Top 5 Food Recipes For Diabetics

Saturday, April 11, 2009

A Doctor once told me when I was caring for my diabetic Mom that "diabetics are people too!" Now, he was not looking to make me feel stupid or anything like that, what he was trying to tell me is that any diabetic is going to have the same desires, appetites and yearnings for certain "bad" foods that other people have.



With that in mind, finding diabetic foods or recipes for a diabetic can be terribly daunting. Personally, I prefer making my own food rather than going out and purchasing ready-made food from a health-food store that is specifically made for a diabetic meal.



Doctors are just coming to the realization that different foods affect one diabetic's blood sugar differently than another person's blood sugar will be affected, thus it's a matter of trial and error to find the food that will generate a rise in blood sugar, and which will not cause as high a rise.



For instance here is a recipe shared by another diabetic for almost-sugar free cheesecake!



Ingredients for Almost Sugar Free Cheesecake


For the Base:


Cracker Crumbs 1 ¾ Cups


Fat Free Butter ½ Cup


Powdered Cinnamon ½ Tea Spoon



For the Cheesecake:


1 Cup Water


Sugar Free Lemon Gelatin 1 Pack


Vanilla Extract 2 Tea Spoons


Light Whipped Topping 1 Cup


Fat Free Cream Cheese 1 Pack



Base preparation:


Pre heat the oven at 175 Degrees C or at 350 Degrees F.


Take a bowl and mix the butter ,cracker crumbs and cinnamon powder. Blend well.


Dust a cooking pan with flour so that the base does not stick. Press the mixture into the pan, so that it is ready to receive the cheesecake mix you'll make next.



Bake in the oven for about 9 - 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Put this aside to cool.



Cheesecake preparation


In a bowl beat the mixture of cream cheese and vanilla until it is smooth.


Boil one cup of water, then dissolve the gelatin in it. Set this aside and allow this mixture to thicken a little. Take care that it does not cool, as it will set and then form lumps.


Add the gelatin to the mixture of cream cheese and vanilla, and then fold in the whipped topping.


Pour this mixture into the base that was made before. Put this into a refrigerator overnight.


Garnishing


Depending on the fruit used, this will also make the diabetic sugar rise, so be sure and include it in the meal plan.


Now, this will give you an idea of a recipe that was obviously well thought out by a diabetic for use in a sugar-restricted diabetic meal, and who does not crave cheesecake?



My point is that you need to investigate various recipes yourself and adapt them. For example, here is one for almost sugar-free cherry pie that a friend gave me, and it's one of my favorites!



Ingredients For Almost Sugar Free Cherry Pie


2 cans of water pack pitted tart cherries


1 small package of COOK & SERVE sugar free vanilla pudding


1 small package of sugar free black cherry jello


4 tsp of Splenda


1 9-inch pie shell, baked


Preparation:


Drain cherries and pour the juice into a saucepan.


Set aside cherries.


Next:


In saucepan mix cherry juice and dry pudding mix and stir with a whisk while bringing the mixture to a boil.


Keep stirring until it is thickened and bubbly.


Remove from heat.


Stir in jello powder and Splenda until mixed well with the pudding and cherry juice.


Add cherries and mix until they are coated.


Transfer mixture into the piecrust and cool completely. Refrigerate until fully set for approximately three to four hours.


By varying the ingredients you can make pies out of different fruit, apples, peaches, or even pumpkin pie! Each time you will have to take into account the amount of fruit used and what kind it is, etc. so that you can well estimate the calories in your recipe, the fat, the carbohydrates, fiber and cholesterol. You'll also learn with research on the Internet how to estimate your exchanges. Again, the biggest clue is always research. Bon appetit!


Discover more about list of foods for diabetic to eat & learn Foods to Avoid for Diabetes and diabetes management.



Dr. Eswararamanan VR

Flavoring Extracts and Diabetic Desserts

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Flavoring extracts are an excellent way to add flavor to diabetic dessert recipes. While diabetic dessert recipes can sometimes taste bland or metallic due to the sugar substitutes in them, if you bake using a flavoring extract you can go a long way towards making up the taste. Use strong flavoring extracts like almond flavoring and your diabetic dessert recipes will taste more like the real thing.



