Diabetic Friendly Quesadillas

Quesadillas con Frijoles Refritos - Low-Carb Mexican inspired favorite 

Easy tortilla snacks, filled with refried beans, salsa, corn and cheese, with a fraction of the fat and calories of the usual fare.

Time: 25 minutes (15 minutes prep)










Ingredients
1 cup fat-free refried beans

2 tablespoons hot salsa, plus more for dipping

12 6-inch corn tortillas

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup chopped scallions

3/4 cup finely grated Monterey Jack cheese, (3 ounces)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Combine refried beans and 2 tablespoons salsa in a small bowl.

Place a tortilla directly on a stovetop burner (gas or electric), set at medium, and toast, turning frequently with tongs, until softened, about 30 seconds. Wrap in a kitchen towel to keep warm while you soften the remaining tortillas in the same manner.

Lay 6 of the softened tortillas on the prepared baking sheet. Divide the bean mixture among these tortillas, spreading evenly. Sprinkle each with corn, cilantro and scallions, then cheese. Top with the remaining softened tortillas and press to seal.

Bake until lightly crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve hot, with additional salsa for dipping.


Nutritional Facts
Servings - 6
Calories - 224
Added Sugars - 0g
Carbohydrates - 35g
Cholesterol - 13mg
Dietary Fiber - 6g
Fat - 6g
Monounsaturated Fat - 2g
Potassium - 169mg
Protein - 10g
Saturated Fat - 3g
Sodium - 285mg
Carbohydrate Servings - 2
Exchanges (2 1/2 starch - 1/2 high-fat meat)

Recipe Source: Diabetic Connect

Broccoli Salad with Peanut Dressing

Love broccoli, bell peppers, red onions and peanut butter - this one sounds like a hit to me!

Ingredients

4 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips, about 1 cup
1/3 cup red onion, cut in thin crescents
3 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter, natural and unsweetened
2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. agave syrup
Pinch of salt
Ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

Place steamer basket in large saucepan. Add water to depth of 1 inch. Cover and bring the water to boil. Add broccoli, cover and steam over medium-high heat until tender-crisp, 3 minutes. Transfer broccoli to mixing bowl. Add bell pepper and onion.

In small bowl, combine peanut butter and sesame oil. Add vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce and agave and whisk until dressing is smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and use fork to toss until salad is well coated. Sprinkle on red pepper flakes, if using, and mix to combine. Cover, and refrigerate the salad for 1 hour before serving, or up to 24 hours. Toss well before serving.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 146
Protein: 6 g
Sodium: 255 mg
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g 

Source: Diabetic Gourmet

Diabetic Shock

Common signs and symptoms:

• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Feeling shaky
• Hunger
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Pounding heart; racing pulse
• Pale skin
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Weakness
• Anxiety
• Appears to be drunk, when they are known to not haven been drinking

There may be other signs that present, but these are fairly common.

Treatment for hypoglycemia is fairly straight forward. The suffering person simply needs glucose (sugar). Candy, cake frosting, glucose in a tube, etc all works well. Also rest is encouraged in order to slow a persons activity from burning more calories as they recover.

Like always, this isn’t the be all end all for medical treatment. It just gives you something to do rather than do nothing, during a medical emergency. I highly encourage everyone to educate themselves, as much as possible, in first aid, because, in the end, the definition of a survival situation, is a direct threat to life. And the point is not to ever get into a survival situation to begin with.

Full article at Outdoor Self Reliance

Google Smart Contact Lens Measures Glucose

Google said the sensors on the smart contact lens are so small they look like bits of glitter

Source: Pinterest

Google has said it is testing a "smart contact lens" that can help measure glucose levels in tears. It uses a "tiny" wireless chip and a "miniaturised" glucose sensor embedded between two layers of lens material.

The firm said it is also working on integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed certain thresholds.

But it added that "a lot more work" needed to be done to get the technology ready for everyday use. "It's still early days for this technology, but we've completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype," the firm said in a blogpost.

"We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease."

Read full article at BBC

7 Easy Breakfast Ideas for Type 2 Diabetes

For many people, breakfast is the most neglected meal of the day. 

But if you have type 2 diabetes, breakfast is a must, and it can have real benefits. In fact, researchers at Purdue University recently found that eating foods at breakfast that have a low glycemic index may help prevent a spike in blood sugar all morning long - and even after lunch. In the study, people with diabetes who ate almonds as part of a balanced breakfast felt more full and had lower blood glucose levels after both breakfast and lunch.

And on top of the blood-sugar benefit, a good breakfast helps kick-start your morning metabolism and keeps your energy up throughout the day.

Pressed for time? You don't have to create an elaborate spread. 

Head over to Everyday Health for seven diabetes-friendly breakfast ideas to help you stay healthy and still get out the door on time.

Easy to Make Diabetic Buttermilk Biscuits

Happy New Year!

Started off my day with these delicious biscuits, and wanted to share the recipe

Diabetic friendly, buttermilk biscuits are a southern favorite that goes with any meal! 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp low-fat margarine
1 cup buttermilk
nonstick cooking spray
wax paper

How it's made:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium mixing bowl combine 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Stir until well blended, then cut in margarine using a fork or pastry blender. 

Once small balls begin to form add buttermilk and stir until moist. Spread out wax paper and coat with remaining flour. Transfer dough to wax paper and knead until smooth. Dough should be soft and light to the touch. Pat dough out to 1/2 thickness, then cut out biscuits using a 2 inch round cutter. Lightly grease baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. 

Arrange biscuits on baking sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Let biscuits cool on wire rack for 3 - 5 minutes before serving.

Makes about 20 biscuits.


Recipe & Photo Source: Diabetic Health & Wellness