Karen Marschel, RD, LD, CDE

Enjoy Patriotic Strawberry Recipes While Getting Powerful Nutrients!

Strawberries are one of the top 20 antioxidant fruits and veggies -  great for keeping our brain healthy and preventing cancer.  Better yet, they taste great and are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C. If you're counting calories, one cup is only 50 calories! 

One of my favorite meals during strawberry season is grilled chicken breast cut up into a green salad with sliced almonds and a little drizzle of salad dressing.  

For a fun patriotic dessert make July 4th Flag Fruit Pizza!  (I use pre-made sugar cookie dough when I'm in a hurry.)

Or try this low calorie Strawberry Smoothie Recipe: 1 cup ripe strawberries, 1 banana, 1-2 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup yogurt vanilla or plain, 1/2 cup ice and 1/2 cup water. You can also add a tablespoon of ground flax seed for omega-3 if you like. I like to save my too-ripe bananas in freezer and use in place of ice for smoothies. Just remember the key to weight control with smoothies is keeping the portion to an 8 oz glass, unless this is your meal.

If you're looking for more information on buying, storing, or freezing strawberries check out this  Strawberry Hints & Tips Guide . You'll also find some great recipes such as Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate!

Are Summer Beverages Sabotaging Your Weight Control?

Do you know how many calories your favorite summer drink has?

If you grab a 20 oz soda, juice, or bottled tea you get about 250 calories. Smoothies and shakes will range 300-700 calories or more! Alcoholic beverages vary depending on the type but all will have calories.

We often forget about our drinks having calories or possibly being the source of weight gain but don't forget to count them in if you're monitoring calories. And if you can choose a low cal or zero calorie beverage, you have more room to enjoy your favorite summer foods.

Looking for some low cal summer drinks that are actually healthy for you?

Try brewed iced tea or green tea. There are berry, honey or citrus flavored tea bags if you don't like just plain black or green tea. . .  Or try adding your own lemon slices, fresh or frozen berries, or natural sweetener. We hear so many bad things about sugar but if you think about it . . . You can add a teaspoon of white sugar, brown sugar, or honey to a zero calorie, antioxidant-containing tea for only 15 calories! That's much healthier than any artificially sweetened beverage or pre-bottled drink containing 150 or more calories!

Club Soda also has 0 calories. You could also put berries, lemon or lime and a little sugar in Club Soda if you don't like tea!

Here's a few iced tea recipes to get you started . . .

Mixed Berry Iced Tea

Green Tea Iced Tea

Green Tea Berry Delight  

Check Out These Great Mediterranean Diet Meal Ideas!

Several studies have shown that eating a Mediterranean type of diet can help us prevent diabetes. I wanted to share some great sites with you that explain some of the questions about the Mediterranean Diet and give you some easy recipes to get you started.

What are Mediterranean Diet foods and why should I eat them?

Get your answers to these questions at this website about Mediterranean foods and way of eating. 

May is Mediterranean Month - download this calendar for ideas on how to eat more of these healthy Mediterranean Diet foods! I love most of the foods mentioned in their ideas and this calendar makes it fun trying to eat healthier. Get your family involved by letting them choose the ideas that they would like to try!

If you like pizza try this tasty Mediterranean Pizza. It's super easy to make and a favorite of mine.

Or try this Mediterranean Baby Spinach Salad.      Happy Mediterranean eating!

Beat Diabetes with a Color Filled Plate

Here's a short message to remind you of the power of fruits and vegetables in fighting disease  - especially diabetes.   (and be sure to check out the video link below)

How will more fruits and veggies help diabetes?

• Low calorie to help you lose weight and prevent diabetes.
• Lower carb to lower insulin needs.
• Great source of potassium to help lower blood pressure.
• Loaded with phytochemicals that fight heart disease, cancer and other health problems.
• Great source of fiber.
• Sodium free.
• Most are naturally fat free and those that do have fat contain heart healthy fat.
• Great source of vitamin C.

• Eating more replaces high calorie starches and sweets that are unhealthy.

There is one catch. You have to make the effort to change your eating and food buying habits. This takes time and effort but is well worth the payoff of preventing diabetes, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and losing weight. This is probably the most powerful diet change you can make.

