Beat Diabetes with Better Nutrition

3 Ways to Add Immune Boosting Romaine to Your Diabetes Defense

Cold and flu season is definitely here. Along with hand washing, adequate sleep, and stress management, eating well is more important to keep your immune system strong.  Romaine lettuce beats all other lettuce varieties when it comes to immune-boosting nutrients. It's a great source of vitamin B1, B2, C and folic acid. All of these are important for keeping your immune system strong enough to fight off cold and flu viruses.

How does Romaine help fight diabetes? Well the low calorie content make it a great food for weight loss. Just remember to go easy on the salad dressing.

The most common way we tend to eat Romaine lettuce is in Ceasar salad. But you can make any other salad variety, add Romaine to your sandwich, or make a wrap!

Here's a couple recipes to get you started. Both are low calorie and contain other immune-boosting foods as well. I encourage you to share any other ways you enjoy meals with Romaine!

Walnut Romaine Salad

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chili is a recipe loaded with diabetes fighting ingredients!

Chili is one of my favorite cold weather foods. Besides tasting great and warming you up on a cold day, almost every ingredient in chili has health benefits. Here is my family's favorite recipe. It's easy and good for you too!

• 1 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained
• 2 cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 2 cans tomatoes
• 1 medium to large onion chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste

My favorite way to cook chili is in the crock pot and often I do soups overnight because I cook the ground beef, onions and garlic and then throw everything in the crock pot while I am cooking another dinner. That way I cook two meals at once. When I get up in the morning I turn it off, let it cool and before I go out the door put it in the fridge. All that's left is to heat it up for supper in the evening!

The health benefits of chili for diabetes are numerous. Kidney beans are one of the best food sources of fiber providing almost half our daily requirement. Even though the beans are carbohydrate the fiber slows down the blood sugar rise after the meal. Kidney beans also have 57% of our daily need for folate, which lowers homocysteine levels and 20% of our need for magnesium, a natural blood pressure medicine.

Chili powder, ground from red chili peppers, contains capsaicin, which fights inflammation, reduces insulin needs and helps lower blood sugars.

If you go easy on the salt and choose lean ground beef, every other ingredient in chili will help you fight diabetes in one way or another.  If you are watching your weight, 1 small to medium bowl of chili will provide about 500 calories. My problem is that I love bread with my chili, which puts me well over my weight control portion.

The great thing about making chili and other soups is that you can add and subtract ingredients to your liking and create your own favorite recipe. If you have a favorite chili recipe please share!

Blueberries Make an Excellent Snack Choice for Fighting Diabetes

Here's my afternoon snack today: organic vanilla yogurt with blueberries and banana. All for just over 200 calories! Blueberries are in season so enjoy some soon with the tasty recipe ideas below and let the antioxidants and anti-inflammatories go to work helping you fight diabetes!

Take a look at the powerful health benefits you get . . .  

• 38% more antioxidants than wine to protect your heart
• low calorie and high fiber to help with weight loss
• help protect the brain from dementia and Alzheimers
• good source of soluble fiber pectin to help lower cholesterol
• reducing inflammation in digestive system
• same compound found in cranberries that helps prevent urinary tract infections

BE SURE TO ENJOY YOUR BLUEBERRIES UNCOOKED. HEAT WILL DAMAGE THE ANTIOXIDANTS!

1 cup of blueberries is about 80 calories, 1 carb choice and 4 grams fiber. Also an excellent source of vitamin C and E.

So grab some blueberries at your local farmers market or grocer, whip up a smoothie or parfait, or try the recipes below!  . . . . and share your favorites with me too!!!

Fruit S'mores recipe

Blueberry Cheesecake for Calorie Counters 

Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust

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!

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!

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! 

A Soup Good for Your Heart, Diabetes and Weight Loss Plan

Split Pea Soup is one of my favorite soups but it is also an excellent source of fiber and low in calories.

This recipe makes about 6 cups.

2  3/4 cups water and 1  14-oz can low sodium chicken broth

1  1/2 cup dry split peas, rinsed and drained

1 lb meaty ham bone

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

Black Pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup each of chopped carrot, celery, and onion

In a 3-4 quart slow cooker combine split peas, ham bone, marjoram, pepper, bay leaf, carrots, celery and onion. Pour water and chicken broth over all. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Remove bay leaf. Remove ham bone, cut off any meat left on bone and stir into soup.

A 1  1/2 cup serving provides 320 calories, only 4 grams fat, about 700 mg sodium, 49 grams carb, 20 grams fiber, and 25 grams protein. You also get 36% of your daily vitamin A and 21% of your daily iron.

If you have diabetes and are counting carbs you can subtract the 20 grams of fiber to end up with only 29 grams carb per serving.  The fiber is what also helps lower cholesterol and prevent blood sugar spikes.

Enjoy!

Boost Your Immune System with Sweet Potatoes

With all of the viral illness going around this time of year we could all use a boost to help us stay well. And what better way to get that than naturally in a great tasting food packed with power nutrients?

What is in sweet potatoes that help our immunity?    Beta-carotene

Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that helps our body fight against heart disease and cancer also. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and fiber. With 3 grams fiber, no fat and only 100 calories, this vegetable is a great choice if you are trying to lose weight, lower cholesterol or control blood sugars!

Have you always wondered if sweet potatoes and yams were the same? Well they are not. True yams are tropical tubers often found in Africa or Caribbean. They have a crisp, bland, white to yellow flesh and are lower in beta-carotene.  

 Try these recipes to add sweet potatoes to your regular menu - not just for Thanksgiving dinner!

Baked Sweet Potato

Wash well. Pierce with fork in several places. Place on baking sheet. The sweet potato might ooze syrup while baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, depending on size. If you are in a hurry you can microwave them instead for 4-6 minutes on high power.

For a sweeter taste try these Candied Sweet Potatoes.  

Or . . . try Oven Sweet Potato Fries for a healthier french fry. 

Fight Diabetes and Heart Disease with Broccoli

Researchers have found another potential benefit from eating more fruits and veggies. Apparently the compound called sulforaphane in broccoli may repair blood vessels that have been damaged from high blood sugars. 

Sulforaphane was first discovered in 1992 and was found to rid the body of carcinogens and pollutants that cause cancer.  Now we have yet another reason to eat broccoli more often.

We know that blood vessel damage can start long before diabetes is diagnosed and once you do have diabetes your risk of having a heart attack or stroke is 5 times higher than without diabetes. So I guess the time for me to start eating more broccoli is now.

Broccoli also is an excellent source of fiber and great for weight control. One cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked is only about 25 calories.

Sulforaphane does survive cooking but you don't want to boil broccoli or cook too long because you will lose other nutrients. Broccoli is a great source of vitamins A, C, and K.

You will find one of my favorite broccoli recipes in my July e-zine. The sweet crunchy flavors taste great this time of summer. Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry is another one of my favorites. I would suggest using low-sodium instead of regular soy sauce in this recipe. Enjoy!