Diabetic Control Shakes and Bars

Latest question from FOODPICKER.org:

I was diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago.  I’m wondering about those bars and shakes I see advertised for people with diabetes.  Are they good to use?  Sometimes I’m out and need a snack or quick lunch.

Answer:

Specially formulated diabetic bars and shakes can be apart of a healthy and balanced diet when used appropriately.  They should not consistently be used as replacements for meals, but once in a while is perfectly acceptable.

The ingredients in these products are designed to cause a dulled or delayed rise in blood glucose after eating; this will help prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).  Some have uncooked cornstarch that can help to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), especially at night.  Basically, they help to steady the rise and fall of blood glucose.

When using these products as a meal or snack, identify the carbohydrate grams and use this as a guide to incorporate into your meal patterns.  For example, a 15-20 gram carbohydrate item would be a suitable snack.

If you want to read about this subject in greater depth, visit this website.  Points were adapted from this article: http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/15/1/11.full

Gluten Sensitivity with DM2… What to do?

Here is a question I recently received from FOODPICKER.org

I have type 2 diabetes and just found out I have gluten intolerance.  I haven’t been able to figure out what I can eat.  I have been leaving grains out of my diet.  What should I do?

Have no worries! There are many grains you can be eating, that will actually help with blood sugar control and are full of nutrients.  Background: gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye; avoid these grains and foods manufactured with them.  Oats do not naturally have gluten but are usually processed with wheat ingredients, so they are easily contaminated.  To make it a bit easier to spot, food labels will indicate if there is wheat the product at the bottom of the ingredient list.

Ok, so enough of what you can’t eat, lets discuss what you can eat!

Rice – go for brown – eat 1/3 cup servings with a protein like tofu or a small piece of chicken.  Try adding some red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to top the rice…

Quinoa – fast cooking and delicious! – Once cooked, toss with cilantro, shelled edamame, sliced water chestnuts and some chopped peanuts.  Make dressing of 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp hot Siracha sauce, 2 Tbsp orange juice and 2 Tbsp canola oil.

Millet – eat in the morning as an alternative to oatmeal – cook on the stove, as you would rice (add a little salt to the cooking water).  After cooking, top with blueberries and low-carbohydrate vanilla yogurt.

Also, don’t forget these great sources of gluten-free starch:

Sweet potato – an amazing tasting, highly nutrient dense food.  Try the off-white colored ones next to the yams.  Peel and slice into rounds, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper, roast them in the oven at 400F for 45 min, and you have a healthy, great tasting alternative to French fries.

Lastly, utilize soy flour or quinoa flour in baking.  They are easily available and cheap in the bulk isle.  Look online for appropriate measurement substitutions.

Hope this helps and inspires!!

Wishing good health and good taste,

JLS

Nutritional Yeast… What?

Nutritional Yeast:

An Odd Vegetarian Trend that’s Re-Emerging

With the organics movement leading the way toward healthy food choices, going vegetarian is a growing trend that is here to stay.  According to The Vegetarian Resource Group, in 2008, 3% of the U.S. adult population was vegetarian and about one-third of those vegetarians was vegan; this equates to nearly 6-8 million people who choose to not include meat into their daily diets.¹

The question remains, why are people choosing to abolish these delicious foods from their diets?  On an individual basis, reasons may vary from animal rights to environmental factors; however protecting one’s health may be the leading reason.  Researcher and author of The China Study, Collin T. Campbell, says an increased consumption of animal-protein foods is associated with a decrease in longevity.² Supporting this fact, the position of the American Dietetic Association, ADA, states that those who follow a vegetarian diet have lowered risk of death from heart disease, lower LDL cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes when compared with non-vegetarians.³

Still, there have been long-standing nutritional concerns involving vegetarianism, including protein, vitamin B₁₂, and iron status, just to name a few².  These are real concerns; the USDA advocates that vegetarians need “special guidance in planning healthful diets”.⁴ To provide background, vitamin B₁₂ is an essential nutrient found naturally only in animal products like meat, poultry and dairy; an adult requires 2.4 micrograms daily from food or fortified products.⁵ Therefore, vegetarians and vegans have to make an effort to include this vitamin in their diet.  Protein, however, is not as big of a concern; the ADA says that a variety of protein foods from plants, including grains and vegetables, can meet protein needs².  A registered dietitian, RD, can educate on the proper guidelines to ensure a complete diet.  If followed correctly, there is no need for concern.  An RD may also introduce you to new types of foods; for example, they may suggest you try nutritional yeast, a product that is re-emerging and finding its way onto shelves in the specialty health food stores.

