar, weight gain, and the maladies they both cause. Change your perspective: Think of two hours of sitting as being as bad for you as eating a large candy bar. Sit all day, and that’s like eating lots of candy bars. The antidote? As simple as getting up each hour and walking for a few minutes.
Featured Recipe
Raspberry Frozen Yogurt This frozen yogurt, exotically flavored with rose water, is much lower in sugar than store-bought frozen yogurt. Serve scoops on their own, or pile into sundae glasses with fresh fruit and mint.
Serves 8
1 pound raspberries
4 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons rose water (optional)
1 pound plain nonfat yogurt
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, or to taste
Raspberries for garnish
Fresh mint for garnish
Preparation:
1 Put the raspberries into a saucepan and add the raspberry jam. Warm over a low heat until the raspberries are pulpy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2 Press the raspberries and their juice through a sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds in the sieve. Stir in the rose water, if using. Whisk in the yogurt until smoothly blended. Taste the mixture and sweeten with sugar.
3 Pour into an ice-cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When you have a smooth and creamy frozen mixture, spoon it into a rigid freezer proof container. Freeze for at least 1 hour. If you do not have an ice-cream machine, pour the mixture straight into a large freezer proof container and freeze until set around the edges, about 1 hour. Beat until the mixture is smooth, then return to the freezer. Freeze for 30 minutes, then beat again. Repeat the freezing and beating several times more until the frozen yogurt has a smooth consistency, then leave it to freeze for at least an hour.
4 If storing in the freezer for longer than 1 hour, transfer the frozen yogurt to the fridge 20 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Decorate with raspberries and mint, if desired.
Per serving: 80 cal, 0 g fat (0 g sat), 18 g carbs, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 1 mg chol, 36 mg sodium, 104 mg calcium
Great Ideas
1 Put the raspberries into a saucepan and add the raspberry jam. Warm over a low heat until the raspberries are pulpy, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
2 Press the raspberries and their juice through a sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds in the sieve. Stir in the rose water, if using. Whisk in the yogurt until smoothly blended. Taste the mixture and sweeten with sugar.
3 Pour into an ice-cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When you have a smooth and creamy frozen mixture, spoon it into a rigid freezer proof container. Freeze for at least 1 hour. If you do not have an ice-cream machine, pour the mixture straight into a large freezer proof container and freeze until set around the edges, about 1 hour. Beat until the mixture is smooth, then return to the freezer. Freeze for 30 minutes, then beat again. Repeat the freezing and beating several times more until the frozen yogurt has a smooth consistency, then leave it to freeze for at least an hour.
4 If storing in the freezer for longer than 1 hour, transfer the frozen yogurt to the fridge 20 minutes before serving to soften slightly. Decorate with raspberries and mint, if desired.
Per serving: 80 cal, 0 g fat (0 g sat), 18 g carbs, 3 g protein, 4 g fiber, 1 mg chol, 36 mg sodium, 104 mg calcium
Great Ideas
Eat the Three B's
Among the healthiest foods on the planet, these grains are high in the fiber and nutrients that are perfect for healthy blood sugar and metabolism. Not to mention, they’re hearty and delicious. Here’s how to cook with them.
Barley. Use it as an alternative for pasta or rice, or sauté it with veggies for a side dish. Chill it and make a barley salad with herbs, dressing, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Bran. Use it to replace half the flour in muffin recipes. Mix it into meat loaf or sprinkle bran flakes on casseroles.
Bulgur. (also called kasha) Make bulgur pilaf as a side dish or use the grain cold to make a salad such as tabbouleh. Cook hot bulgur cereal in salted water as you would oatmeal.
Barley. Use it as an alternative for pasta or rice, or sauté it with veggies for a side dish. Chill it and make a barley salad with herbs, dressing, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Bran. Use it to replace half the flour in muffin recipes. Mix it into meat loaf or sprinkle bran flakes on casseroles.
Bulgur. (also called kasha) Make bulgur pilaf as a side dish or use the grain cold to make a salad such as tabbouleh. Cook hot bulgur cereal in salted water as you would oatmeal.
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