Diabetes

© Chef LaLa

Mushrooms are a great low-calorie, sodium-free, fat-free source of potassium and other nutrients and lend a fun flavor and texture to stir-fries, casseroles, pastas, rice dishes, pizza, meat dishes, burgers, salads and more.  Available in many varieties, mushrooms are a great addition to a multitude of dishes and are even great as a grilled, sautéed, baked or fried side dish.  Be sure; however, to use fresh, closed-gill varieties from your market as the ones that are decaying or picked from your own garden may be poisonous/toxic.  Try marinating, stuffing, pickling or many other options for enjoying mushrooms.

© Chef LaLa

Whether served raw or cooked, vegetables are excellent sources of vital nutrients for our bodies to function properly.  Each vegetable provides something different so, as with any food, its a good idea to have variety to gain the maximum nutritional benefits as well as experience the many flavors and textures out there.  One of the best ways to cook vegetables easily and still retain the color, texture, flavor and nutrients is to steam them.  If you don’t have a steamer, you can simply use a saucepan on your stovetop or your microwave and achieve the same results. 

To steam on the stovetop, you will need a large cooking pot and a steamer basket or collander that fits inside. Fill the pot with enough water to touch the bottom of the colander or steamer basket. Once the water comes to a boil, add vegetables and loosely cover to let the steam escape.  You can even add some herbs to the cooking water for added flavor and aroma.  When steaming in the microwave, place your vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl, add a few tablespoons of water, cover with microwave safe plastic wrap, leaving one corner open to vent.

All vegetables have different cooking times depending on their size and thickness, but most take no more than a few minutes. For the more commonly steamed vegetables, refer to the following chart:

Vegetable	Stovetop Steam Time	Microwave Steam Time
Asparagus	4-6 minutes depending on thickness (will be darker color when done)	4-6 minutes depending on thickness (will be darker color when done)
Broccoli	5 minutes (will be darker color when done)	3-5 minutes (will be darker color when done)
Brussel sprouts	10 minutes	7 minutes
Carrots	Sliced ¼” thick 6-8 minutes	Sliced ¼” thick 5 minutes
Cauliflower	6 minutes	3-4 minutes
Green Beans	5 minutes	3-4 minutes
Peas	3 minutes	1-2 minutes
Zucchini	6-7 minutes	6-8 minutes

© Chef LaLa

Fresh herbs are an easy, aromatic way to add flavor to your meals without adding fat and calories.  The amount of chopping required depends on the dish you are cooking.  Some dishes require flavor without diminishing the overall appearance of the dish, such as when cooking fish, chicken or meat, so finely chopped herbs work best.  For the best flavor and aroma, fresh herbs are best added toward the end of the cooking process for just enough time to infuse flavor but not so long that they are overcooked or take over the dish. You can always use a whole leaf or sprig of the herb as a garnish on the plate.  Keep in mind that the amount used fresh is different. Salads and salsas; however, benefit from larger leaves chopped just enough to release their flavor but leave them easily identifiable and very much a part of the appearance as well as the flavor and aroma of the dish. Be sure to rinse your herbs in cool water and pat dry thoroughly before chopping to maintain crisp leaves and avoid creating a paste.

© Chef LaLa

Wake up and eat your breakfast…then eat some more!  Yes, you should eat, especially if you want to lose weight and stay healthy!  It’s what you eat that makes all the difference to keep your body healthy and keep a steady metabolism to burn off the extra pounds that could put you at great risk for disease and even death.  66% of American adults are considered overweight or obese and at great risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke and other diseases associated with extra weight putting undue stress on our bodies that lead to the leading causes of disease and death. Start on the path to good health now by adding texture, flavor, fiber, and nutrition and cutting fat in very simple ways and you will stay satisfied and see results quickly.

© Chef LaLa

The most astounding recent discovery came when USDA scientists found that apple pie with cinnamon helped lower blood glucose levels. They did further research on diabetics who were not taking insulin and found that doses of cinnamon reduced their blood sugar levels and increased their natural production of insulin as well as lowered their blood cholesterol, even 20 days after the 40 day cinnamon treatment ended. This is a wonderful discovery for more than 50 million Americans who suffer from diabetes and/or heart disease because all the patients in the study showed better glucose metabolism and natural insulin production when they took cinnamon capsules that delivered less than two teaspoons a day of the spice. Lowering blood sugar levels and improving cholesterol ratios can help reverse prediabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, and in fact may actually prevent the worsening of health to full diabetes and help you lose weight, particularly belly fat which is sensitive to glucose levels.  

