Healthy Hispanic food for everyone - even for diabetics
April 2, 2009 by Raquel Billiones
Filed under DIABETES
I love Mexican food. Tortillas, enchilladas, tacos, to name a few. Unfortunately, like many delicious food, they can be full of calories and cholesterol. The National Diabetes Education Program has come up with new tool to help Hispanic Americans (as well as all Hispanic food lovers regardless of ethnic origins) enjoy their traditional dishes without damaging their health. The campaign Más que comida, es vida (It′s more than food. It′s life) consists of recipes and cooking tips designed to reduce the risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The program is a joint venture of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
But why specifically Hispanic food?
Other statistics according to a national examination survey:
•· In 2005, Hispanics were 1.6 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.
The Más que comida, es vida campaign gives simple, easy-to-follow tips on how to make traditional Hispanic dishes healthier and lower in calories and fats. The tips consist of a few adjustments in the preparation, ingredients, and of course - portions.
According to Betsy Rodríguez, public health advisor of the National Diabetes Education Program′s (NDEP) Hispanic/Latino Work Group:
One of the recipe books is called Ricas recetas para personas con diabetes y sus familiars (Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families), which of course available for free download in both Spanish and English at the NDEP site.
The booklet contains a comprehensive introduction to diabetes and its management. With each recipe is an accompanying “Nutrition Facts” table and diabetic exchanges calculated based on the American Diabetes Association Exchange System.
My favourites?
Avocado Tacos for starters, Rice with Chicken, Spanish Style (Arroz con pollo) and Tropical Fruits Fantasia for dessert.
Bon Apetito!
A Recipe For Life — Zucchini Grinders
August 14, 2008 by Loretta Parker Spivey
Filed under ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
Hola! From Chile’
Yes, I am sharing this Recipe for Life all the way from South America, at least I was there when I first wrote it, but technology (or lack thereof), made it impossible for me to post it. The recipe doesn’t have a South American flair, but it DOES have amazing flavor and of course, its’ healthy, inexpensive and quite simple. Why, because that’s the prerequisite for all the recipes that you find here on Thursdays. It’s a recipe for life. Your hectic life as a caregiver.
You may have a kazillion zucchini from your summer garden, if not, be sure you can find them very easily and they are quite inexpensive this time of year. So, enjoy!
Zucchini–The health benefits of zucchini are many. It contains vitamin C and lutein. A great combo for antioxidants and eye health. In addition, zucchini is very low in calories and high in water content. It also contains a decent amount of folate, potassium and vitamin A. (source: www.organicfood.com.au)
Zucchini Grinders
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- 2 small cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- 1 Tablespoon dried or fresh basil (or to taste)
- 1 cup red sauce (spaghetti or marinara)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or soy substitute if cheese is an issue for you)
- 4 (6 inch) French or Italian sandwich rolls, split
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Lightly saute’ the zucchini, onions and garlic until browned and slightly tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and basil
- and stir in the marinara sauce.
- Cook and stir until sauce is heated.
- Spoon a generous amount of the zucchini mixture into each sandwich roll.
- Top with a handful of shredded mozzarella.
- Close the rolls, and wrap individually in aluminum foil
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bread is heated through, and cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and ENJOY!
Cooking, Recipes, Grocery Shopping and More…
June 26, 2008 by Tina Radcliffe
Filed under DIABETES
Being diabetic doesn’t mean boring meals or uninspiring shopping experiences. Turn a challenge into an adventure. Here’s some ideas.
Have you seen the American Diabetes Association Virtual Grocery Store yet?
Create a profile and sign in first. Then explore all there is to offer on this great site.
- Virtual Grocery Store Tour: lets you see your ordinary grocery store through the eyes of a diabetic trying to make smart choice.
- A Recipe File with recipes and a place to store your favorites. It also includes tips to modify recipes.
- Meal Planning help with exchange lists, the food pyramid and information on how to read labels.
- Express Lane, ideas and recipes on how to eat fast food that is healthy.