Start small by choosing one meal to add vegetables and one snack to add a fruit. Take advantage of fruits and veggies in season when they taste better and cost less. Check out the farmers markets or try growing something of your own!

To get you motivated check out this great 2 minute video and start to Color Yourself Healthy!

Is Fruit Too Sweet for Diabetes?

"Fruit is bad for diabetes because it's too high in sugar right?"

WRONG.

This is one of the most common misconceptions I hear from those new to diabetes. Yes - fruit has natural sugar but when trying to manage carbohydrate intake for blood sugar or weight control - it's all about the portions. Fruit in general is low calorie and a great source of disease fighting nutrients and fiber. We still have to portion control but most of are actually not eating enough fruit.

Weight loss tip: Replace a starch or dessert with fresh fruit and save calories. For example, instead of having a 300 calorie (regular size) candy bar, eat a cup of berries for under 100 calories!

My local grocer's ad this week has blackberries on sale so I think I'll give them a try. Good fresh fruit is often hard to come by in Minnesota until summer!  Like most berries, blackberries are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and an antioxidant called ellagic acid. This disease fighting nutrient actually increases during jam making.

Need some eating ideas for fresh berries?

For a quick treat try some fresh berries with vanilla yogurt as a topping or dip. Or try this Berry Patch Pie that I just found in my new Taste of Home Healthy Cooking issue.  If you want to preserve your berries for winter enjoyment make your own homemade jam.

Questions about fruit and diabetes? Leave me your comments or questions.  

6 Reasons Eggs Still Part of Healthy Diet

Since the 1970's we were told not to eat eggs because they were too high in cholesterol. Recent review of over 200 studies has shown that eggs do not have much effect on our cholesterol but many are not aware of that or are still being told by health professionals to avoid eggs.

Consider these 6 reasons why eggs are part of a healthy diet.

1. Cholesterol in food does not have much effect on our blood cholesterol. Eating too much saturated fat is actually what contributes to high cholesterol levels. Focus on controlling the amount of saturated fat you eat instead. 

2. Eggs are actually low in saturated fat. One egg has less than 2 grams saturated fat and for heart health we should try to eat no more than 15-20 grams saturated fat daily. So 2 eggs for a meal would be no more than 25% of that daily limit. In comparison, a small 95% lean burger has 3 grams saturated fat.  Eggs also contain 44% monounsaturated fat, which is the type of fat that can help lower cholesterol.  Don't forget to keep the butter, bacon and sausage to a minimum though or you will get a lot of saturated fat.

3. Eggs are a very high quality source of protein, contain 13 essential vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of choline and lutein, important for healthy brain and eyes. 

4. Eggs can help control hunger and make weight loss easier. In one study comparing an egg breakfast to a bagel breakfast, those who had eggs for breakfast reported feeling less hungry throughout the day and lost 65% more weight. 

5. Eggs are a low calorie food. One egg has about 75 calories. So if you eat an breakfast of 2 eggs, 2 whole grain toast with a little preserves, and fruit  - you will have a tasty well balanced meal for under 500 calories! 

6. Eggs make a nutritious, low cost meal.  Just this weekend I bought eggs at the grocery store for $1.29 a dozen. That's only about 10 cents per egg. We could all use a little savings right now on the grocery bill right?

So there you have it - 6 reasons to stop worrying about eggs clogging up your arteries. Try some new egg recipes and don't forget about egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, or a hard-boiled egg in your salad.

Here's a recipe for Mushroom, Tomato, Basil Frittata . A frittata is basically an Italian version of the omelet. This recipe is easy, healthy and low calorie! Enjoy! 

5 Questions to Consider Regarding Diet Soda and Diabetes Risk

You may have heard in the news over the past year about studies linking diet soda intake to the risk for diabetes. The studies looked at the link between drinking one or more diet sodas per day and an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of health problems that lead to diabetes. 

So are you at risk of developing diabetes if you drink diet soda? We can't say for sure but thinking about these 5 questions will give you some guidelines to help you make choices for your own personal diabetes prevention. 