For example, you can bake a simple cookie using ¾ of a cup of egg whites, ¼ a teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ of a cup of Splenda, ¾ of a cup of shredded unsweetened coconut, and one teaspoon of almond flavoring. Beat the egg whites until they're stiff and then slowly add all the other ingredients. Drop the mixture on a greased cookie tray and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees, then let the cookies cool overnight. If almond flavoring isn't your favorite flavoring extract, you can substitute other flavoring extracts like coconut flavoring, maple flavoring, vanilla extract or lemon extract. Using peppermint extract is especially great around holiday time, and you can use a couple drops of food coloring to turn the cookies red or green.



Another great diabetic dessert recipe is chocolate cream pie. Take an ordinary chocolate cream pie recipe and substitute Splenda for whatever sugar is called for (directions for converting amounts are on the package). When you're baking the crust, substitute two thirds of the flour called for in the recipe with whole rolled oats. (They're healthier than white flour for diabetics and they also add a great texture.) Add one of your favorite flavoring extracts (vanilla or orange go best with this recipe) and you've got a dessert that will win a bake-off.



Flavoring extracts can also add excitement to everyday dishes for diabetics. If you're making pancakes, a little maple flavoring, black walnut flavoring, or coconut flavoring will make them taste better. Make sure to double your recipes because your non-diabetic friends will taste them and prefer them to the regular versions!



French toast is another great diabetic recipe that can be improved using flavoring extracts. For example, Rawleigh makes an outstanding vanilla, butter and nut flavoring that will more than make up for any lack of sugar in your French toast. Whatever your favorite flavoring extracts are, using them will help counteract monotony in diabetic desserts.



Rawleigh Products was founded in the late 1800s to create a line of "Good Health Products" that possessed both strength and quality.
Visit http://www.rawleigh-products.com or Call # 1-800-992-1089



Vince Platania

Diabetic Dessert Recipe

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

You need not starve and live like a hermit just because you have been diagnosed with diabetes. In fact you can eat a variety of low carbohydrate low fat food like fish, almost all vegetables except those with starch content, nuts and fruits like avocado. The only golden rule to be kept in mind is to avoid all fats and keep low on carbohydrates. While preparing diabetic dessert recipe care should be taken that he dessert contains abundant dietary fiber that would fight in bringing down the blood sugar level. The dessert should be part of diabetic diet plan and calorie allocation done to the dessert should be reduced correspondingly from some other meal. Under no circumstance the total calorie intake should be allowed to exceed 1500 calories.



Crunchy home made cookies could be tried as a diabetic dessert recipe for diabetes. With a large spoon of plain flour add a little baking powder, a little salt. Some butter and just a spoon full of bakery shortening. Add to this one egg mix thoroughly and pick up the mixture in a spoon and bake for about ten minutes. You now have yummy cookies that you can safely eat.



You can eat safely just one cookie every day remember. You can not have the whole jar of them. This is because it comes with fats and oils, and plain flour adds up to the carbohydrate level and the amount of calories that a cookie provides must be adjusted in some other diabetic diet menu.



Well, a brisk workout that lasts for at least an hour daily is a natural treatment for diabetes to bring down blood sugar levels. Remember the patient's whole hearted support to the program is always vital. Low carb diet and fiber is good for lowering your blood sugar. A leaner body suits the low level of insulin available in your body. A weight reduction would mean lower insulin necessity and better alteration of blood sugar in to energy. Sensible eating is required to control blood sugar levels. Eat more vegetables, with little or no cooking in the form of salads. Add more roughage into your diet menu. A brown bread instead of a white bread, oatmeal, whole pulses and cereals and whole wheat with bran are the excellent fiber rich foods that you can add to your diet to lower your blood sugar naturally. This is a natural treatment for diabetes, were the blood sugar level could be significantly reduced.



The patient should understand that his body's insulin is running low and has to do every thing possible to reverse the situation. Blood sugar will be brought under control by methods of nonintervention as far as possible. The patient can try out these methods to bring down his level of blood sugar drastically.



Snacks that have a low glycemic index would slowly raise the blood sugar level while a fruit juice or a cheese burger would do the job as fast as they have a very high glycemic index. This also must be kept in mind while a bar of chocolate is offered to the patient. Ultimately consider diabetic dessert recipes with low carb content and be keen in selecting good food for diabetes.



Maintaining diabetes sugar levels are easy than cure. To maintain it you have to know more details from Foods to Lower Blood Glucose Levels AND Foods to Avoid for Diabetes.



