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.

Diabetic Cupcake Recipes : Recipes for Diabetics

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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

Perfect Grilled Vegetables

4 Tips for Perfect Grilled Veggies (with Healthy Recipes)

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

Gestational Diabetes May Signal Future Risk

Women with gestational diabetes who have a cluster of symptoms typical of metabolic syndrome are more likely to go on to develop diabetes over 10 years, researchers found.

Action Points

• Women with gestational diabetes who have a cluster of symptoms typical of metabolic syndrome are more likely to go on to develop diabetes over 10 years, a study found. 
• Note that 35% of women with gestational diabetes fell into a high-risk cluster with elevated body mass index, systolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and triglycerides, and lower HDL levels during pregnancy.

Read full article here

Diabetes Reaches Epidemic Proportions in Arkansas

The State of Diabetes in Arkansas 

The prevalence of diabetes in Arkansas has been at or above the national average for the past 10 years. There was a 35% increase in the diabetes prevalence from 1993 to 2002.

An estimated 227,000 adult Arkansans had diabetes in 2003. Of those, 151,000 were diagnosed, but it remained undetected and untreated in the rest.

The prevalence of diabetes increases with age, with the prevalence among persons over the age of 45 being more than four times greater than the prevalence found among younger persons.

The diabetes prevalence among African Americans (9.7 %) is significantly higher than among whites (7.1%).

Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in Arkansas and the 4th leading cause of death among African Americans.

Source: Arkansas Matters  

Salmon Pinwheel Salad Recipe

Salmon spirals served on a bed of greens and oranges is a colorful main dish to serve for entertaining.







1 1 1/2 pound  fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillet, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1/8 teaspoon  salt
1/8 teaspoon  black pepper
1/2 cup  dry white wine or water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1/4 teaspoon  black pepper
4 cups  torn curly endive
4 cups  torn red-tipped leaf lettuce
2 medium oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 cup  thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup  sliced almonds, toasted
1 recipe Fresh Orange Dressing (see recipe below)

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut lengthwise into 6 even strips. Sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Starting with the thick end of each strip, roll up into a pinwheel. Secure with a wooden toothpick or skewer.

2. In a medium skillet combine white wine, bay leaf, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to boiling. Add fish pinwheels. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove fish from cooking liquid. Cover and chill for 2 to 12 hours. Discard cooking liquid.

3. To serve, divide the endive, leaf lettuce, orange sections, cucumber slices, and almonds among six dinner plates. Spoon the Fresh Orange Dressing over lettuce mixture. Top with the fish pinwheels. Makes 6 servings.


Fresh Orange Dressing

YIELD: 1/2 cup

1/2 cup  light dairy sour cream
1/2 teaspoon  finely shredded orange peel
2 tablespoons  orange juice
2 teaspoons  sugar
1/2 teaspoon  poppy seeds
1. In a small bowl stir together sour cream, orange peel, orange juice, sugar, and poppy seeds. Stir in enough additional orange juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a dressing of desired consistency. Makes about 1/2 cup.

MAKES: 6 servings - Carb Grams per serving = 9

Source: Diabetic Living

A former blockbuster diabetes pill that was subjected to major safety restrictions in 2010 may be less risky than once thought, according to the latest analysis of the much-debated GlaxoSmithKline drug Avandia.

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a new interpretation of the key study of Avandia's heart attack risks, which suggests the drug is as safe as older diabetes drugs. 

At a highly unusual meeting this week, the FDA will ask a panel of experts to vote on a range of options for the drug, including lifting restrictions on its use.

The positive safety review from Duke University researchers is the latest twist in a yearslong debate over Avandia, which has divided medical experts, cost Glaxo billions of dollars and possibly resulted in an unknown number of patient heart attacks.

First approved in 1999, Avandia became the top-selling diabetes pill in the world by 2006 with sales of $3.4 billion. But prescriptions plummeted the following year after an analysis of dozens of studies suggested Avandia could raise the risk of heart attack.