- Shopping list lets you import ingredients from the site’s recipes or just add your own grocery needs. It is printable to take with you to the store. Read more
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkGood Eating and Cancer
May 5, 2008 by Tina Radcliffe
Filed under CANCER
Spring has arrived and summer approaches here in the U.S. and Canada. That means an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s a great time to try a healthier living lifestyle.
Raw Food
The My Crazy Sexy Cancer Community has a great raw foods group that generously shares recipes and thoughts on the raw foods lifestyle.
And if you’re feeling lucky, My Wooden Spoon is running a contest this week giving away a Cuisinart Food Prep. The last day to enter is May 7, 10 PM CST.
Antioxidants
A few great recipes that incorporate antioxidant rich foods are available at Eating Well. Everything from strawberry bruschetta to blueberry ketchup!
The Super Food Connection
Super Foods are foods that are rated high in oxygen radical absorbency. They include:
- Beans
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Oats
- Oranges
- Pumpkin
- Salmon
- Soy
- Spinach
- Tea (green or black)
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Walnuts
- Yogurt
Check out Sunfood Nutrition for great articles and sources of information and ordering super foods and raw foods.
Eating Green
The Food Network offers great ideas on eating green; meals and shopping that are good for you, including an eating green guide.
GoVeg.com offers a free vegetarian starter kit. You can also get a free Johnny Rockets Streamliner, veggie burger, “During the entire month of May PETA has teamed up with Johnny Rockets to celebrate World Vegetarian Week (May 19 to 25).”
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkIntroducing A Recipe For Life
April 11, 2008 by Loretta Parker Spivey
Filed under ALZHEIMER'S DISEASEIf we were to play a word association game and I said, “Alzheimer’s disease” what words would come to your mind? Well, I am not a mind reader, so I can’t say for sure what you would say, but I am going to guess that, “stress” might be one of the words.
It’s an incontestable fact; Alzheimer’s disease and stress go hand in hand. Stress for the caregiver and for the one who is physiologically and emotionally battling the monster, Alzheimer’s disease.
The last couple of days, I have posted about grief from the perspective of the caregiver and the Alzheimer’s patient. The process of grieving adds another layer of stress to the, already complicated, matter of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.
Today, I am introducing, “Recipe for Life.” A segment that will be of benefit to Alzheimer’s caregivers and patients alike. “Recipe” will focus on various aspects of nutrition and health that will be of benefit to those affected with Alzheimer’s disease and caregivers specifically, and everyone else in general. Good nutrition is essential to good physical and mental health, so it’s important that you keep yourself healthy and strong.
Last week in Caregivers Corner, I talked about water, juice and smoothies, they are an awesome threesome to keep you hydrated, healthy and energized. Today, I’ll give you a healthy, simple and delicious recipe that you can chew versus drink.
Today’s Recipe for Life:
One Pot Wonder-Lentils and Rice (adapted from What’s Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny Stacy)
Benefits: Lentils are high in dietary fiber and protein, they cook quickly and combined with a whole grain, such as brown rice they pack an extra punch to make a well rounded, complete protein dish. There is an excellent article by Rebecca Livermore about the health benefits of lentils, click here to see Rebecca’s article. In summary, they are not only high in fiber and protein, but they also provide iron and folic acid. They are an excellent food for fighting cholesterol, constipation and coronary heart disease.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups DRY lentils (your choice, red, green or brown)
1/3 cup long grain rice (brown is best nutritionally, but white will work fine)
4 Cups of vegetable stock
1 leek cut into chunks (its okay to use a small onion)
3 medium cloves of garlic crushed
1 14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala (Indian Spice, curry will work too)
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 cup small broccoli florets
1 cup can or frozen corn
1 cup French style green beans
1 TBS fresh basil, shredded
Instructions
- Place lentils, rice, vegetable stock in medium-large pot, cover and cook together for 30 minutes.
- Add the leek, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and garam masala or curry, red pepper, broccoli and corn.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the fresh basil and enjoy this “Recipe for LIFE!”
