Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Eating Well While Eating Out and More

Eating Well While Eating Out
Islandkim makes most of her meals at home, but needs help for those times when she has to eat on the go. How do you find healthy options at restaurants? Talk about it in the Food Talk forum.


Weight Loss Drugs
Can a weight loss pill take off 20, 30, 40 pounds? Get the scoop on pharmaceuticals that fight fat. Read the article.


Dairy Not Linked to Heart Risks
New research suggests that despite the saturated fat content in dairy products, consuming dairy may not increase your heart attack risk. Read the news.


Vinegar for Better BG
Just a spoonful of vinegar may help your blood sugar go down. Learn how!

Easy Carb Cutting Tips and More-dLife Foodstuff

Carb Cutting Dinner Ideas
Some of your high carb favorites can be made over without losing their yum factor. Check out these 8 great ideas.

"Pancake" and Eggs
Chef Michel Nishcan cooks up a delicious, healthy take on a classic breakfast. Watch the video (or just get the recipe.)


Asparagus Scramble with Herbed Cream Cheese
Here's another great egg dish that uses asparagus, a superfood vegetable you should eat when it's in peak season like right now. This simple but decadent breakfast will become a favorite. Get the recipe.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Recipe of the Week-Diabetes Daily

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Pecans & Blueberries / 18g carbohydrates

steel-cut-oatmeal.jpg "One of the healthiest breakfasts is steel cut oatmeal.  It's got some carbs, yes, but it also has lots of heart healthy fiber.  By sprinkling some blueberries and pecans on top, you've got  a crunch and little bit of sweetness to start your day off right. Add a pat of butter, a splash of milk, or eat it as is.  " - Elizabeth

Low Carb Lunches You'll Love

Low Carb Lunches You'll Love

Are you in a lunch rut? Here are ways to cut out some carbs and enjoy more variety.
 
Use Low-Carb Sandwich Thins.
Most breads contain have 15g to 30g of carbs per slice. Put one on each side of your sandwich and you're up to 30g to 60g before you add one topping.
 
Sandwich Thins to the rescue! These versatile slices of thin bread have a mere 10.5g per slice. Pile on meat, cheese, lettuce, and favorites and - viola - a delicious, lower carb sandwich!
 
Hint: toast one side and add cream cheese, a sliced egg, and a pinch of salt & pepper for a quick and satisfying breakfast.
 
Roll Up a Low-Carb Wrap. 
You can enjoy a sandwich-style meal without any bread at all. Get lettuce leaves, fill with your favorite toppings, wrap and eat. You can also find low-carb tortillas and make something fun like a Southwestern Wrap.
 
Once you have tools like sandwich thins and low-carb wraps, you can easily modify other sandwich and wrap recipes.
 
Build a Salad Fit For a Meal.
There is an art to building a delicious salad. First, start with a good dressing. Elizabeth's Dijon Vinaigrette is outstanding and easy enough for a kitchen novice to get right every time. Next, add dark greens. The darker ones have more nutrients and taste better. Skip iceberg lettuce.
 
Hint: make the salad dressing in your salad bowl and leave it on the bottom. Toss it right before you eat and the dressing won't wilt your lettuce. You'll get a great salad and one less dish to clean.
 
You can put just about anything on a salad. If you plan ahead, dinner can become an inspiration for the next day's salad. For example:
    • Take left-over carne asada, flank steak, or skirt steak, slice it thinly, and place on a salad with tomato and fresh avocado. You can also add leftover grilled vegetables or caramelized onions.
    • Serve leftover barbecued chicken with corn, tomato, and onion.
    • Enjoy black beans with meat, vegetables, and dash of hot sauce.
  • Other more traditional salad ideas include:
    • Greek salad with olives, onions, and hard boiled egg
    • Mixed greens with peppers, green beans, pea pods, chickpeas, or walnuts
    • Tuna salad with mixed greens and tomato
    • Salad with slices of strawberry or mango
    • Grilled salmon on mixed greens with onions and bacon
    Use Your Low-Carb Leftovers! Are you as busy as we are? Plan your dinners ahead and make enough for two lunches. Two great dinners can keep you satisfied through an entire work week. Anything that tastes great at dinner ought to make a lovely lunch. It's Your Turn to Help: What are your favorite low carb lunch ideas?  

