Thursday, June 21, 2012

Recipes

RECIPES FOR DIABETICS

Orange Roughy with Dilled Vegetables
 
2 orange roughy fish fillets
1 table spoon olive oil
2 te4aspoons fresh lemon juice
1deaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small (5oz) zucchini, cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
3 plum tomatoes, each cut crosswise in half then into quarters (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 small yellow, red or green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 green onion, cut diagonally into slices
salt (optional) 

1. Cut fish fillets to make 4 equal serving size portions, In 8-inch square microwave-safe baking dish, arrange fish in spoke- fashion with one portion fish in each corner; fold thinner ends under to make even thickness.
2. In medium bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, dill and pepper. Add vegetables, tossing to coat. Arrange vegetables evenly over fish. Cover with microwave safe plastic wrap, lifting one edge to vent.
3. Microwave on high 7-8 minutes or until fish flakes and vegetables are tender rotating dish halfway through cooking. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information: 126 calories; 18g protein; 4g carbohydrate 4g fat; .8 mg iron; 78mg sodium;23 mg cholesterol.

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

 

Ingredients

    1 cup pizza sauce
    1 12-inch Italian pizza crust
    8 green pepper rings
    1 tomato, sliced
    1 cup mushrooms, sliced
    4 ounces cooked chicken breast, sliced about 1-inch thick, with all visible fat removed
    2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
    1 cup reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Spread the sauce evenly over the pizza crust. Add the pepper, tomato, mushrooms and chicken. Drizzle barbecue sauce over the pizza and top with cheese.
Bake about 12 to 14 minutes. Cut the pizza into 8 slices and serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 2 slices
Calories333Sodium961 mg
Total fat8 gTotal carbohydrate44 g
Saturated fat3 gDietary fiber3 g
Monounsaturated fattraceProtein23 g
Cholesterol35 mg

 DRESSINGS
- often we are doing so well eating our vegetables and making sure to get enough greens, that we neglect to notice how bad our dressing can be. Below are some great recipes for simple and healthy dressing to add to your healthy meal and lifestyle!

Summer Dressing
This is a delicious dressing for many different salads such as sliced head lettuce, shredded cabbage, sliced tomatoes, tossed greens, deviled eggs, or sliced tomatoes. After making this dressing, be sure to refrigerate for a several hours before using, stirring occasionally. 
1cup (8oz) plain yogurt 
2tbsp finely diced radishes
1/2cup very finely chopped and unpeeled cucumber, drained
1tbsp of minced parsley
1tbsp of green onions
1tbsp white vinegar
1tbsp prepared horse radish
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Combine all ingredients carefully and thoroughly, Turn into pint jar, cover and chill well before using, Stir before using.
YIELD: 1.5 cups, with total values of 15g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 4g fat, 132 calories.

No Calorie Dressing
Here is a basic recipe with variations for quickly made salad dressings suitable for many types of salads. Since none have any food values, you ay use them generously, The basic recipe itself is delicious on either fruit salads or vegetable salads. Serve the variations on vegetable or meat salads. 
1/2c cold water
1/2c white vinegar
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp pure, dry mustard
1/8tsp pepper
1/16tsp of paprika
Low calorie or no calorie sweetener to taste

Combine all ingredients in a pint jar, cover tightly, shake vigorously, store in refrigerator. YIELD: 1c-no food values.
Variations:
Green Onion- to above recipe add 2 or 3 green onions cut very small
Poppy Seed- Use1/2 c of cider vinegar instead of white vinegar; omit paprika; add 1 tbsp of poppy seed
Dilly Dressing: use 1/2c of mat vinegar in place of white vinegar; omit paprika; add 1-1/2 tbsp of dill seed



For more great recipes for diabetics, please follow the link to Mayo clinics recipes for diabetics site which can be found by Clicking Here


SPOTLIGHT ON BLOGGERS: What's your favorite healthy recipe??? Share here! by clicking the comment button and simply adding content!


This link can provide you with a free recipe book for diabetics! Click Here For Free Recipe Book!

