We all love makeover shows on television. The ugly duckling gets turned into a beautiful princess. Or the too-small house is renovated so the down-on-its-luck family can have a chance at a better life. What’s not to love? Makeovers have all the elements of a great story—and, of course, the big, happy reveal at the end.
Why not have your own diabetes-busting makeover? The special guest star in this makeover: your kitchen. A well-stocked, kitchen is your greatest ally to eat better and live healthier. Keeping the right foods at your fingertips lets you put together fast, blood-sugar friendly meals and grab healthy treats when you want a snack. You’ll be able to enjoy food without being sidetracked by temptations that makes blood sugar spike and packs on pounds.
The first step is to clear your kitchen of foods with too many calories, refined carbohydrates, fat, or sugar. Pick up every item; if it’s unhealthy, give it away; if it’s been there for over six months, throw it out. Put items that other family members eat in a designated (and hard to reach) area. Stock up on the right edibles; you can add a few to your shopping list each week.
Let’s turn on the makeover magic!
Pantry
Toss, give away, or move:
Breakfast cereals high in sugar
Cornflakes
Butter-flavored microwave popcorn
Candy
Canned fruit in heavy syrup
Cereal bars
Cookies, chips, crackers
Corn and sunflower oil
Cream soups
Non-diet soda and juice drinks
Packaged foods with hydrogenated oils or trans fats
Sugar-sweetened iced tea or lemonade
Shortening
White bread and rice
Restock with:
Applesauce
Barley
Broth, low-sodium
Cereal, 3 grams of fiber per serving
Cooking spray
Fruit, canned in juice
Garlic, onions, fresh
Legumes, canned or dried
Mushrooms
Oatmeal, rolled oats
Oils, olive or canola
Pasta, whole-grain
Peanut butter
Popcorn kernels
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams
Raisins
Rice, brown
Salmon, canned
Sugar substitute
Soups, low-sodium broth-based
Tomatoes, tomato sauce, no salt added
Tuna, canned in water
Vegetables, canned
Vinegars
Whole-grain breads
Whole-grain crackers
Whole-wheat flour
Refrigerator
Toss, give away, or move:
Full-fat cheeses, mayonnaise
Full-fat milk products, sour cream, yogurt
Sodas, sweetened teas, juice “drinks”
Butter, margarine with trans fats
Restock with:
Margarine, 0 trans/saturated fats
Hard cheeses such as Parmesan
Eggs and/or egg substitute
Milk, yogurt low or nonfat
Lean beef, chicken, turkey, or pork
Fruit and vegetables, assorted fresh
Freezer
Toss, give away, or move:
Breaded fish sticks, fish fillets, and chicken
French fries and potato nuggets
Full-fat ice cream
Vegetables in butter or cream sauces
Frozen dinners and snack foods
Bacon and full-fat breakfast sausage
Restock with:
Breads, whole-grain
Fruit, no sugar
Sugar-free frozen fruit pops
Chicken breasts
Edamame
Fish fillets, shelled shrimp, scallops, unbreaded
Ground turkey or lean ground beef
Meatless burgers
Vegetables, no sauce
Featured Recipe
Potato & Zucchini TortillaThe tortilla, Spain’s most famous tapas, or snack, is made from the simplest of ingredients—eggs, onions, and potatoes—cooked like a flat omelet and served warm or cold, cut into wedges. Like an artist on a blank canvas the tortilla begs creativity, and all kinds of extra, healthy ingredients can be added, such as asparagus, peas and mushrooms.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 zucchini, diced
2 slices reduced-fat bacon, chopped
6 eggs
2 tablespoons
Chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 zucchini, diced
2 slices reduced-fat bacon, chopped
6 eggs
2 tablespoons
Chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
1 Place the potato cubes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
2 Heat the oil in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes, onion, zucchini, and bacon, and cook over a moderate heat until the potatoes are tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes, turning and stirring from time to time.
3 Preheat the broiler to high. In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon cold water. Add the parsley and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet and cook until the egg has set, about 3 to 4 minutes, lifting the edges to allow the uncooked egg mixture to run onto the pan.
4 When there is just a little uncooked egg on the top, place the pan under the hot broiler and cook for 2 minutes to set the top. Slide the tortilla out onto a plate or board and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into small wedges and serve warm, or leave to cool completely before cutting and serving.
