In my last post, I wrote about the types of diabetes, how they affect your health and what you can do to prevent diabetes. With the holidays approaching, you may be wondering what you can eat without sabotaging your health. Here are some more tips to help you plan for the holidays:
- Eat a balanced diet. Some diabetics think that by eliminating all carbohydrates from their diet, they can control their diabetes, but this is not true. Carbs are your body’s main source of energy. The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics eat whole-grain foods since these are made of fiber which provide energy without affecting glucose levels. Stay away from white rice and flour.
- Use The Diabetes Plate Method to help you plan your meals so that you have a balanced meal in the right proportions. How does it work? You simply divide your plate in three sections. Fill half of it with non-starchy foods such as broccoli, kale, asparagus, whatever you choose. A quarter will be filled with whole grain or starchy foods, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta or red potatoes. In the remaining quarter you will put your lean meat, fish or meat substitute.
- Limit sugary drinks. Your best drink is, of course, water, but you may have orange juice, lemonade, apple cider or even chai latte as long as they are sweetened with a no-sugar substitute. Whiskey and other alcoholic drinks such as vodka, gin and rum do not contain carbs and therefore should not affect your glucose levels. However, whiskey does have a tendency to drop your sugar level, so you may need to watch that. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) cautions that you should not drink on an empty stomach (to avoid hypoglycemia) and have no more than one or two drinks a day. Also, keep an eye on the sugar content of any mixer you put in your drink.
- Eat healthy snacks to stave off hunger. Diabetics can choose from a wide of variety of healthy snacks. Just make sure they are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats. Hard-boiled eggs top the list according to Healthline. They are rich in protein, keep you feeling full longer and do not raise your blood sugar after you eat. Other good snacks are unsweetened yogurt with berries, almonds, avocado, apples with peanut butter, roasted chickpeas, and popcorn among others.
- Eat dark-colored fruits. Blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, and kiwi are some of the best fruits for diabetics. They are low-glycemic, meaning they don’t cause your glucose to spike, and they contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
As you can see you can enjoy your food without going hungry when you are a diabetic. Just be careful to choose foods that are nutritious, high in fiber and are healthy overall. Stay away from puddings and other rich desserts and you will have a happy and healthy holiday season.
Posted on November 30, 2019 by aquildon@yahoo.com — Leave a comment
Storing Those Thanksgiving Leftovers
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the turkey and all the trimmings, and you were surrounded by all your loved ones. Life doesn’t get any better, does it? Now that Thanksgiving is over, you are left with the leftovers you will tire of in the next couple days. What can you do with them? Your freezer comes to the rescue.
Before you begin shoving the remains of that bird into your freezer, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has some advice, and some guidelines, for you.
- In order to prevent the growth of bacteria which can cause food poisoning, the CDC recommends that you put leftovers away quickly. How quickly? No longer than two hours after eating.
- Refrigerate leftovers at 40 degrees F or colder.
- Cut up the turkey or that pot roast into small pieces, no more than 2 inches thick. This will help them freeze more quickly and maintain quality. Store in small, airtight containers.
- Use up leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Any remaining after that should be frozen. They can last for 3 – 4 months.
- Use a permanent marker to label containers with the expiration date.
A guide to storing leftovers:
Food Fridge Freezer
Turkey 3 – 4 days 2 – 3 months
Meat (beef, ham) 3 – 4 days 2- 3 months
Chicken 3 – 4 days 2 – 6 months
Cranberry sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months, gravy 2 – 4 months and mashed potatoes, if made with butter and cream, can be frozen up to 1 year.
The holidays are not the only times you should plan your meals. You can plan and cook several meals ahead of time and freeze them. This will ensure you stay on track and save you time and money. If you would like to learn more about freezer cooking, just click on the FREE offer below. Your name will be added to my mailing list so you can receive more updates on offers like this. I will never share your information with anyone, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Posted on November 30, 2019 by aquildon@yahoo.com — Leave a comment
Storing Those Thanksgiving Leftovers
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the turkey and all the trimmings, and you were surrounded by all your loved ones. Life doesn’t get any better, does it? Now that Thanksgiving is over, you are left with the leftovers you will tire of in the next couple days. What can you do with them? Your freezer comes to the rescue.
Before you begin shoving the remains of that bird into your freezer, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has some advice, and some guidelines, for you.
- In order to prevent the growth of bacteria which can cause food poisoning, the CDC recommends that you put leftovers away quickly. How quickly? No longer than two hours after eating.
- Refrigerate leftovers at 40 degrees F or colder.
- Cut up the turkey or that pot roast into small pieces, no more than 2 inches thick. This will help them freeze more quickly and maintain quality. Store in small, airtight containers.
- Use up leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Any remaining after that should be frozen. They can last for 3 – 4 months.
- Use a permanent marker to label containers with the expiration date.
A guide to storing leftovers:
Food Fridge Freezer
Turkey 3 – 4 days 2 – 3 months
Meat (beef, ham) 3 – 4 days 2- 3 months
Chicken 3 – 4 days 2 – 6 months
Cranberry sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months, gravy 2 – 4 months and mashed potatoes, if made with butter and cream, can be frozen up to 1 year.
The holidays are not the only times you need to plan your meals. To help you stay on track with your diet, you can plan and cook several meals and store them in your freezer. This will save you time and money. If you would like to learn more about freezer cooking, just click on the FREE offer below. Your name will be added to my mailing list so you can receive more updates on offers like this. I will never share your information with anyone, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