Monday, August 29, 2011

Skillet Pork Chops-Diabetic Connect

Low-Carb Recipe Favorite: Skillet Pork Chops

Pork chops No wonder this is one of our most popular recipes of all time: it's tasty, easy to fix, and has only 10g carbs per serving! Tender pork chops are lightly seasoned then pan-fried in rich butter—and your side-dish veggies cook right along with them!

Get It Now

Why Test Blood Sugar Two Hours After Eating

Why Is Blood Sugar Tested 2 Hours after Eating?

Glucose test Has your doctor told you to test your blood sugar 2 hours after eating? Here's why. A certified diabetes educator explains what makes this such an important measure of how well your treatment plan is working.

Read It Here

Your Guide to Better Carb Control

Guide to Better Carb Control
Diabetic Connect members often tell us that they are confused about carbohydrates. Questions like "What can I eat?" "How do carbohydrates affect my diabetes?" and "What's the difference between good carbs and bad carbs?" are common. We've gathered the answers in four key articles—your guide to better carb control. Learn why carbs matter, how to recognize carbs, how to eat your favorite foods while avoiding carb overload, and much more.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Flat-Belly Shortcuts-Prevention.com

More Diabetes-Friendly Ideas
8 Flat-Belly Shortcuts
Carrying extra weight around your middle can up your odds of diabetes, but you can add simple twists to everyday moves to melt stubborn fat fast. Lose over eight times more ab fat with this research-backed workout plan.

30-Minute Diabetes-Friendly Meals-Prevention.com

Healthy-But-Delicious Dinners in No Time!
If you'd prefer to spend your time enjoying the summer nights rather than slaving away in the kitchen, we have the perfect solution: 10 easy-to-make meals that help balance blood sugar. From low-fat options such as Tandoori turkey cutlets to fiber-rich whole-wheat spaghetti with pork tomato sauce, healthy eating never tasted so good!

Try one of these 10 delicious dinners tonight.

The Diabetes-Friendly Rice and More-dLife Foodstuff

The Diabetes-Friendly "Rice"

It looks like rice, it acts like rice, but it doesn't spike your blood sugar like rice does. What is it? Learn about the grain with the lowest GI ranking.

Supplements for Diabetes

The dLife food & nutrition editor answers a viewer's question: "Should I be taking any vitamin supplements? Are there any that lower blood sugar?" Get the answer.


Fruit Smoothies

Terri is looking for smoothie recipes that don’t contain yogurt or fruit juice. Talk about it in the dLife Food Talk forum.


17 Diabetes Nutrition Tips

Nugget-sized, food-related things you should know. Get the tips.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Recipes-Diabetic Connect


Espresso-Crusted Steaks—New and Delicious
Steak
They taste like they came from a fancy restaurant—but these savory steaks are amazingly easy to prepare! Just rub with a simple mix of seasonings and finely ground espresso for a one-of-a-kind taste that will delight your family or guests.

Great Way to Grill Your Garden Tomatoes!
Tomatoes
Wait till you taste our Cheese-Topped Grilled Tomatoes! Juicy tomato halves are drizzled with dressing and topped with melted cheeses for an irresistible taste sensation. Quick to fix, and low-carb too. Summer's fresh tomatoes never tasted better!

5 Sweet Treats to Help You Keep Your Cool

5 Sweet Treats to Help You Keep Your Cool
For the dog days of summer, here are 5 refreshing treats that are doggone good! They'll satisfy your sweet tooth and help you cut carbs too. Your family will love them as much as you do—and you can enjoy a new one every day.

Easy Blood-Sugar Monitoring and More-Reverse Diabetes

Easy Blood-Sugar Monitoring Guide
We keep tabs on our bank accounts. Some of us wouldn’t miss a single box score and the latest updates to pennant race standings. And we check the weather before heading out for a picnic. In our day-to-day lives, we monitor all kinds of things, but the most vital to people with diabetes is blood-sugar level.

The whole point of taking medications, eating healthy foods in moderate portions at regular intervals, and exercising is to keep your blood sugar within reasonable targets—and there’s no way to know how well these steps are working without checking your blood sugar regularly. The more often you test, the better you can hone in on the perfect combination of strategies. Getting comfortable with pricking your finger might not sound like much fun, but it’s essential to taking good care of yourself. Here’s what to work on with your doctor.

