Pulled Pork BBQ with Equal® - Sweet Take on Summer Classic

Recipe of the Day from Diabetes.org 

Sponsored by Equal® and Pure Via® Zero Calorie Sweetener

Pulled Pork BBQ with Equal®

Ingredients

• 1 whole pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/3 cup Equal® Spoonful or Granulated*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 multigrain hamburger buns, split and toasted 

*May substitute 8 packets Equal® sweetener

Preparation

Rub pork with 1 teaspoon chili powder and garlic powder; place in baking pan. Bake in preheated 425° F oven 30 to 40 minutes or until pork is well browned and juices run clear. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into 2 to 3-inch slices; shred slices into bite-size pieces with a fork.

Spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray. Cook and stir onion and garlic about 5 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, chili powder, maple extract and liquid smoke to saucepan. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.

Simmer, uncovered 10 to 15 minutes or until medium-thick sauce consistency. Stir in Equal®. Season with salt and pepper. Stir pork into sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until hot. Spoon mixture onto toasted buns.

Serves: 6
Serving Size: 2 1/2 ounces pork, 1 bun

Nutrition Information
Calories: 233
Total Fat: 5 g
 - Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 49 mg
Sodium: 559 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 28 g
Protein: 22 g
Fiber: 4 g

Food Exchanges: 2 1/2 Lean Meat, 2 Starch

Source: Diabetes.org

Summer Grilling Inspiration from Naked Kitchen

Summer Grilling Inspiration | The Naked Kitchen

Ingredients:

• thinly sliced bread of your choice 
• asparagus, washed and ends trimmed 
• cherry tomatoes, 
• sliced red onion,
•  thinly sliced any other veggies of your choice (zucchini, squash, eggplant, broccoli) olive oil 
• sea salt and black pepper to taste 

Preparation: 
Lightly coat the veggies in olive oil and place on a grill pan or heavy duty foil. Place on a pre-heated grill and grill until bright and tender. Place bread on the grill. If desired you can brush the bread with a little oil first. Cook for just a few seconds or until the bread is nicely toasted. Layer the grilled veggies on top of the toasted bread and enjoy!

Notes: This dish is best served right away.

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Danger of Skipping Breakfast

You will eat more later in the day - But missing your morning meal also has even bigger health consequences . . . 

You know that breakfast has plenty of benefits: It boosts your energy, curbs your midday cravings, and helps keep you at a healthy weight. 

But if you’re still skipping the first meal of the day, there’s another perk you’re passing up: 

Missing even one breakfast each week increases your risk of type 2 diabetes by 20%, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Photo Credit - Women's Health Magazine

Researchers from the Harvard University School of Public Health analyzed the eating habits and health outcomes of 46,289 women over the course of six years. At the end of the study, they found that women who skipped breakfast here and there had a 20% higher risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes than those who ate it on a daily basis. 

The risk is even higher for full-time working women who missed their morning meal sometimes - 54%. The importance of a daily breakfast held up after the researchers adjusted the results to account for the effects of age, BMI, carbohydrate consumption, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, and working status.

Another study of more than 3,000 men and women published in Diabetes Care found that eating breakfast frequently also lowers the risk of obesity and high blood pressure. That same University of Minnesota study revealed that only 35% of participants actually ate a meal every morning, though.

Why is eating breakfast so important to your health? 

Turns out, it’s all in the timing. “When you go to bed, your insulin level is flat—not too low, not too high,” says lead study author Rania Mekary, PhD, research associate at the Harvard University School of Public Health in the department of nutrition. When you don’t ‘break the fast’ in the morning, your insulin level drops - so when you have lunch later in the day, it’s more likely to spike, then crash again.

Over time, this constant flux in insulin levels can cause your body to build up an insulin resistance, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, you can cut your risk significantly by sticking to a daily breakfast schedule. You should aim to eat within an hour or two of waking up, says Mekary - and coffee or tea alone won’t cut it.

While even unhealthy breakfasts were better for lowering diabetes risk than no breakfast at all, researchers found the best outcomes resulted from daily breakfasts that were low in sugar and high in nutrients like fiber and protein.

Need some morning meal motivation? 
Head over to Women's Health Magazine and try one (or more) of the tasty, healthful recipes 

American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard To Compete On Biggest Loser

American Idol's season two winner, Ruben Studdard, will be the first celebrity contestant to compete on The Biggest Loser when season 15 premieres this fall

Photo Credit - US Magazine

American Idol winner Ruben Studdard has made it no secret that he struggles with his weight.  Also diabetes along with high blood pressure is prevalent in the singers family. 

Ruben has struggled with his weight very publicly since winning American Idol in 2003. Now NBC has confirmed that the R&B singer will be a contestant on the next season of the weight loss competition The Biggest Loser.

Studdard, who is now 35-years-old, lost 70 lbs. in 2006 after taking part in a healthy eating program at Duke University. He became a vegetarian and regularly exercised as part of that program.

"On both sides of my family, I have a history of diabetes and high blood pressure and things of that nature," Studdard said in an interview on the Today Show after his weight loss. "I just wanted to basically combat those issues at an early age. They've never been an issue for me, but I wanted to do it while I was still young and felt like working out and looking great."

"I never want to try to be a spokesperson for health and wellness because I most definitely am not the most in shape person in the world," he told the Huffington Post last year. "But I do know that it's important that we all have our regular checkups with our doctors and try to have some type of physical activity so that we can have a decent level of health, so that we can ward off a lot of the things that happen — especially in the African-American community."

