Archive for November 2011
Planning a Diabetic Menu For Christmas
The deluge of gastronomical treats during the holidays definitely puts the resolve of people with dietary restrictions to the test. It is during these times when diabetics, kidney patients, or those with cardiovascular diseases are more likely to cheat on their diets. The best thing that we, loved ones and caregivers, could do for them is to make sure that the food around them are only those that they can eat. Planning a diabetic menu, for one, is essential if we are to help them stick to their diets and yet not feel deprived.
There are basic considerations that you will have to keep in mind when you are planning a diabetic menu for Christmas dinner. The most important consideration is to limit sweets. Hold off glazing your ham with a maple pineapple mixture so you can still keep it in your Christmas dinner menu. Carbohydrates are also converted into sugar and are supposed to be limited in your food list if you are planning a diabetic menu. Choose whole-grain bread instead of white bread or full-cream bread rolls. Also, you should limit the amount of fat in your Christmas menu – you too will benefit from this restriction. Dietitians recommend that the amount of fat in a diabetic’s diet only come up to not more than 30% of his caloric intake.
To give you more room for concessions in planning a diabetic menu for Christmas, make sure that your diabetic patient strictly keeps to his recommended diet for at least a week before Christmas. If the weekly allowance for dessert is one portion twice a week, then make sure you reserve one portion for Christmas dinner. This way, he can have the Christmas meal as an even more pleasurable treat. There are, of course, foods and beverages that are never allowed in a diabetic menu. Alcohol should always be controlled. If you are cooking for a close family member, you can enlist the help of his dietitian who can assist you in planning a diabetic menu that fits him to a tee given his most recent laboratory test results.
By: Leslie Bogaerts
Proper Menu For a Diabetic
Diabetic is a chronic disease marked by high level of sugar in the blood. It can damage blood vessels and nerves and decrease the body’s ability to fight infection. So it is rightly said, prevention is better than cure. In this regard every person feels the need of balancing an appropriate diet. When you are a patient of diabetic, then a proper menu for diabetic is your burning need. It’s time for you to plan a menu for yourself, which will help to patch up the gap between your health and your sickness. A menu plays a vital role to resolve your health.
You should know to balance your diet by learning how much fat, protein and carbohydrate you need in your body.
o Jambolon, also known as Java Plum or Jambul, recently gained interest because the seeds, fruit, bark have been shown to lower blood sugar. It’s a good menu for diabetic.
o Zinc contain foods are very necessary for this disease. As it is one of the abundant trace mineral in the body. It also helps in fighting obesity.
o Sugary items must be strictly avoided and sugar substitutes can be used for the tastes of sweetness.
o Regular exercise can be a part of menu for diabetic as it can help to burn the extra fat in the body
o Food items like carrots, lettuce and cucumbers can be a good serving for the snacks. It is mandatory to have 3-5 servings per day which can be included with 1 cup raw cooked with every serving.
o Eggs are always valuable supplements.
o Peanut butter, cheese and eggs are better meat substitutes. They can be divided in to 2-3 servings per day. Normally a 3 oz serving is of a deck of cards size. An ounce of cheese can very well be compared to the size of four dice. An ounce size is a table spoon of peanut butter that is of immense benefits as a part of menu for diabetic.
By: Chris Cornell
Help I Am Diabetic! Planning Your Meals, Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner – Ensuring You Eat Healthy
If you are diabetic then you do not suddenly need to go on a strict diet, cutting out different types of food and eating radically different types of meals. Rather, the important thing is to plan your meals and get used to good eating habits and balanced portions of the major food groups. Here are some tips about planning your meals effectively if you have diabetes.
When it comes to breakfast you usually do not have to do too much adapting, as all cereals are fine for diabetics to eat. There are some cereals that have added sugar so try to stick to the more natural brands, where you can always add fruit to make it a little sweeter. Apart from cereals you can also eat breakfast foods such as toast and crumpets, but try to use low-fat margarines and spreads.
Make sure that you have three meals a day, which means making time for a proper breakfast and lunch as well as dinner. It is important to spread food out over the day to control your appetite as well as your blood glucose levels. If you want snacks in between meals then low fat yoghurt or a piece of fruit is a good idea.
You should try to have one main meal each day and make sure that it is balanced, with larger amounts of foods such as rice, bread and potatoes, and lower amounts of meat, eggs and so on. In every meal the largest part of the meal should be made up from fruit or vegetables.