Master the self-test. Your pharmacist, doctor, or a nurse should demonstrate how to do a self-test. Start by sticking your finger with a small needle, called a lancet. If you stick the side of your fingertip by your fingernail, you will avoid having sore spots on your finger pads. Apply the drop of blood to a testing strip. Your meter will provide results in five to 30 seconds, then record the numbers in a log book. Some meters record and store the results for you.

Explore meter options. Talk with your doc about the different kinds of meters and call your insurance provider before making a purchase. Many insurers cover some or all of the cost of meters and supplies. You can also ask for a referral to a diabetes educator, who might have samples of meters available for you to try out before you purchase.

If your numbers are too low. If you get a result of 70 mg/dL or under, your blood sugar is too low, and you should consume 15 grams of carbs. Even if you feel okay, don’t wait for the symptoms of hypoglycemia to kick in—that’s why you use a monitor after all. Take three to four glucose tablets, 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of honey, six Lifesaver candies, 3/4 cup regular soda, or 1 tablespoon of sugar dissolved in water. Wait about 15 minutes, then check your blood sugar again.

Be prepared for high blood sugar. First, clarify with your doctor what level is too high for you. It could be 250 mg/dL or it could be higher. Whatever the cut-off point, you’ll need to call your doctor if you hit it. Alert your doctor’s office if you have elevated readings (higher than your designated goals) for more than three days in a row. Often, illness, stress, missing a dose of medication, or eating too much can cause spikes in your blood sugar.

Check in the morning. High morning blood sugar is known as the “dawn phenomenon,” and it’s not uncommon. During the wee hours of the morning, the body secretes hormones that inhibit insulin so that more glucose is available to the body at the start of the day—not what you need if you have diabetes. If you notice a pattern of high morning blood sugar, talk to your doctor. You may need to change the type or dosage of medication or insulin you take or when you take it, or tweak your evening eating habits. Your blood glucose will be easier to manage throughout the day if you start the day with normal readings.

Don’t sanitize with alcohol. Washing your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds will rid them of germs and oils that could throw off your blood-test results. Alcohol is an effective sanitizer, but it’s drying to your skin and causes more of a sting when your stick your finger to take blood. 

Get in the flow. To better help blood flow, dangle your fingers down by your side, squeeze your hands open and closed a few times, or “milk” your fingertip to keep blood in the chosen digit before checking your blood sugar.

When to check more often. You’ll want to do extra blood-sugar checks when you’re sick or under stress, times when blood sugar tends to rise. Your doctor may also request that you do extra self-checks if you’ve recently made a change to your treatment plan such as starting a new medication, reducing a drug’s dose, or beginning a new exercise or activity. 

Featured Recipe

RecipeLamb Burgers with Fruit Relish
It’s burger season! Put a new spin on an old favorite by grilling lean ground lamb with fresh vegetables and herbs for a low-fat, tasty burger. An orange and raspberry relish adds a lovely, summery fresh flavor.
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground lamb
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 large egg, beaten
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 whole-wheat English muffins
Salt and pepper
Shredded lettuce to garnish

Relish
1 orange
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
2 teaspoons sugar
Preparation:
1    Preheat a grill or oven broiler. Put the lamb into a large bowl. Add the carrot, onion, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add the egg and use your hands to mix the ingredients together thoroughly.
2    Divide the mixture into four patties. Brush both sides of the burgers with oil, then put them in the grill pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
3    Meanwhile, make the relish. Cut the peel and pith from the orange with a sharp knife, and holding it over a bowl to catch the juice, cut between the membrane to release the segments. Roughly chop the segments and add them to the juice. Add the raspberries and sugar, lightly crushing the fruit with a fork to mix it together.
4    Split the English muffins and toast lightly. Put a lamb burger on each muffin and add some lettuce to garnish and a good spoonful of relish. Serve with the remaining relish and a green or mixed salad.
Per serving (one burger): 370 cal, 12 g fat (4 g sat), 40 g carbs, 26 g protein, 6 g fiber, 121 mg chol, 328 mg sodium

Great Ideas
5 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Cut Carbs
When we belly up to the carb bar, our blood sugar has to pay the tab. Of course, the body needs carbohydrates as a source of energy. But high-carb foods can raise blood sugar too high, too fast. The culprits often include muffins, cookies, white bread, and other baked goods made with white flour, easily digested starches such as potatoes, and refined grains such as white rice. Too many of these foods increase insulin resistance and make it harder to control your blood sugar. To help, here are five simple strategies to reduce carbs.