What to Eat

Now that we've gotten the worst part out of the way, what CAN we eat. Take a look at the following tables to help you guide your healthy eating choices.

BEST & WORST CHOICES 

If you already follow a healthful meal plan filled with whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, and lean protein, congratulations! You're on your way to a long, healthy life and are taking a major step in controlling your weight and blood glucose levels. Plus, you're probably already eating a bunch of the foods on this list.
For those who are taking the baby-steps approach to eating better, this list is even more helpful. This is a simple way to compare your best and worse choices for your diabetes. Stick to the best choices and you can enjoy without missing out while still keeping yourself healthy!

Breads, Grains, and Diabetes
 
Along with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, foods in this first category contain mostly complex carbohydrates that your body turns into sugar for energy. Even though carbs make glucose levels rise, complex carbs are absorbed more slowly than simple carbs, and you need carbs for energy. Use this list as a guide to help you choose the complex carbs that are best for you.
Best Choices Worst Choices
Whole-grain flours, such as whole wheat flour White flour
Whole grains, such as brown rice Processed grains, such as white rice
Cereals containing whole-grain ingredients and little added sugar Cereals with little whole grain and lots of sugar
Whole-grain bread White bread
Baked potato or baked steak fries French fries
Whole-grain flour or corn tortillas Fried white-flour tortillas


Diabetes and Fruits

Fruits contain carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are naturally low in fat -- except for avocados -- and sodium. Fruits often contain more carbs than are found in vegetables. 
Best Choices Worst Choices
Frozen fruit or fruit canned in fruit juice Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup
Fresh fruit Chewy fruit rolls
Sugar-free or low-sugar jam or preserves Regular jam, jelly, and preserves (unless portion is kept small)
No-sugar-added applesauce Sweetened applesauce
100% fruit juice or low-carb juices Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks, sweetened soda

Diabetes, Meat, and Other Protein

 

These foods are high in protein. They include beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, and seafood. This group also includes beans, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu. Selecting non-meat sources of protein can help lower the amount of fat you eat. Use this list to guide your protein choices. 
Best Choices Worst Choices
Baked, broiled, grilled, or stewed meats Fried meats
Lower-fat cuts of meat, such as top sirloin Higher-fat cuts of meat, such as ribs
Turkey bacon Pork bacon
Low-fat cheeses Regular cheeses
Skinless breast of chicken or turkey Poultry with skin
Baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled fish Fried fish
Tofu lightly sauteed, steamed, or cooked in soup Fried tofu
Baked or stewed beans Beans prepared with lard

Diabetes and Dairy

 

This group includes milk and foods made from milk, such as yogurt and sour cream. Milk contains a lot of protein and minerals, including calcium. Use this list to guide your selection of milk products.
Best Choices Worst Choices
1% or skim milk Whole milk
Low-fat yogurt Regular yogurt
Low-fat cottage cheese Regular cottage cheese
Nonfat sour cream Regular sour cream
Frozen low-fat, low-carb yogurt Regular ice cream
Nonfat half and half Regular half and half

Diabetes and Fats, Oils, and Sweets

Fats, oils, and sweets -- and foods containing them -- often provide lots of calories and little nutrition Many "snack foods" are filled with fats or oils and sugar. Eating too much of these kinds of foods can lead to weight gain making it harder to keep diabetes under control. That doesn't mean you have to avoid fats, oils, and sweets altogether. Just select and eat them wisely. Here are some suggestions. 
Best Choices Worst Choices
Baked snacks, such as baked potato chips, baked corn chips, puffed rice, or corn snacks Snacks fried in fat, such as potato chips, corn chips, pork rinds
Vegetable oils, non-hydrogenated butter spreads, margarine Lard, hydrogenated vegetable shortening, butter
Reduced-fat mayonnaise
Light salad dressings
Regular mayonnaise
Regular salad dressings
Air-popped or calorie-controlled popcorn Butter-flavored stove-top popcorn

Diabetes and Beverages

 