When planning your meals you will get the best nutrients following balanced, specially adapted diabetic recipes. This is especially true for your main meals. This advice will make planning your meals that little bit easier each day.
By: Will Blears
How To – Diabetic Cooking Tips & Recipes for Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner
Thanksgiving dinner is a great time for good food and family. BUT in most families there are family members have dietary needs such as diabetics. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a diabetic does not mean you have to sacrifice taste. There are simple ways to make the meal more healthy for the diabetic you love to cook for.
*Don’t miss the great diabetic Thanksgiving Recipes at the end!
Tips to Cook Diabetic Recipes for Thanksgiving
- Avoid Sugar
This may seems like common sense but sugar can creep into cooking faster than you thinik.
High sugar foods often served at Thanksgiving include:
Candied Yams
Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Desserts, cookies, cakes and pies
Little chocolates and candies set around the house
Alcohol
Offer Sugar Smart Desserts
Consider offering lower sugar dessert options such as:
No sugar added apple pie and no sugar added ice cream
Fruit bowl with low sugar cool whip, berries, apples and melons are lower sugar fruits
Or considering cooking your favorite desserts with sugar substitutes such as Splenda ™.
Stay Away from Carbs
Carbs (carbohydrates) are converted to sugars and processed as such in the body. This means your body must process chocolate and bread using insulin the virtually the same way. For a diabetic diet this means carbs are nearly as bad as foods that are obviously sugar based like desserts and candy.
Carbs to avoid on Thanksgiving are usually foods like:
Breads and rolls
Potatoes
Rice
Stuffing
Foods for Diabetics to Load Up Their Plate
Proteins, vegetables and low fat foods are best for diabetics. This includes turkey!
Green beans, corn, carrots, broccoli and other vegetables
Salad
Dish the Bad Foods in Moderation
On Holidays it is easy to veer off course from you normal diet. Many people splurge on the Holidays or let themselves have treats and foods they normally avoid.
Living a healthy life as a diabetic means your dietary choices have to be manageable for you. Making things too strict might lead to a diabetic abandoning the diabetic diet all together.
On the Holidays have SOME of the foods you like but normally avoid. This may mean a small piece of pie or a roll or a little bit of mashed potatoes and gravy.
The important thing to remember is MODERATION. Have a little bit but do not go overboard.
Tips for Maintaining a Diabetics Health on Thanksgiving
-Have the diabetic at your Thanksgiving dinner check their blood sugar throughout the day
-Offer to make dish the plate for your diabetic guest(s) and dish portions according to the tips above: lots of proteins and vegetables, light on the sugars and carbs
-Consider serving foods that stick to the above recommendations. While these tips are specific to diabetics, these food choices are healthier for all people.
-Most of All Enjoy the Time with Your Family and Friends!
Here is a great Diabetic Turkey & Stuffing Recipe:
Roast Turkey with Wild Rice, Sausage, and Apple Stuffing
Stuffing:
1 cup wild rice
3 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cooking apple, such as a Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, or Rome, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Pinch ground mace or nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound fresh Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted (see note)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Turkey:
1 (8 to 10 pound) turkey, fresh or thawed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stuffing: Combine the wild rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and just bursting, about 30 minutes. (Times may very depending on the brand of rice used.) Drain and set aside. Adjust an oven rack to lowest position and remove other racks. Preheat to 325 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apple, celery, garlic, thyme, mace, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until it loses most of its rosy color, but not so much that it’s dry, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the cooked wild rice, pecans, and parsley into the vegetable mixture. (This can be made the day before.)
For the turkey: Remove turkey parts from neck and breast cavities and reserve for other uses, if desired. Dry bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Melt the butter together with the poultry seasoning. Salt and pepper inside the bird cavity. Loosely add the stuffing to the cavity and set the bird on a rack in a roasting pan, breast-side up, and brush generously with the seasoned butter, then season with salt and pepper. Tent the top of the bird with foil.
Roast the turkey for about 2 hours undisturbed. Remove and discard the foil. Baste with the remaining butter. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, about 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove turkey from oven and tent with foil for 15 minutes before carving.
Note: To toast nuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated 350 degree F oven until golden, about 7 minutes
Nutrition Information
Calories 407
Saturated Fat 5 grams
Carbohydrates 22 grams
Fiber 3 grams
Protein 42 grams
Unsaturated Fat 12 grams
Nicole Anderson offers great diabetic diet information and diabetic recipes at [http://www.diabetic-food-recipes.com]. Cooking to maintain health for a diabetic does not mean you have to sacrifice taste. Cook smart and eat tasty food!