For three years the FDA struggled to answer a seemingly simple question: Does Avandia increase the risk of heart attacks? A definitive answer has never been reached, in part because patients with diabetes are already predisposed to heart problems. That makes it extremely difficult to tell which heart attacks are drug-related and which are simply a result of the underlying disease.

Finally in 2010 the FDA decided to restrict the drug's use to all but the rarest of cases. Regulators in Europe banned the drug outright.

FDA critics have speculated that the real purpose of this week's meeting is to vindicate FDA officials who have kept Avandia on the market for so many years. They say regulators appear poised to roll back safety limits on the drug.

"It's the wrong reason to take a regulatory action," said Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who authored the 2007 analysis that first raised public safety concerns about Avandia.

"You want to take a regulatory action because it's going to benefit patients. I don't see how patients could possibly benefit from lifting these regulatory restrictions."

Nissen says he requested time to make a formal presentation during the meeting but was turned down by FDA officials.

The FDA says Wednesday and Thursday's meeting was prompted by a new analysis of the lone study of Avandia's heart risks. Known as RECORD, the study followed 4,400 patients and tracked rates of heart attack, hospitalization and death for six years.

The results were first reported in 2009 and medical experts have been debating their legitimacy ever since.

At the last Avandia panel meeting in 2010, FDA leadership generally backed RECORD's findings that Avandia appeared as safe as other standard diabetes drugs. But FDA staff scientists said the study was unreliable because of underreported heart attacks and other design flaws. Because of that disagreement the FDA asked Glaxo to obtain an independent analysis by an outside party.

The new analysis by the Duke Clinical Research Institute generally supports Glaxo's original findings. In a review memo posted Monday, three senior FDA drug officials state: "After re-adjudication, we do not find a cardiovascular signal of concern in RECORD. The mortality data are, in fact, reassuring."

Despite that assessment, the agency says it "has not reached any final updated conclusions" on the heart safety of Avandia.

The FDA will seek advice from two panels comprised of outside experts in the fields of diabetes and drug safety. 

The panelists will be asked to vote on four options for Avandia:

• Removing the drug's safety restrictions
• Leaving the safety restrictions in place
• Modifying the safety restrictions
• Withdrawing the drug from the market entirely

Finish reading rest of article at Fox News

New Treatment Could Stop or Delay Diabetes

A cure for diabetes could be available in the near future following the development of a new technique designed to protect insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

The Daily Express reports that the process uses stem cells to protect and regenerate pancreatic beta cells. 

These unique cells are responsible for producing and secreting the hormone insulin to keep blood sugar levels in check. But in people with diabetes, they are either damaged or destroyed.

According to the paper, early trials by pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim have shown encouraging results in strengthening beta cells and improving their function.

"This could be a cure if linked with early diagnosis and treatment," said Michel Pairet, head of pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim’s non-clinical research and development. 

Pairet states "The next wave of innovation is to try to protect the beta cell in the pancreas and maybe to cure the disease by inducing the regeneration of the cells . We are working on that. We started four years ago and, though it is difficult to say when because it is early pre-clinical development, the realistic timeline could be around 10 years."

Dr Pairet explained that protecting beta cells or helping these cells regenerate means that the treatment could help "stop or significantly delay" the disease and its associated complications. 

"A person’s need for insulin would be reduced or postponed – and that is our goal," he added.

Studies in which cell structures are reprogrammed to alter the need for insulin are now being conducted at Boehringer centres in Germany but future trials could be held in the UK.


Source: Diabetes.co.uk the global diabetes community

Easy Mango Parfait Desert

The Liver's Role in Diabetes

By now, most of us know that there’s some relationship between eating sugar and type II diabetes. 

But do you know exactly how that happens? It turns out that the liver is highly involved in the entire process!

Photo courtesy of http://naijamayor.com/

Continue reading article here