Many beverages are not found on the food pyramid. Some beverages contain lots of carbohydrates while providing very little nutrition. This makes it easy for beverages to contribute to weight gain. Here are some best-choice and worst-choice examples.
Best Choices for Beverages Worst Choices
Water, unflavored or flavored sparkling water Regular sodas
Light beer, small amounts of wine or non-fruity mixed drinks Regular beer, fruity mixed drinks, dessert wines
Unsweetened tea (add a slice of lemon) Sweetened tea
Coffee, black or with added low fat milk and sugar substitute Coffee with sugar and cream
Home-brewed coffee and hot chocolate Flavored coffees and chocolate drinks
Sport drinks Energy drinks

Diabetes and Vegetables

Vegetables contain carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. They usually contain fewer carbs than fruits. Many vegetables contain fiber and are naturally low in fat and sodium (unless they are canned). Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn, aren't included in this category. They are considered part of the breads, grains, and other starches group. Use this list to guide your shopping and cooking choices. 
Best Choices Worst Choices
Fresh vegetables, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled
Frozen vegetables, lightly steamed
Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium
Vegetables cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce
Fresh cucumbers Pickles (only if you need to limit sodium otherwise pickles are a good choice)
Fresh shredded cabbage or coleslaw Sauerkraut, (same as pickles, limit only if you have high blood pressure

Thursday, June 7, 2012

What to Avoid

Foods To Eat and Avoid will be the topic of the next two blog entries, below is a list of foods to avoid and how some modifications can be made so you don't have to miss out entirely!

First and foremost: Eating healthy with diabetes doesn't have to mean deprivation, starvation, or bland and boring foods!!!
This however, does not mean that anything goes.
Some foods really are best left on the table or in the store.

Everyone, with diabetes or without, would be wise to avoid or limit the foods on this list because they are high in saturated fat and trans fat, which contribute to heart disease risk. The foods are also high in added sugar, which is an empty source of calories that can lead to weight gain and throw off your sugar.

If you see some of your favorite foods on this list, don't lose heart: There are several healthier options for you to choose from. So you can have your fries and eat them, too, provided they're baked rather than deep-fat fried.

1. Restaurant or Fast Food French Fries- while you should avoid these, you can always purchase and bake your own at home!
2. Burgers or Fried Sandwiches- again, if you prepare the burger at home, 3oz is a perfect portion size and you can use condiments as well!



3. Fried Chicken- this should be avoided outside of the home due to the oils used to fry, however, you don't have to give up the fried chicken you love, try this recipe at home Fried Chicken Breasts
4. Store-bought sweets- According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 40 percent of trans fats consumed in the United States come from commercially made baked goods, such as cookies.
Sugar, butter, high-fructose corn syrup, shortening, margarine and partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils are the biggest saturated fat and trans fat contributors that can also pile on calories and carbohydrates.
Instead of buying cookies, bake them at home!!!!
5. Purchases donuts and other baked goods- same as above!

. Garnering its name for a reason (it's traditionally made with a pound of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists one slice of pound cake as having 3.5 grams of saturated fat and 4.5 grams of trans fat. There is no recommendation for any percentage of trans fat as part of your daily calories. Avoiding all trans fats can help lower cholesterol and manage your diabetes!


7. Frozen Meals
8. Processed lunch meats
9. Regular soft drinks
10. Flavored waters
11. Purchased smoothies
12. Fruit beverages- these sugar monsters make our list of worst foods for diabetics because they can be
high in calories and sugar.
       

For example, even in Minute Maid 100% Juice Blends there can be at least 29 grams of sugar, 120 calories, and 31 grams of carbohydrate and this is just in an 8-ounce serving!
13.Milk shakes-  These tasty treats are hiding places for bad-for-your-heart trans fat. They also are loaded with calories and sugar.For example, a small chocolate milkshake at A&W Restaurant has 700 calories, 1 gram of trans fat (with 29 grams of total fat), and 60 grams of sugar. Topping it with whipped cream adds more calories and sugar to your meal.
14. Frozen AND Purchased Pizza- both are equally bad for you, loaded with sodium, trans fats and cholesterol. Try making pizza at home with low sodium cheese, veggies for toppings, and a wheat crust!

