Amazingly Healthy Food Swaps and More-Reverse Diabetes

Amazingly Healthy Food Swaps
You can easily tell the health-oriented food shoppers. They’re the ones reading the food labels on every box or bag they pick up at the store. More and more of us are doing this these days, and that’s a great thing: Learning the amount of carbs, sugar, fats, protein, and sodium in the food you eat is just what you need to better manage your diabetes.

Sadly, one of the best measures of a food’s impact on your blood sugar is nowhere to be found on food labels today. It’s the Glycemic Load, and it indicates how much one serving of a particular food raises your blood sugar. Most no-carb foods, like beef, have a zero GL because eating it has no immediate effect on your blood sugar. A food with GL of 10 (such as 1/2 cup of orange juice) or less is considered low—and a good choice for avoiding blood-sugar swings. A measure of 11 to 19 is a medium-GL food; and those foods with a GL of 20 or higher should be viewed with caution and weighed carefully against other choices you make during your day.

What’s the GL mean for meal planning? Keeping the GL in mind as you create a menu, can help you balance meals. You’re less likely to experience energy ups and downs throughout the day and you stand a better change of shedding weight when monitoring your GL. Coordinating the GL of foods before and after exercise will also ensure that you’ll make the most of your workouts.

GL measures for many foods are easily found online. The trick is to take a few moments as you do your meal planning to check out the GL levels of the foods you plan to include. If too many are above 10, consider making some swaps.

When using GL as a tool, be aware that the GL of any particular food is closely tied to portion size. If you have three or four servings of a low GL food, it won’t help manage your blood sugar. So, no fudging on portion sizes (especially if it’s fudge).

Here are some high GL foods and examples of low GL swaps.

Breads
Swap white bread    GL 22
For whole-grain pumpernickel    GL 10
Swap Middle Eastern flatbread    GL 30
For wheat tortillas    GL 6

Breakfast Cereals
Swap cornflakes    GL 24
For All-Bran    GL 9
Swap instant Cream of Wheat    GL 22
For oatmeal from rolled oats    GL 7

Beverages
Swap Coca-Cola    GL 24
For tomato juice    GL 4
Swap cranberry juice cocktail    GL 36
For unsweetened grapefruit juice    GL 7

Sweets
Swap Mar’s Bar    GL 26
For M&Ms with peanuts    GL 6
Swap jelly beans    GL 22
For Nutella    GL 4

Vegetables
Swap French fries    GL 22
For raw carrots    GL 3
Swap baked russet potato    GL 26
For baked sweet potato    GL 17

Dried fruit
Swap raisins    GL 28
For grapes    GL 8
Swap dates    GL 25
For apricots    GL 9
 

Featured Recipe

Fried Chicken
Don’t be shocked! This long-time favorite comfort food can actually be diabetes friendly. Swap the old deep-fried recipe for an oven-baked one without skin and with a lighter breading, and you’ll still have that savory, crispy taste you love. 

Serves 6

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt, to taste (optional)
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs

Preparation:
1    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2    Rinse the chicken, pat dry, and season with the salt and pepper, if desired.
3    Combine the milk and egg white in a medium bowl. Place the cornflake crumbs in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Dip each chicken piece in the egg and milk, then roll in the cornflake crumbs until well coated.
4    Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spray the tops with cooking spray and bake until brown and crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

Great Ideas

Excuse-Proof Your Outdoor Exercise

To relive your childhood, you have to do one, simple thing: Open the door and go outside. Once you’re connected to the outdoors, you’ll rediscover your sense of playfulness. Before you know it, you’re moving your body, exercising without even thinking about it, and just plain having fun.

Too many of us are cooped up indoors all day and all night, except for when we go to and from our cars. Compare that with how much time we spent outside as kids. Mom had to literally drag us in sometimes, right? For your health and wellness, it’s time to return to that part of your childhood. Start with a goal of being outside at least two hours a day. It doesn’t have to be all at once, but over a week you can sneak outside for 15 minutes here and there, and it’ll add up. Outdoor time will help you break the grip of the indoor disease.

To make stepping outside easier, here’s how to hurdle over three typical excuses. See you on the other side of the door!

Excuse #1: I only have a few minutes; no time to do anything outside.
The way outside: Pour your coffee into a travel mug and wander around your backyard or around the block. You don’t have to go on an expedition, just step out for 5 or 10 minutes.

Excuse #2: It always takes too long to get ready to take a bike ride or find my sports equipment.
The way outside: The evening before, set out clothes and any gear you’ll need, like your bike helmet. If it’s all handy when you wake up, you’re more likely to suit up and go.

Excuse #3: It’s raining. It’s pouring. I’d rather be snoring.
The way outside: Take a cue from golfers and open up one of those huge golf-style umbrellas, go for a walk, and enjoy the outdoors. You’ll be surprised how relaxing and sensual the sound and feel of walking in the rain can be.