By: Nicloe Anderson
Help Fight Diabetes With a Diabetic Diet Plan
A diabetic diet plan is one of the best proven ways to combat diabetes; this can help to improve your blood sugar control, reduce and eliminate your need for insulin shots.
The diabetic food plan takes recommended foods for diabetics and creates a plan to suite both your tastes and your needs, by creating the diabetic diet plan you can improve your health and help fight diabetes.
It is essential for anyone fighting diabetes to maintain optimum weight and reduce blood cholesterol. Reducing saturated fats with unsaturated or monounsaturated fats is a priority for anyone fighting diabetes. Diabetes prevents your body from processing glucose the way it should, so a diabetic diet helps to perform that maintenance. In addition, the hope is that a diabetic diet will also help you to maintain healthy lipid levels and keep your blood pressure under control. The most important part of a diabetic’s diet is the meal plan, foods with similar nutrients and calories are grouped together. A diabetic’s meal plan is about ensuring the food intake is the right amount of food at the right time.
A diabetes diet plan can differ from each type of diabetes; diabetics who fight type 2 diabetes have fewer restrictions which help to make a more flexible diabetic diet plan which may seem to look more like a normal healthy diet plan. However type 1 have more restrictions and is more accustomed to your own diabetes.
You may be thinking that creating a diabetic meal plan sounds like a lot of hard work, that you don’t know any different food groups and that you find it all a little too confusing. However a couple of weeks becoming more knowledgeable in the area of diabetes may help to make you more comfortable and healthier.
It is essential for anyone suffering from diabetes to be aware of different food groups, what they contain and how they affect there meal plan and dieting. A large knowledge and understanding of diabetes will help you daily and to achieve your health goals.
By: Will Blears
Ideal Recipes For Diabetes – Type 2
When it comes to Diabetes type 2, it is a crucial issue considering the recipe and the food habits that a patient should follow. General concepts are bound within some general guidelines like eating healthily, trying to lose weight and quit smoking. But the astounding factor is, one can achieve a tremendous outcome by simply managing one’s lifestyle a bit with a meaningful recipe and avoid the vile effects of Diabetes type 2.
Patients with type 2 diabetes generally are put on a 1500-1800 calorie diet per day to promote weight loss and then the maintenance of ideal body weight. However, this may vary depending on the person’s age, sex, activity level, current weight and body style. More obese individuals may need more calories initially until their weight is less. This is because it takes more calories to maintain a larger body and a 1600 calorie diet for them may promote weight loss that is too fast to be healthy. Men have more muscle mass in general and therefore may require more calories. Muscle burns more calories per hour than fat. Also, people whose activity level is low will have less daily caloric needs.
Diabetes type 2 occurs basically when the insulin does not co-ordinates with the blood glucose level and the body malfunctions severely. Having insulin resistance is generally called type 2 diabetes and the recipe should also be managed properly. As Carbohydrates have a huge effect on blood glucose level, Diabetes type 2 patient must have to take consideration on this. So, medical advice for controlling blood glucose level will go for increasing the daily level of activities which definitely helps reducing insulin resistance, reducing daily calorie intake and most of all, taking more carbohydrate foods that are digested more slowly for a case of Diabetes type 2.
Unhealthy level of blood fats is another barrier which causes inappropriate types of fats in body and it is strongly recommended that a diabetes type 2 people must not drink much alcohol. Low-salt recipe and regular exercise is prescribed for unwanted heart attack caused by type 2 Diabetes. Because, those foods are high in calories which raise the blood fat levels.
As for the sugar issue, a widely misunderstood theory is avoiding sugar specially for a person with diabetes. To be precise, we are all advised to reduce eating sugar to ensure the threats associated. There is no scientific fact that a high protein recipe is appropriate for a diabetes type 2 patient. Specially, animal fat conveys a large portion of saturated fat.
By: Murali V
New Eating Habits With the Diabetes Diet Plan
The diabetes diet plans improves body functions.
You can lower or even eliminate the use of some medications with the diabetes diet plan.
The diabetes diet plan involves rethinking the foods that you eat. It will not be necessary to cut calories or limit carb intake or reduce portion sizes. In fact you can eat until you are full. If you get hungry between meals, you are free to eat more. The emphasis is on the types of food that you consume.