Also be careful of:
Canned fruit- VERY high in sugar and preservative and ruins the nutritional value of your fruit
 and Kettle Corn Popcorn- though popcorn can be a great healthy snack for diabetics, it is important to be careful of which kind you are choosing. You don't want to eat this sugar and saturated fat filled snack.

Fear not bloggers- all of these DON'TS have an alternative that you CAN have
The next blog entry will include recipes for these alternatives and others, but as a general rule, if you prepare your food at home (yes even the junk food) you are better off than buying it at a store or getting it at a restaurant!
If you'd like to get a jump start on these recipes, they can be found at Diabetic Living Online




Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Health Eating

                                                         HEALTHY EATING
  The next few sessions will focus on healthy eating. They will include some general tips on how to eat, what to eat and even some great recipes for Diabetics.

How to Eat: Portion Control is Key!






Use this handy tool on the plate method, distributed in support group session 1, to help control your portion sizes


The American Diabetes Association highlights an easy way to accomplish this, even if you don't have your plate method hand out with you.  
        Create your plate is a fast and easy way to choose and eat the foods you want by focusing on your portion sizes and making healthier food choices.
If you, like many others, simply do not know where to start making changes, changing the amount of food that you are already eating is a great start! 


Creating your plate, or using the plate method, is an easy way to control your blood glucose levels.


See below for a helpful video on how to create your plate, it's EASY!! 




These are the Six Easy Steps to Create Your Plate discussed in the video above:


This is a simple and effective way to manage diabetes and lose weight. The plate method, or creating your plate is great because you can still eat the foods you like but changes the portion sizes so you're getting larger portions of, the good stuff (non starchy vegetables) and smaller portions of the not-so-good stuff (see below for examples). 
Once you have mastered the plate method with the foods you're used to, try some new items from the non-starchy vegetables list.
Here are six simple tips to get you started (as outlined in the video):
Using your dinner plate, put a line down the middle of the plate.
  1. Then on one side, cut it again so you will have 3 sections on your plate.
  2. Fill the largest section with non-starchy vegetables such as:
    1. spinach, carrots, lettuce, greens, cabbage, bok choy
    2. green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes,
    3. vegetable juice, salsa, onion, cucumber, beets, okra,
    4. mushrooms, peppers, turnip
  3. Now in one of the small sections, put starchy foods such as:
    1. whole grain breads, such as whole wheat or rye
    2. whole grain, high-fiber cereal
    3. cooked cereal such as oatmeal, grits, hominy, or cream of wheat
    4. rice, pasta, dal, tortillas
    5. cooked beans and peas, such as pinto beans or black-eyed peas
    6. potatoes, green peas, corn, lima beans, sweet potatoes, winter squash
    7. low-fat crackers and snack chips, pretzels, and fat-free popcorn
  4. And then on the other small section, put your meat or meat substitutes such as:
    1. chicken or turkey without the skin
    2. fish such as tuna, salmon, cod, or catfish
    3. other seafood such as shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, or mussels
    4. lean cuts of beef and pork such as sirloin or pork loin
    5. tofu, eggs, low-fat cheese
  5. Add an 8 oz glass of non-fat or low-fat milk. If you don’t drink milk, you can add another small serving of carb such as a 6 oz. container of light yogurt or a small roll.
    1. And a piece of fruit or a 1/2 cup fruit salad and you have your meal planned. Examples are fresh, frozen, or canned in juice or frozen in light syrup or fresh fruit.




Thursday, April 19, 2012

Lower Body Stretches

WHY SHOULD WE DO THIS KIND OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?

Leg stretches for seniors and the elderly will help improve the mobility of the soft tissues around your joints including muscles, connective tissue and skin. Performing many of your daily activities requires an unrestricted and pain free range of motion.Having adequate motion in your low back, hips, knees and ankles is an important factor in preventing injury or reinjury around these joints.