Adding cinnamon to your diet…

You can start right now to get the recommended 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon a day using the spice in your food.  The cinnamon you have in your pantry or pick up in your supermarket in either stick or ground form will work and comes from the bark of the evergreen cinnamon tree. As with any herb or spice you choose, make sure it’s fresh for the best flavor, aroma, and benefits. Open the jar in your kitchen and if the smell is strong and sweet your cinnamon is fresh. If not, throw it away.  Once open, be sure to seal the container tightly and store it away from light. Enjoy cinnamon by: 

• Add a cinnamon stick to flavor your favorite tea
• Add to unsweetened applesauce, cereal or oatmeal
• Sprinkle on toast or add to butter or cream cheese
• Sprinkle on coffee, cocoa, fruit juices, and ciders
• Add cinnamon to your favorite baked goods

If you want to take cinnamon as a supplement consult with your physician before beginning to use cinnamon in medicinal quantities, especially if you are already taking a diabetes medication since cinnamon may have an impact on your blood sugar.

I know I am! In fact, we’re all at risk, but we can do something about it - right now.  If not you, someone you love will be affected by one or more of the leading causes of death in our nation soon.  The no. 1 killer is heart disease, which is preventable, even if you already have risk factors, followed by cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, accidents and diabetes which are also preventable by taking some action.  Protect yourself and the people you love right now by taking some action.  

What are the Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease you can’t control? 

• Increasing age

Over 83 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older.  Diabetes is more prevalent as we age because our bodies become more resistant to insulin.

• Male gender

Men have a greater risk of heart attack than women, and they have attacks earlier in life.

• Heredity -including Race 

Children of parents with heart disease, African Americans (due to greater occurrence of severe high blood pressure) and Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans (due to higher rates of obesity and diabetes) are at higher risk of heart disease.

What can you do right now to reduce the major risk factors you can control?

• Don’t smoke

Smoking and breathing second-hand smoke increase your risk of heart disease 2–4 times that of nonsmokers and put you at greater risk for developing cancer.

• Reduce high blood cholesterol 

As cholesterol rises, so does risk of heart disease. Combined with other risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking, this risk increases even more. Take medications and change your diet as recommended by your doctor.

• Tackle high blood pressure

High blood pressure increases the heart’s workload, increasing your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and congestive heart failure. When combined with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases several times. Take medications and change your diet as prescribed by your doctor.

• Get physical

Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps prevent heart and blood vessel disease, can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure in some people. The more vigorous the activity, the greater the benefit.

• Lose weight

Excess body fat, especially at the waist, puts you at greater risk to develop heart disease and stroke even with no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the heart’s work, raises blood pressure and cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL (”good”) cholesterol levels. It can also increase the risk of diabetes. By losing even as few as 10 pounds, you can lower your heart disease risk.

• Control your diabetes

Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke, even when glucose (blood sugar) levels are under control, with increased risks if blood sugar is not well controlled. About 75% of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease. If you have diabetes, work with your physician to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.

• Other things you can do

Control stress, change your lifestyle, and discuss your options with your physician. People under stress may overeat, start smoking, or drink too much.  Drinking in excess can raise blood pressure, cause heart failure and lead to stroke, contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, and produce irregular heartbeats.  It can also contribute to obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents.  Get creative, try yoga or other exercise to keep you relaxed and help you sleep better. Talk to your doctor about a Mediterranean diet or adding cinnamon to your diet. These are great, flavorful ways to help you get the nutrients you need, enjoy the foods you love and combat diabetes and heart disease and even protect you against some forms of cancer. 

© Chef LaLa

By making a few changes to be more active, eliminate stress, and eat healthier, we can work at reducing the 3 biggest risk factors for heart disease which are obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol and give ourselves the chance to live longer, healthier, more active lives. 

Sounds easy and makes sense, yet our busy lifestyles have many of us leading unhealthy lifestyles by eating unhealthy prepared foods loaded with saturated fats, salt, and refined sugar to save time and then driving to the market to get more when we run out instead of walking because we are again trying to save time.  This all leads back to stressing our systems by rushing around and getting nowhere good, which can, over time, lead to chronic disease. Millions of American children and adults are at great risk because they are overweight or obese, have high blood pressure, and/or high cholesterol that are not being treated or are not under control. 

Talk to your doctor about changes you can make in your family’s diet that can ultimately save their lives.  There are plenty of changes you can make right now like taking a walk to the market to get some fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  Talk to your doctor about whether a Mediterranean diet might work for you which can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of diabetes, another risk factor for heart disease.

Diabetes is a growing problem worldwide, so researchers continue to look for lifestyle behaviors that can be changed in order to prevent or reverse this trend. More and more, experts are devoting attention to the Mediterranean diet.  Since the 1960’s it has been noted that people living in the Mediterranean have had food habits which can clearly be linked to good health because they consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, and olive oil with minimal amounts of animal products.  The Mediterranean diet boasts whole foods and a lower intake of fat, most importantly saturated fat, by the consumption of olive oil over other oils which is proven to reduce insulin resistance and reduce the chances of developing diabetes by 1/5^th over diets that feature whole milk and butter which are shown to increase the risk of diabetes.

