A type 2 diagnosis turned Robert Lewis into the Pied Piper of diabetes with his welcome smile, hopeful message, and good-for-you recipes. Learn about the Happy Diabetic’s mission, plus sample a few of his diabetes-friendly dishes.
Photo Credit - Diabetic Living Online
When Robert Lewis, the Happy Diabetic, was told in 1998 that he had type 2 diabetes, the chef from Davenport, Iowa, just didn’t get it.
Then his wife signed him up for a seminar on living with diabetes, and it finally hit him: Lewis realized he had to adjust his ways of living and eating.
Lewis, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and is director of training and development for Happy Joe’s pizza shops, put his chef training to work.
He started creating diabetes-friendly recipes and teaching a healthy-eating course at a community college.
Continue Reading at Diabetic Living Online
Going gluten-free doesn't have to mean sacrificing your favorite dishes. These tasty recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are smart choices for a diabetic and gluten-free diet.
This breakfast classic gets a gluten-free twist and boasts just 26 grams of carb for two waffles. Plus, with pumpkin mixed into the batter, they make a great weekend treat.
Note: Recipes are designed to be prepared with gluten-free ingredients and may be suitable for people who live with celiac disease. Check the ingredients lists on foods you use in these recipes to ensure they do not contain gluten.
View this recipe and more from Diabetic Living Online
At first, people with type 2 diabetes may find it challenging to follow a healthy diabetes diet. It's normal to feel that many of your favorite dishes are now off limits due to restrictions on sugar, fat, carbohydrates, salt, and other ingredients.
However, there are many ways to tweak recipes to better accommodate a diabetes diet. You can also pursue healthier cooking methods that give the flavor you desire while helping to manage diabetes.
Goals of a Diabetes Diet
Following a healthy diet for diabetes is about choosing foods that will help you control your blood glucose levels and manage your weight.
For people who are overweight, losing weight is an important part of managing diabetes, and a healthy diet along with exercise can help you do it.
Continue reading "Goals of a Type 2 Diabetes Diet" at Everyday Health
Ingredients
- 1 medium fresh peach, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- ½ cup skim milk
- 1 4-ounce carton non-fat vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup ice cubes
- ground cinnamon (to taste)
Directions
Place the peach, milk, yogurt, and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Turn off machine and scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula. Blend again.
Pour the mixture into 2 glasses and sprinkle each with a little cinnamon. Serve at once. (You can garnish with strawberries, if you want to be fancy with this refreshing drink.)
Nutrition Information
Per Serving: 101 calories (0% calories from fat), 22 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 0 total fat (0 saturated fat), 1 g dietary fiber, 3 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate (1/2 fruit, 1 skim milk)
Recipe Source: http://www.diabeticlifestyle.com/recipes/beverages/peach-smoothie
Q&A with Dr. Asqual Getaneh
Photo Credit WebMD
Q: What can I do to help with the healing of cuts? I have type 2 diabetes and it seems to take forever for any wounds to heal.
A: You raise an important issue. Wounds are more difficult to heal in people with diabetes for various reasons: Wounds are infected quite easily; blood circulation to the wound might be poor; some diabetics might have nutritional deficits; and often wounds are managed poorly.
More importantly, having high glucose levels causes poor immune response and makes the cell walls become rigid. As a result, the flow of much-needed oxygen and nutrients is impaired. Feet in particular are more vulnerable to wounds that heal poorly, especially among diabetics who have lost sensation due to nerve damage.
My first recommendation is to examine your hands, feet, and other vulnerable areas such as insulin injection sites daily for any sign of early skin breaks.
Second, if you have identified worrisome areas, seek immediate medical attention. A callus or scrape on your feet, and especially any sign of infection in the toe webs (the connective skin between your toes) should be taken care of early by a foot specialist or your doctor. This is a very important step to prevent the development of ulcers or a skin infection called cellulitis.
Third, if you have a skin break on your feet, try to stay off your feet. If you have a wound anywhere else, prevent pressure that will further compromise blood circulation. Fourth, always maintain adequate nutrition and hydration. Fifth, and most importantly, maintain a close-to-normal glucose level.
Once you have an ulcer, close follow-up with your doctor or a wound specialist is important. You might need to apply an antibiotic ointment or take an antibiotic pill if the wound is infected. Also, the wound should be kept moist. Finally, your doctor might prescribe other agents that are applied to the wound to speed up healing.
Article Source: Everyday Health
Ingredients
- 8 ounce(s) asparagus
- 2 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 teaspoon oil, olive
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard, dijon-style
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- dash(es) pepper, black ground
- 1 medium orange(s)
Recipe Tip: Chill up to 6 hours (optional).
Preparation
1. Snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus. If desired, scrape off scales. Cut stems into 2-inch-long pieces. In a covered small saucepan, cook asparagus in a small amount of boiling water for 1 minute; drain. Cool immediately in a bowl of ice water. Drain on paper towels.
2. For dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add asparagus and orange sections; stir gently to coat. Serve immediately. (Or cover and chill for up to 6 hours.)
Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 74
Saturated Fat: 1g
Sodium: 177mg
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Total Fat: 5g
Carbs: 8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Protein: 2g
Exchanges: Vegetable: 1, Fat: 1
Carb Choices: 0.5
Total Time: 20 mins
Source: Everyday Health