As we age our mobility may become restricted due to decreased activity levels, prolonged bed rest and extended wheelchair use. This can lead to long term poor positioning of your joints with resulting stiffness and pain.


Through time your muscle strength is altered as the tissue shortens and loses its normal elasticity. As the muscle shortens it is no longer able to produce adequate strength to perform daily activities.


This cycle continues and may lead to increased stiffness and pain in your joints.


Below are some leg stretches exercises designed to stretch the major areas of your lower body safely and effectively.



Bloggers- Try these exercises!

Click on the exercise to see a descriptive video!

Thanks to eldergym for these great videos and commentary!

1. Seated Lifts
  • Improve the range of motion in your hips and legs.
  • Help stabilize  your low back and pelvis.
2. Standing Quadricep Stretch
  • Will improve your hip and knee range of motion with these exercises to increase flexibility.
  • Can improve your standing posture by allowing you to stand up straighter.
3. Back Stretch
  • Improves the range of motion in your spine and trunk with lower back stretching.
  • Increases your ability to bend and reach low or high.
4. Inner Thigh  Stretch
  • Improve your hip and thigh range of motion with stretching legs exercises.
  • Increase your functional ability in standing, walking and stepping.
5. Calf Stretch
  • Targets the flexibility of your calf muscle and heel cord. with calf muscle stretches.
  • Increases your ability to straighten your knee
6. Hip Side Stretch
  • This is a good stretch for the side hip area.
  • Improve the range of motion of our hips.
  • These stretching techniques also can help with balance.
7.  Hip Rotation Stretch
  • Increase the range of motion of your hips with these flexibility stretches.
  • Improve the functional use of your legs as in getting out of a car or stepping over the side of your bath tub.
8. Soleus Stretch
  • Increases the flexibility of the deep calf muscle with flexibility stretching exercises.
  • Generally improves your lower body flexibility and functional use of your legs.
9. Ankle Circles
  • Improve the range of motion of the ankle and foot with warming up stretching.
  • Can help with ankle swelling.
10. Hamstring Stretch
  • Increases your abilty to lean forward and reach your feet with hamstring stretching.
  • Improves the flexibilty of your low back and legs.
11. Knee To Chest
12. Ankle Stretch
  • Helps maintain good ankle flexibility which will assist with walking and standing with ankle stretching exercises.
  • Also helps with knee and hip stiffness.
SPOTLIGHT ON BLOGGERS: Which of these works best for you? 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

What EXACTLY Do We Mean By Physical Activity?

Three Kinds of Physical Activities
There are 3 different kinds of physical activities (as some of us recall from our Take Charge of Your Health class) They are 1. Flexibility activities, 2. Strengthening activities and 3. Endurance or Aerobic (cardio) activities. 

let's spend some time learning about the first kind
 
1. Flexibility Activities (stretch or loosen muscles and joints, and help with balance and coordination- Do these slowly, holding each for a few seconds). 
STRETCHES CAN BE FOR UPPER BODY AND LOWER BODY- LETS LOOK AT BOTH STARTING WITH OUR UPPER BODY

Upper Body Stretches

Improve your upper back, arm and neck mobility with these excellent stretching routines.
Start a upper body stretching program today by choosing 2 or 3 upper body stretching exercises to perform 3 times per week.

Most stretches can be held for 30 seconds.
Repeat 3 times. You can then choose 2 or 3 new stretches every week.
This will add greatly to the flexibility of your arms, chest and upper back.

So give it a try and see how much better you can reach to those high shelves!

 

Watch These Exercise Videos by clicking on the highlighted words!