Overall, the Mediterranean diet has several components that impact diabetes…

• Consumption of fiber satiates and causes diabetics to eat less and consume less sugar
• Olive oil has anti-inflamatory properties which may decrease the risk of chronic disease and adds nutrients to food rather than just adding fat like other oils may tend to do
• Energy density or calorie content of the Mediterranean diet is lower than the typical American diet and shows a decreased risk of obesity and related chronic health problems by increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
• High Antioxidant intake from consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of type II diabetes.

The balance of micronutirents, phytochemicals, and fiber seem to play a major role in improving glycemic control which is very important in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Be sure to consult with your primary care physician regarding your own health needs. 

Whether you’ve never had an artichoke, don’t know how to prepare or eat one, or are already an expert, now is the time to enjoy since they are in peak season from March to May. Artichokes are a Mediterranean food related to the thistle and are delicious and fun to eat.  They’re easy to prepare and are an excellent source of nutrients like dietary magnesium, fiber, and the trace mineral chromium.  They’re also a very good source of vitamins A and C, folic acid, biotin, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, potassium, the trace mineral manganese, and a carbohydrate that’s in the form of insulin.  These properties make them healthy for the whole family including those watching their calories and blood sugar.  Fresh artichokes contain polysaccharide which is a carbohydrate handled by the body differently than other sugars, making them low in calories and extremely beneficial to diabetics because the type of insulin they produce has been shown to improve blood sugar control in diabetes.  Throughout history artichokes have been known to treat liver disease, lower cholesterol, and are considered an aphrodisiac food.

There are many varieties of artichokes, ranging in color from olive green to deep red, though the Globe variety is most commonly found in supermarkets. Commonly known as a vegetable, the artichoke is actually a flower bud, which when allowed to blossom, is violet blue in color. Artichokes come in a variety of sizes–the biggest, perfect for steaming or boiling, while baby artichokes (often much cheaper) are a delicious and tender addition to almost any recipe. When buying artichokes, as with any produce, fresh is best. Choose artichokes that are tightly closed and seem heavy for their size with few discolored or shriveled leaves. Rub the leaves together; if they squeak, they’re fresh. Once you get your artichokes home, keep them in a sealed bag in the refrigerator to prevent discoloration.

75% of the 3 million cartons of domestically-grown artichokes are grown in Castroville, California, the self-proclaimed Artichoke Center of the World since 1959 with an annual mid-May festival to celebrate the artichoke. Have your own celebration by enjoying some steamed artichokes petals at home.  Dip them in butter or your favorite sauce for an added treat and you’ll be hooked!

How to Cook an Artichoke

Once you’ve bought your artichoke, preparation is easy. Start by trying the classic steamed or boiled approach and then you can experiment with different methods and recipes as you get more comfortable.

1. Wash the artichoke in cold water.
2. Remove any discolored or shriveled lower petals.
3. Using a sharp stainless steel knife (to prevent discoloration) trim the stem close to the artichoke’s base.
4. Cut off the top quarter of petals if you prefer so the tips don’t poke your fingers.
5. To preserve the vegetable’s color, though not necessary, you can dip it in acidified water prior to cooking (one quart of water mixed with one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar). You can also add a touch of sugar and salt or herbs to the boiling water to obtain a better flavor.
6. Steam (place on rack above an inch or two of boiling water) or boil (add to pot with enough boiling water to completely cover). Cook until you can pull off a petal near the center with ease–25 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. Large ones may take 60 minutes but are much “meatier”

How to Eat an Artichoke

The artichoke is like a delicacy that can be consumed alone or with a simple dipping sauce to complement it and make a great appetizer, especially for kids. This spiny vegetable can be an intimidating presence on the dinner table if you’ve never had one whole but the following tips can help even the novice artichoke eater enjoy the wonderfully nutty flavor of this unique plant like an expert:

• Pull off outer petals one by one, dip the thicker base into the sauce of your choice, and bite or scrape the succulent pulp off the inside of the petal with your teeth. Discard the rest of the petal.  This is especially fun for children.
• When you get to the heart of the artichoke, spoon or cut away the fuzzy portion in the center, cut the remainder of the heart (including any portion of the attached stem) into bite-size portions, dip, and savor!

Final Notes on Artichokes

Once you’ve mastered the basic preparation and eating techniques, allow yourself to get creative. Artichokes can be marinated and grilled, stuffed and fried, sautéed with meat and vegetables as a topping for pasta, roasted, braised, added to salads, or creamed in soups. If you prefer to keep things simple, try varying your dipping sauces for steamed artichokes. For a change of pace from butter, homemade mayonnaise-based sauces mixed with fresh herbs, spices or garlic and lemon are a nice complement.  However you enjoy your artichokes, feel good about serving them to your entire family for a fun, healthy appetizer or main course this spring.