Skip dinner rolls. Bread isn’t bad for you, especially if it’s whole grain. But if you had a sandwich at lunch or toast with your eggs at breakfast, that’s probably all the bread you need for the day. Ask the waiter to remove bread at restaurants and don’t leave a bread basket within arm’s reach at home.

Wrap with lettuce leaves. Replace tortillas or buns with lettuce. Wrap the lettuce around canned tuna or salmon, shredded carrots, diced celery, and pepper slices.

Swap potato salad for coleslaw. Cabbage is incredibly low in calories and high in fiber. Shred eight cups red and green cabbage, then mix in a whisked combination of 2/3 cup fat-free sour cream, 2/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayo, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 ounces blue cheese, 4 Granny Smith apples cut into wedges, and 2 slivered red bell peppers. Yummy!

Cut your pasta in half. Serve yourself a half-cup of pasta instead of a whole cup and bulk it up with sautéed peppers, mushrooms, spinach, or other vegetables.

Thwart carb cravings with H2O. Feel a carb craving coming on? Drink a glass of water and wait 15 minutes. If you’re still craving a particular food, put one serving on a plate and sit down at a table to eat it. When you’re done, get out of the kitchen. It will keep you from overeating without feeling deprived.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Healthy Up Your Kitchen

Healthy Up Your Kitchen
The foods that help keep your BG under control are the same foods everyone should eat for optimal health. Learn what foods you should stock up on to get the whole family eating healthy. Learn more.

Diabetes and The Dukan Diet

Diabetes and the Dukan Diet
Kate Middleton may have lost weight on this diet before marrying her prince, but is it a good idea for people with diabetes? Read more.

Recipes-dLife Foodstuff

Lemon Garlic 'Chokes and Beans
Chef Michel Nischan shows how to make a unique, simple, and delicious side dish of baby artichokes and string beans. Watch the video (or just get the recipe.)


Chicken Snow Pea Salad
You will love this super healthy, crunchy, and satisfying salad — perfect for an early summer day. Get the recipe.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New Diabetes Pill Improves Blood Sugar Control

New Diabetes Pill Improves Blood Sugar Control
Do you struggle to keep your blood sugar levels where they need to be? A new diabetes pill improves blood glucose control in type 2 patients—and it's in drug stores now. Tradjenta was proven safe and effective in thousands of patients before receiving government approval. It works alone, or can be added to other treatments to improve blood sugar even more. Read what an FDA expert says about this powerful new medicine.
Read It Here

How Not To Feel Food Deprived

How Not to Feel Food Deprived
Get dietitian Lara Rondinelli's tips on how to eat the diet that's best for you without constantly feeling like you can't have what you want. Read her column "Are You Feeling Food Deprived?"

Low GI Eating Burns Belly Fat

Low GI Eating Burns Belly Fat
In a new study from the University of Alabama, overweight people who consumed a low carb diet lost more belly fat and total body fat than subjects on a standard lower-fat diet. Read the news.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Low-Carb, High-Fat Poses No Heart Risk

Hmmm.......not quite sure about this one.

Low Carb, High Fat Poses No Heart Risks
Overweight people considering low-carbohydrate eating, along with moderate exercise, need not worry that the higher proportion of fat may harm their arteries, according to two new studies. Read more.

1,000 Dessert Recipes Sorted by Carb Count

1,000 Desserts Sorted By Carb Counts
Have fun browsing dessert recipes in dLife's Recipe Finder, in order from the very lowest carb to highest. See the recipes.

Russian Borscht Recipe-dLife Foodstuff

Easy Russian Borscht
Beets are a true miracle food — with a powerful and unique combination of nutrients you can't get from other foods. Chef Michel Nischan shows how to make this traditional soup in a snap. Watch the video (or just get the recipe.)