Season 15 of The Biggest Loser is slated to begin airing on Tuesday, October 8.

Source: MedicalDaily 

Walks After Meals May Lower Diabetes Risk

If researchers at George Washington University in Washington D.C. are right, the smartest thing you can do after a meal is to skip the dessert and take a walk. 

They’ve published a study concluding that even a 15-minute stroll following a meal can help reduce the blood sugar spikes that occur after filling your stomach with food.  

For older people in particular, that can help lower the risk of developing diabetes.

Photo Image Credit - ThatsFit

The scientists found that three short bouts of exercise a day are more likely to help older people control blood glucose levels than one long bout of exercise - especially if the exercise follows a meal. They believe that a short bout of walking at an easy or moderate pace may be all you need.

The study observed 10 people aged 60 and older who were at risk for type 2 diabetes due to insufficient physical activity and higher-than-normal fasting blood sugar.  

The participants in the study engaged in each of three exercise programs – walking 15 minutes after each meal, walking 45 minutes at 10:30 a.m. or walking 45 minutes at 4:30 p.m.  

Those who walked three times a day were more likely to prevent elevated blood sugar levels, which is a pre-diabetic condition that can develop into type 2 diabetes.  The results also indicated that blood sugar levels were under control for up to three hours following a post-meal evening walk.

Since older people may be less able to control blood sugar levels after meals because of insulin resistance in the muscles or low insulin secretion from the pancreas, this approach to exercise may be particularly beneficial to people in their 70s and 80s.

Source: HealthCentral

Benefits of Brocolli

Timing of Baby's First Solid Food Tied to Diabetes

Among children already at higher risk for type 1 diabetes, missing the sweet spot for introduction of solid foods may increase the risk even further 

 Photo Credit: MedPage Today 

Action Points 

• In children with an increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus, both early and late first exposure to any solid food predicted development of the disease. 

• The data suggest the safest age to introduce solid foods in children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes is between 4 and 5 months of age. 

Read full article 

Top 10 Foods You Should Eat This Summer

If you're wondering what the best foods are to eat with diabetes this summer, check out our top picks for fresh and flavorful summer eats that will keep you cool and your body nourished.


From fresh fruits to sizzling vegetables, you'll love knowing that you're taking care of your body and your diabetes while feasting on the power foods of summer. Visit your local farmer's markets for the best in seasonal fare.

First on the list is Watermelon

Refreshing, tasty, and hydrating, watermelon needs no dressing up to provide the nutrition and flavors we crave. 

Summertime is when watermelons are best in quality and price. Watermelons come in all shapes and sizes, and they have thick green rinds that are spotted or striped.

The inflammation-fighting antioxidants in watermelon may reduce risk of complications of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and arthritis. 

Photo Credit - Diabetic Living






Watermelon is also high in vitamins C and A (in the form of beta-carotene) and the antioxidant lycopene, known for reducing risk of macular degeneration and prostate cancer. Potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, regulation of the body's electrolyte and acid-base balance, and reduction of high blood pressure risk, is also a benefit from eating watermelon.

With about 92% of weight coming from water, watermelon also contributes to fluid intake -- especially important during warm weather. Even with its sweet taste, watermelon fits into a diabetic meal plan.

One cup of watermelon has 45 calories and 12 grams of carb. Most watermelons purchased in the West are grown in California and Arizona; Florida, Texas, and Georgia are also leading producer states.

Check out the next 9 foods, and lots of healthy recipes for each one

Ray Allen Joins ‘Morning Joe’ to Discuss Diabetes Funding

Miami Heat shooting guard Ray Allen joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe yesterday morning to discuss his testimony scheduled for tomorrow before the Senate Special Committee on aging.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Allen will be making a case that more funding is needed for Type 1 Diabetes research. The 2-time NBA champion’s 6-year-old son, Walker has Type 1 Diabetes.

“Being a father, we fight every single day to try to find a way, to find a cure because everyday people are living with this disease,” he said.

“Starting back in ’99, they started this children’s Congress and the kids wanted the voice,” Allen added.  ”They wanted to go into DC and let the politicians know, the lawmakers know that they want them to be heard. They want their voices to be spoken up in front of Congress.”

In response to what he hopes to do with his influence as a famous basketball player, Allen said, “First and foremost we want people to understand what Diabetes is all about because it is a deadly disease. Kids, adults live with it all around the world and are healthy with it. What we want to accomplish is, we want to make sure that Congress continues to renew these funds that are allocated for the JDRF because this funding is important for these scientists to continue research every single year.”

Source: The Grio

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Ethnic Origin Factor in Medication Adherence For Type 2 Diabetes

African Americans are less likely to adhere to medication for type 2 diabetes

It is widely known that African Americans have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes and the accompanying complications. 

Researchers at Ohio State University reveal that this group is less likely to adhere to their medication schedule. They looked at almost 2,700 individuals with type 2 diabetes and learned that medication adherence was 12% down among African Americans.

Data was gathered from people on one of three medications for Type 2 diabetes – thiazolidinedione, sulfonylurea or metformin. They looked at whether a person had refilled their prescription as a guide to medication adherence. 

The African American participants took their medication as prescribed 54% of the time, compared to the white participants who took it 59% of the time. Of the drugs, metformin was the one with the poorest medication adherence. 

Clearly more needs to be done to explain the importance of taking medication to all people who have type 2 diabetes, so they can avoid complications of the disease.

Source: News Fix