 Shoulder and Upper Back Stretches

  • Shoulder stretches to increases your shoulder and scapular range of motion.
  • Stretches your chest and shoulder.
  • Will make it easier to reach to that high shelf in your kitchen.
Shoulder Rolls
  • Improve the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back region with these stretching routines.
  • Will assist in keeping your rib muscles flexible.
  • Help in activities like reaching up to a high shelf or across the table at dinner.
Neck Stretches
  • Improve the range of motion in your neck and upper back with these good stretching exercises.
  • Helps with those everyday movements you need to do like looking under the bed for that other shoe!
Neck Rotation
  • Improve the range of motion in our neck with these neck stretches.
  • Help stretch the upper back and scapular muscles.
Shoulder Circles
  • Improve the range of motion of your shoulders and upper back with these types of stretching.
  • Helps increase flexibility in your chest and lungs.
Shoulder Stretch
  • Helps stretch our shoulder, scapula and supporting muscles and joints.
  • Improves our reaching ability especially across the body for these benefits of stretching.
Chest Stretch
  • Stretches the chest and shoulders with these chest exercises.
  • Improves posture and lung functioning.
Overhead Reach
  • Increase the range of motion in your shoulder and upper back with these arm stretches.
  • Help improve your ability to reach, as in getting a pan out of the cabinet or ice cream out of the freezer.
Reach Back
  • Improve your ability to reach behind as in reaching back to hold on to an armrest before sitting down.
  • Increase the range of motion of your shoulders and stretches your chest muscles with these arm exercises.
Triceps Stretch
  • Stretches the shoulder and triceps with these stretches before exercise.
  • Improves the mobility of your upper arm and shoulder.
Hand Stretch
  • Increase the flexibility and range of motion of your hand and fingers with these hand exercises.
  • Warms up your hand to prepare for the activity of the day.
Arm Raises
  • Improves the range of motion of your shoulders with these muscle stretching exercises.
  • Strengthens your arm for activities that require overhead reach like up to a shelf or pulling the light cord in the basement.

SPOTLIGHT ON BLOGGERS: Try these at home and report your feelings and opinions! What worked? What didn't work? What would you like to try more of?

Be Active, Be Fit, Be Well!!!!

This month we are placing a special focus on physical activity and exercise!!!


Lets get started with the Basics- an introduction to physical activity

What's the big idea!?
Physical Activity  is important because it can promote a strong cardiovascular system, including the heart , lungs and blood vessels.
Physical Activity (PA) can also promote good muscle strength, good endurance and stamina, good flexibility and help to reduce or maintain weight.

WHAT ELSE CAN PA DO FOR ME?- well bloggers, I'm glad you asked, because there is MORE!
Physical activity can help lower blood sugar, help reduce fatigue, help to promote good quality and restful sleep. Additionally physical activity helps balance and coordination, reduces anxiety and depression, helps regain function, helps regulate digestion (prevent constipation), and improves ability to participate in family and social activities. 


** Look at the previous post on the ABC's of diabetes for specific reminders of how cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes can also help us regulate our diabetes!**

  
SPOTLIGHT ON THE BLOGGERS - WE WANT TO HERE FROM YOU!!
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THIS WEEK?

The ABC's of Diabetes

Below is a summary of the ABC's of diabetes that we learned in last weeks support group.
Feel free to comment or post questions or helpful tips for your fellow support group members!!


Tests                               Target                          How Often
A1C                                          Below 7%                               At least twice a year
Blood Pressure                        Below 130/80                          At every visit
Cholesterol                              Below 100                               At least once a year 

Ways to improve blood sugar:
* Eat fewer sweets such as candy or cookies
* Stop drinking sugar sweetened beverages such as soda, sweet tea and juice
* Cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes daily (remember this is anything that gets your heart rate  up, and does not have to be done all at once, 15 minutes twice a day to equal thirty minutes is great too! )

* Take diabetes meds or insulin consistently
* Eat on schedule 


Ways to improve blood pressure 
* 30 minutes of cardio daily
* Consume less sodium ( less than 2,000 mg per day) 
* Take blood pressure medications consistently


Ways to improve cholesterol:
* Eat fish 3 times per week (see blog entry below for helpful tips!)
* Consume less saturated fat (fried food, sausage, bacon, hot dogs, cheese)
* Increase fiber by eating foods like oatmeal, whole grains, fruits and vegetables
* Cardio for 30 min daily! 


** AND REMEMBER: the only way to know your numbers is to see them! Ask your health care provider to see them every time you are in!