Cereal Can Be an Easy Heart Healthy Meal in Your Weight Loss Plan

Have you seen all the cereal boxes that have had weight loss challenges on them? Well, it actually can be a good meal idea if you keep in mind a few tips:

1. Plan your portion. Tomorrow I am taking cereal for lunch . . . Quaker Oatmeal Squares to be exact. If I take one and a half cups cereal and one cup skim milk I will have a 400 calorie meal  -  a portion that works well for women trying to lose weight.

2. Choose a cereal with 5 or more grams fiber.  Your daily goal should be at least 25 grams and with 5 or more grams you will get about 20% of your day's fiber intake. For diabetes control the higher fiber cereals also tend to give a little slower rise in blood sugar than the higher sugar content cereals.

3. If you find yourself getting hungry soon after eating cereal, try one with nuts or higher protein content. Fiber and protein both tend to help with appetite control.

There are many cereals to choose from but Kashi has several whole grain cereals that are tasty and I think they do a nice job balancing healthy ingredients with good taste! Their website has a lot of great product info, coupons to print, recipes and health tips. http://www.kashi.com/

Don't like milk? Try yogurt with a crunchy cereal mixed in. My favorite is yogurt with Grape Nuts!

Restaurant Portions Still Ridiculous

As a dietitian I discuss with clients every day how restaurant portions are 2-3 times the amount we should be eating. But last week I was once again shocked.

While attending a conference in the Twin Cities, I went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant with friends and colleagues. The food was fantastic but when they came with my entree my eyes almost popped out of my head!  Thinking I was being smart I had ordered a HALF portion of a very tasty basil chicken pasta dish. What I got was a bowl of pasta that contained almost as much as I would put in a serving bowl for my entire family of four! Just imagine what the FULL serving looked like!

My entree alone had to have at least 1200 calories and 10 carbohydrate servings. I had already sampled the appetizers, eaten my salad, and drank a glass of wine. So before even starting on the pasta I had probably enjoyed 700 calories. Needless to say I ate about a cup or so of the pasta before I was miserably stuffed and had to leave the rest.

What could possibly be a logical rationale for serving a HALF portion that large? I usually like getting the most for my money but in the case of food portions, if restaurants are not going to help us be realistic about portions we should have, then we are going to continue to struggle with the problems of obesity and diabetes. Studies have shown that the more food that is put in front of us the more we eat. I am no different than anyone else. If food that I like is staring me in the face it is very hard to not overeat.  

I realize restaurants probably can't afford to lower prices but there has got to be a way to serve healthier sized portions and keep everyone happy. Had I been there before and known the portions were so large I think three of us would have split an entree. But then I always feel a little cheap. Since I was staying at a hotel I was not able to take my leftovers home for 2 more meals. What a waste of great food!

If you are trying to keep weight or diabetes under control and find yourself eating in restaurants regularly, have a plan. You will be shocked at the amount of calories in most foods and portions that you think are healthy. A great resource for managing restaurant meals is Dining Lean by Joanne V. Lichten, RD, PhD.  

I would love to hear your stories, tips or thoughts about restaurant portions. Leave me your comments!

Will Too Much Candy Lead to Diabetes?

I have to say I have a pretty good feeling about my clients' accomplishments this week. Almost everyone was successful in changing their eating habits, losing weight and improving blood sugars.

How did they do it? 

Well, for most it was a matter of eating less sweets and less starchy foods. Did too much candy cause them to get diabetes?

Too much candy can definitely causes problems with blood sugars if you have diabetes but eating candy does not cause diabetes. If you are eating too much overall and the extra calories are coming from candy then yes, eating too much candy might contribute to developing diabetes. It's the weight gain that is usually the problem, and high calorie candy such as chocolate can definitely put on the pounds!

So how much is too much?   My suggestion is to enjoy the Easter candy if you have a craving or if it is too temping to resist . . . but try to keep portion to a 250 calorie limit. After the holiday is over get back on track by limiting the candy to smaller daily amounts or have it only 1-2 times a week. Reducing calorie intake by just 250 calories/day could help you lose 2 lbs a month or more!

Here are some ideas to get you started . . .

    20 Jelly Beans = about 240 calories

    1 Reeses Peanut Butter Egg = 180 calories

    2 Marshmallow Eggs = 240 calories

    7 Peeps = 225 calories    

    1/4 cup M&Ms = 255

    1 Cadbury Creme Egg = 170 calories