Nutritional yeast is a tasty, low-calorie, good-for-the-environment way to get essential B-complex vitamins, a complete protein, and a bit of iron, without eating meat.  Similar to brewers yeast, it is a remarkably good source of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and minerals, all while being low in calories, sodium, carbohydrate and fat.  A serving size of three tablespoons contains 80 calories, 1g fat, 9g protein, 5g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, and 150% of the RDA for vitamin B₁₂, not to mention a slew of other nourishing components.⁶ A study published in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism proved that after eating nutritional yeast, vegan participants with initially low B₁₂ levels significantly improved.⁷

Yeast… does not sound very appetizing now, does it?  Okay, I am guessing that this is just confirming the notion in your mind that vegetarians and vegans eat bland, weird, cardboard-type food, right?  Surprisingly, this odd food actually tastes like cheese!  Here is the scoop: nutritional yeast is grown on molasses, then deactivated and dehydrated; left behind are powdered flakes that provide a cheesy, nutty taste that seems too good to be low-calorie.  The flakes offer richness in flavor and creaminess in texture when used in recipes.  Nutritional yeast can be used as an ingredient in recipes to create rich and cheesy pasta dishes or it can be utilized as a low-calorie condiment that is a suitable replacement for Parmesan cheese or sour cream.  Just ask the vegan chef, Tal Ronnen, who cooked for Oprah during her vegan phase, the possibilities are endless!  At home, use it to top baked potatoes and steamed or sautéed vegetables; mix it in with mashed potatoes or sprinkle on air-popped popcorn to create a low-calorie, highly nutritious snack.

The most common brands of yeast available are KAL and NOW; they are packaged in a re-sealable can and located in the supplement isle of specialty stores.  It does come in the bulk bin section, but many of the enriched vitamins are partially destroyed in the presence of light, so I recommend sticking with the can form.  I encourage anyone, vegetarian, vegan or meat-eater looking to cut calories, fat, cholesterol or animal products out of their diet to give nutritional yeast a try!  Start by using it as a topping and work up to using it in recipes to create healthy and nutritious sauces and dressings; I promise, you won’t miss your cheese!

Nutritional Yeast Dressing

In food processor, grind to a creamy dressing-like consistency:

½ garlic clove

½ package silken tofu

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

Serve cold as a salad dressing or as a chip or vegetable dip.

References

1. “How Many Vegetarians Are There?” 2009 Poll — The Vegetarian Resource Group. (2009). Retrieved April 20, 2010 from The Vegetarian Resource Group, How Many Vegetarians Are There?: http://www.vrg.org/​press/​2009poll.htm.

2. Campbell, C. T., & Campbell, T. (2007). The China Study: the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and the startling implications for diet, weight loss and long-term health . Walefield, Australia: Wakefield Press.

3. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets. (2009). Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109, 1266-1277.

4. Messina, V., Melina, V., & Mangels, A. (2003). A New Food Guide For North American Vegetarians. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 64, 82-86.

5. National Institutes of Health. (2009). Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet Vitamin B12. Bethesda, Maryland: Office of Dietary Supplements National Institutes of Health.

6. Food Label of NOW Nutritional Yeast

7. Donaldson, M. S. (2000). Metabolic Vitamin B12 Status on a Mostly Raw Vegan Diet with Follow-Up Using Tablets, Nutritional Yeast or Probiotic Supplements. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, 44, 229-234.

Cilantro-Lime Bean Dip

Can you believe, a low-calorie (vegan) dip that actually received more compliments and requests for the recipe than the one topped with sour cream and cheese sitting right next to it!

Try it out, its cheap, fast and amazing!

Grind in food processor:

1 can 3 bean blend (pinto, black, kidney), drained and rinsed

1/4 cup cilantro

juice of 1 lime

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. Mexican lime salt

1 Tbsp. Tapatio hot sauce

1/4 cup veggie cheese

Add a bit of water if the mixture is too thick to grind well.

Serve cold with tortilla chips, or place in casserole dish and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.

Wishing you Health!

Hello!

I am a Nutrition Editor at http://FOODPICKER.org – a great website designed to help people manage their diabetes.  We are striving to be one of the largest and most useful nutrition & diabetes education resources available.  I offer research-based, safe nutrition advice coming from 5 years experience in the field.  Currently, I am finishing up my dietetic internship and will be a Registered Dietitian within the year.

Please read the weekly posts regarding an array of practical, helpful, health-improving tips and ideas.  Please ask any questions and add any comments; I will respond with sound facts and answers based on accepted recommendations and current research.

Looking forward to hearing from you!