The Diabetes Diet plan approaches diabetic reversal through nutrition
Research conducted has shown that people with diabetes can think beyond delaying previously inevitable decline and dramatically improve their health. Benefits of the diabetes diet plan include a reduction in blood sugar, increase in insulin sensitivity and reduce or even eliminate medications.
There are also some positive side effects of the diabetes diet plan such as, weight loss,lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressures and increased energy.
The diabetes diet plan causes a fundamental change in the body itself. It can help the body’s own insulin to work properly by improving the cells sensitivity, which is the key issue in type 2 diabetes. Even when the disease has evolved to the point of serious complications, it is not too late for some marked improvements.
Diabetes is no longer a condition that you have to live with,and it should not slowly and inevitably get worse. In fact quite the opposite is possible, that with the diabetes diet plan, you can have your life back.
The plan is designed to help understand the cause and correct it to the fullest extent that lifestyle and diet changes possibly can.
Reversing diabetes with the diabetes diet plan means reversing trends.
Most people with diabetes tend to experience increasing trends of weight gain, higher blood sugar and higher doses of medications. Reversing diabetes entails reversing these trends.
Weight is dropped gradually but decisively, blood glucose values as well as medication doses are decreased. Symptoms such as neuropathy which is pain of the nerves in the legs and feet can even improve or disappear. Heart disease can be reversed.
There is evidence that diabetes may be genetic, and once the condition is inherited,it cannot be removed.
The implication therefore is that once someone has diabetes, that person will always have it, even if blood tests improve so much that the condition is no longer diagnosed.
What is mean is that inherited traits do not go away and type 1 diabetes requires continued insulin treatments, regardless of how well your diet is adjusted.
Each person with diabetes has a unique ability to heal and return to health. This ability differs from person to person, but there are no barriers to improvement such as age, weight or any other factors.
There has been some correlation with diabetes and racial origin, but there may be a stronger correlation with socioeconomic background which also related to diets.
Simple diet changes are not difficult to implement.
Population studies showed that diabetes was rare in Asian countries and Japan, China and Thailand and was similarly rare in parts of Africa even though a lot a of carbohydrates were consumed.
The inescapable fact is that the problem is not carbohydrates (sugar and starch as was previously believed), but it how the body process them.
The diabetes diet plan can repair your body’s ability to absorb and use carbohydrates, so you can continue to enjoy carbohydrate rich foods while your diabetes improves and even goes away.
By: Dale G Davidson
2000 Calorie Diabetic Diet – An Ultimate Dietary Plan For a Diabetic
2000 calorie diabetic diet plays a vital role in controlling the levels of blood sugar. A diabetes patient has to take adequate care of his/her dietary plans to stay away from heart and kidney related problems. Before embracing this dietary strategy, diabetes patients need to consult their dieticians, as different individuals have different body metabolism. 2000 calorie diabetic diet provides you with proper amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins required in your meals.
An obese diabetic has to shed additional weight and accordingly cut down the intake of carbohydrates and fats from his or her regular diet. Moreover, diabetic people need to discourage the intake of sweet foodstuffs. Drastically, cutting short the intake of carbohydrates and fats might have an adverse effect on the patient, for which, it is necessary to follow a proper balanced dietary plan.
2000 calorie diabetic diet includes fresh fruits such as grapes, apricot, apple, sweet lime and orange. These fruits are very beneficial for any diabetes patient. However, doctors usually recommend having at least 4-5 servings of fruits in a day. Above all, a perfect dietary plan must include vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. This all works wonders when followed properly as prescribed by the medical expert.
The 2000 calorie diabetic diet also enables a diabetic person to lose weight, gain energy and provides nourishment. Excess eating and fasting can be harmful for a diabetes patient and so it is necessary to frequently eat smaller quantities of meals at even intervals.
An ideal breakfast needs to include bread with oatmeal accompanied with an egg. Coffee or tea must be prepared using artificial sweeteners. A small portion of milk or juice also proves beneficial. Lunch should comprise of fish, lean meat, green leafy vegetables or whole grains of sugar. Moreover, an ideal snack needs to include salted crackers, vegetable soup, fruits or biscuits.
Therefore, it is an ultimate dietary plan for a diabetes patient.