Chris Angel

Cucumber Salad Recipes, and They Are Diabetic Friendly

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

We are all encouraged to get more vegetables into our diets. One of the easy ways to do this is with salads. Here are two different salad ideas and both feature cucumbers, one of the healthy vegetables we can eat without remorse. For those who like a crunchy salad, this Thai salad is perfect with its combination of cucumbers and peanuts. So give these salads a try as you work to improve your diet.



THAI SPICY CUCUMBER PEANUT SALAD



1 1/2 lbs cucumbers


1 1/2 tsp salt


1/2 cup rice vinegar


1/2 cup water


3 tbsp Splenda granular


1/4 tsp crushed red pepper


2 tbsp minced red onion


1 tbsp chopped dry roasted peanuts without salt



Peel cucumbers and half lengthwise, then slice into thin pieces. Add salt and toss well. Place in colander and drain for 1 hour. Spread cucumbers out on several layers of paper towels and cover with paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Rinse and pat dry.



Combine vinegar, water, Splenda, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in onion. Combine cucumbers with mixture in a medium bowl. Toss cucumbers well to coat. Sprinkle peanuts over cucumbers.



Yield 4 servings.



CUKES AND ONIONS IN SOUR CREAM



3 large cucumbers, washed, peeled, sliced


1 large yellow onion, sliced and separated into rings


1 lb carton of sour cream


1 tbsp apple cider vinegar


fresh ground black pepper to taste


1 packet Splenda



Place the cucumber slices and onion rings in a large bowl. Toss to mix up. In a small bowl, mix vinegar, pepper, Splenda, and sour cream until well blended. Pour this mixture over the cukes and onions; toss to mix until all the veggies are coated. Cover and refrigerate.



Note: Tiny red tomatoes may be added for extra color and flavor.


Enjoy!



For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com



For her vintage recipes, visit http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com



Linda Carol Wilson

Diabetic Dessert Recipes - The Important Tips You Should Know

Monday, April 6, 2009

Being a diabetic does not mean that you have to go entirely and absolutely free of sweets in your meal plan. Occasional mildly sweet treats can be allowed at certain times provided that your blood sugar levels are maintained within your target range. Eating food that are low in sugar and carbohydrates - both usual components of most desserts, makes up part of a natural treatment for diabetes. Food intake and food choices should therefore be adjusted to ensure that only good food for diabetes are included in any diabetic low carb diet. There are menu planners and cookbooks in the internet that contain hundreds or even thousands of diabetic meal recipes as well as diabetic dessert recipes that are interesting, healthy, and delicious.



Studies have shown that there are ways to lower blood sugar just by altering how we eat and what we eat. There are cookbooks on the diabetic low carb diet that contain lists of food that are allowed in the diabetic diet. The meal plans for diabetics often vary from one individual to another. It is best to consult your physician and your dietitian so that they can draw up a meal plan for you. Generally, food that are low in sugar or those whose glycemic indices are low are allowed into these meal plans. Sites that help you draw out your meal plan would also have diabetic meal recipes and diabetic dessert recipes that would be easy for you to prepare and delicious enough for you to enjoy.



Dessert is one of the sweetest foods that we eat. It is not unlikely that this part of the meal will be the one that gets cut when one develops diabetes. It is a good thing that there are still ways to enjoy dessert without having to suffer the effects of having a high blood glucose level. Diabetic recipes use only those ingredients that are low in glycemic index and are prepared in a low fat manner. With these recipes, anyone suffering from diabetes can have his fill of a deliciously prepared meal without having to worry about his blood glucose levels shooting up. There are, however, differences by which each one who suffers from diabetes reacts to sugar in the food that they eat. This is why it is still best to consult with your physician if you wish to include certain recipes in your meal plan.



Eating a balanced and healthy diet prepared from diabetic meal recipes and diabetic dessert recipes is a good way to control the effects of diabetes. When done in conjunction with a good exercise program and a healthy lifestyle, the diabetic low carb diet will effectively help anyone suffering from diabetes live long years free of any adverse complications. Eat only those good food for diabetes and keep your life stress-free are the most common advice that diabetics get from their physicians. Medication is not the first and only solution to diabetes. In fact, there are no known cures for diabetes. Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you are considered to be diabetic for life. You can only try and manage your diabetes by looking for ways to lower blood sugar levels in your system.



Controlling blood sugar is an art. If you want to be an expert in it, you should know what Diabetic foods to eat & avoid. Discover 5 Simple Tips on How to Lower Blood Sugar Levels today.



Dr.Eswararamanan VR

 
 
 
 
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