1 Place the potato cubes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
2 Heat the oil in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes, onion, zucchini, and bacon, and cook over a moderate heat until the potatoes are tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes, turning and stirring from time to time.
3 Preheat the broiler to high. In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon cold water. Add the parsley and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet and cook until the egg has set, about 3 to 4 minutes, lifting the edges to allow the uncooked egg mixture to run onto the pan.
4 When there is just a little uncooked egg on the top, place the pan under the hot broiler and cook for 2 minutes to set the top. Slide the tortilla out onto a plate or board and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into small wedges and serve warm, or leave to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Per serving: 161 cal, 8 g fat (2 g sat), 16 g carbs, 7 g protein, 2 g fiber, 162 mg chol, 95 mg sodium
Great Ideas
Great Ideas
Rx for Better Sleep
It may seem a hard to connect the dots between sleep and diabetes. But the quality of your sleep is directly tied to your overall health and blood-sugar levels. We might joke about someone snoring so loud it makes the windows rattle, but that could be a sign of a potentially dangerous sleep disorder called sleep apnea. When you have sleep apnea, your breathing stops or becomes very shallow hundreds of times a night, depriving your body of oxygen, increasing your heart rate, and preventing you from entering the important stage of deep sleep that restores your body and mind. Here are some ways to sleep more soundly.
Check for symptoms. When the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes, it blocks the passage of air until your airway opens, often with a loud choking or gasping sound. You are more likely to have sleep apnea if you snore loudly or have a large neck—women with a neck size of more than 16 inches; men, 17 inches. Other signs include waking up three or more times a night to go to the bathroom and feeling sleepy despite getting eight or more hours of sleep. Mention any of these symptoms to your doctor.
Breathe easy. A few habits before and at bedtime can lead to a better slumber. First, stop smoking; it contributes to snoring. Have a light meal or dinner and skip the alcohol at least six hours before bed. Use a Breathe Right strip, which pulls the nostrils open wider, significantly reduce snoring. They’re available in team colors, so you can pretend to be your favorite athlete.
Test in the wee-hours. If you’re counting sheep by the herds, time to check your blood-sugar levels. This week, check your blood sugar more often to see if you’re hitting the target goals set with your doctor. High and low blood sugar can affect sleep quality. And take one more step: Set your alarm for 3 a.m. for another check. If your levels are normal, that’s great. If they’re low, it might explain why you’re waking up in the night. If sugar levels are below 75 mg/dL, have a small snack. Discuss any ongoing pattern of low blood sugar with your doc.
Drop pounds. As if bathing suit weather wasn’t enough incentive to shed a few pounds, losing even a little weight can improve your sleep. For instance, lose 10 percent of your body weight and sleep apnea can improve 26 percent, according to one University of Wisconsin Medical School study. And extremely overweight folks who dropped 25 to 50 percent of their body weight saw a 70 to 98 percent decrease in sleep apnea.
Check for symptoms. When the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes, it blocks the passage of air until your airway opens, often with a loud choking or gasping sound. You are more likely to have sleep apnea if you snore loudly or have a large neck—women with a neck size of more than 16 inches; men, 17 inches. Other signs include waking up three or more times a night to go to the bathroom and feeling sleepy despite getting eight or more hours of sleep. Mention any of these symptoms to your doctor.
Breathe easy. A few habits before and at bedtime can lead to a better slumber. First, stop smoking; it contributes to snoring. Have a light meal or dinner and skip the alcohol at least six hours before bed. Use a Breathe Right strip, which pulls the nostrils open wider, significantly reduce snoring. They’re available in team colors, so you can pretend to be your favorite athlete.
Test in the wee-hours. If you’re counting sheep by the herds, time to check your blood-sugar levels. This week, check your blood sugar more often to see if you’re hitting the target goals set with your doctor. High and low blood sugar can affect sleep quality. And take one more step: Set your alarm for 3 a.m. for another check. If your levels are normal, that’s great. If they’re low, it might explain why you’re waking up in the night. If sugar levels are below 75 mg/dL, have a small snack. Discuss any ongoing pattern of low blood sugar with your doc.
Drop pounds. As if bathing suit weather wasn’t enough incentive to shed a few pounds, losing even a little weight can improve your sleep. For instance, lose 10 percent of your body weight and sleep apnea can improve 26 percent, according to one University of Wisconsin Medical School study. And extremely overweight folks who dropped 25 to 50 percent of their body weight saw a 70 to 98 percent decrease in sleep apnea.
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