By: Deborah Siscoe
Using Diabetic Sweetener In Diabetic Sugar Free Cookie Recipes
Diabetic people are advised to avoid sugary products because they will cause the blood sugar levels to surge up. This is bad in the short term because the person may feel unwell and have to use insulin replacement therapy to reduce the blood sugar. It is bad in the long term because blood sugar control is vital in preventing further diabetic complications, like neuropathy, retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases. However this poses a problem for a diabetic that has a sweet tooth and would like to indulge in the odd sweet treat from time to time. Thus many recipes have been created that use diabetic sweeteners to create sugar free delicacies like cookies, brownies, cakes and even candy. This article will discuss the types of diabetic sweetener that can be used to create sugar free treats that do not impact on blood sugar levels.
Artificial sweeteners became popular in the 1970′s primarily as a way to avoid weight gain by reducing the amount of calories taken in. As sugar was added to many items that people consumed on a frequent basis, like coffee or tea, artificial sweeteners were really popular. Then research was released suggesting that some of these products may be carcinogenic. Research that has been endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a number of products that are now marketed under various names as sugar and calorie free artificial sweeteners.
FDA approved sweeteners:
Saccharin Acesulfame potassium Aspartame Sucralose
Saccharin – This is the first artificial sweetener produced. It is said to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. On it’s own, it is said to have a metallic taste so it is often combined with other sweeteners. It is good for cooking and can add the sweet taste to cookies and cakes.
Acesulfame potassium – It is almost 200 times sweeter than sugar. It can be used in baking and cooking and there have been no claims against it causing problems.
Aspartame – It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It contains two amino acids, known as aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame is not recommended for cooking of cookies and cakes because the product loses it’s sweetness with heat. It is normally found in diet soft drinks or as a tabletop sweetener alternative to sugar.
Sucralose – Made from regular sugar. It has no known side effects. It is stable and can be used in baking and cooking.
Apart from Aspartame, these additives can replace sugar in a cake or cookie recipe. As the sweeteners are many times stronger than actual sugar, less is needed. They do not create any carbohydrates in the body so will not increase the blood sugar level. However this has to be balanced by the fact that lots of other products that might make up a cookie recipe, like flour, butter and oats will give the body carbohydrates and calories that will contribute to the raising of blood sugar levels. Even though a cookie may be sugar free, this doesn’t mean you can eat as many as you want. Moderation is still the key, as with any diet, be it diabetic or otherwise.
By: Adrian Whittle
A Diabetic Diet – Try a Vegetarian Diet
Being on a vegetarian diet is an easy to way to keep your sugar level balanced when you have diabetes. The vegetarian diet actually has everything that a diabetic diet has and it also helps you maintain a normal level of blood sugar.
The vegetarian diet also has some other benefits. Not only does it help stabilize your blood sugar level, it also helps you to be able to get off your medications, including insulin injections. This allows vegetarian diabetics to feel safe knowing that the diet they are already on makes them healthier.
Vegetarians consume a larger percentage of fiber than non-vegetarians which helps strengthen their health. This is because fiber slows down the body’s dispensation of carbohydrates, which assists a diabetic in keeping a stabilized blood sugar level.
A vegetarian’s diet is typically healthier because it lowers blood pressure and heart disease, which is an extra benefit for a diabetic. The diet is also lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories and has more potassium, fiber and magnesium.
As you can see, you can get a better blood sugar level and lose weight in a more stable manner when you combine a vegetarian diet with a diabetic diet. However, this does not mean you can eat everything you want. You will still need to watch the foods you consume because some meatless foods can be just as fattening as foods that contain meat.
Before you go and change your diet to a vegetarian diabetic diet, you should consult your doctor and a first-class dietitian so they can help you develop a meal plan that works with you and your health problems, if any exist. The main factor you will need to address is to get hold of a list of alternative for your meat because meat contains protein and you will still need the protein in your daily diet.
When transitioning into this new diet, you need to give your body some time to adjust to the new foods. You should also incorporate this new diet into your lifestyle gradually so it will not be such a shock to your system which can cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate. Keep checking your blood sugar level through this transition so you can keep your blood sugar stable.
So, you can enhance your health, lose weight and maintain a normal blood sugar level by just mixing a vegetarian diet along with a diabetic diet. Talking to a dietitian can help you develop get a list of foods you can gradually substitute into your diet rather than eating meat. Making sure you do these things will help your diet get off to a better start and will allow you to maintain a healthier way of eating.
By: Delynda Lardone