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkDiabetic Vegan Recipe
April 10, 2008 by Julie E. Fletcher
Filed under DIABETESVeganism is popular and healthy
I need to start this off by saying that I am not a Vegan. My family eats more vegetables than meat based dishes, though we do consume meat. When I share vegan and vegetarian recipes, I am not condemning meat eaters at all!
Veganism has gained a lot of popularity among the health and eco-conscious. With the issues that elevated protein can cause in diabetic, I thought it may be a good idea to share recipes all diabetics can incorporate into their diet. So, if you are a vegan/vegetarian diabetic, this recipes is dedicated to you!
And if you aren’t vegan or maybe not diabetic, impress your friends with a dish that is tasty, but meatless! For you carnivores, you can replace the tofu with ricotta cheese.
Spinach OR Broccoli Casserole
*1 cup of cooked brown or wild rice
*2 cups silken tofu (or mashed semi-firm, OR ricotta cheese)
*1 package raw spinach or raw broccoli
*2 green peppers, chopped
*2 cups grated soy cheese, you favorite flavor
* 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt is wonderful)
*1 clove garlic, run through press.Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a baking dish that has been prepared with olive oil (lightly). Slivers of almonds can be placed on top before placing in the over. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, longer if needed, up to 45 minutes. 5 minutes before removing, top with a meltable soy based cheese substitute.
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkDiabetic Recipes Page
March 24, 2008 by Julie E. Fletcher
Filed under DIABETESJust in case you have not noticed yet, there is a new page to Battling Diabetes. This page was created to make it easy for you to find the recipes posted here.
I like easy, don’t you?
If you look to the left and scroll down a little, under the ‘Tag Cloud’ box you will see ‘Site Pages’. Here is what you are looking for:
Click on the link for Diabetic Recipes and you will find the new page. The recipes are listed in order of meal and are linked right to the post they appear in. More recipes will be added and eventually we will have the largest list of diabetic recipes!
If you would like to request a recipe be listed, just email me. Also, if you have a favorite recipes that is not diabetic, email me and I will experiment until it can be prepared to fit into your diet and lifestyle.
Don’t forget to join in on the newest cookbook contest!
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkHealthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook Contest
March 20, 2008 by Julie E. Fletcher
Filed under DIABETES
Lauren Paul from Jane Wesman Promotions has sent not one, but 3 copies of The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook for the readers of Battling Diabetes!This month, the contest for the books will be a little different. You do not have to blog, just post a comment! You can post : “Enter me, please” or “Hey, neat, I want the book”, or even tell me all about your favorite recipe. Heck, tell me about your dog. Just be sure to place that you are entering the contest in you comment somewhere.
If you have friends who would benefit from this book, tell them about the contest or enter for them and send it as a gift!
For a review of The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook, check out THIS post. (new window)
The contest will be open to new entries until midnight, April 2cnd. The winner will be chosen on April 3rd. Do not miss out on this great cookbook and thank you again to Lauren for providing such great books to sponsor our contest!
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkA Look Back
February 29, 2008 by Julie E. Fletcher
Filed under DIABETESSince it is the last day of the month, I thought we would take a look back at February.
We’ve talked about neuropathy, what it is and how it affects the body. battlingforhealth.com/2008/02/what-is-diabetic-neuropathy/
Reviewed The Big Book of Diabetic Desserts, which will be given away in just a few more days! Don’t miss out on the contest to win your own copy. battlingforhealth.com/2008/02/the-big-book-of-diabetic-desserts/
Talked about making healthy choices. No matter who you are, diabetic or otherwise, healthy food is important to your health. battlingforhealth.com/2008/02/healthy-choices-healthy-eating/
One of my favorite entries is on going green. Recycling can be a part of your routine. You don’t have to toss out all of that packaging! Bottles, syring caps, boxes, all of it can be reused or recycled. battlingforhealth.com/2008/02/get-green-diabetics/
My next favorite post is the links to diabetic recipes. The internet is such a vast resource for all of us. You do not have to eat ‘blah’ food to be healthy. The links in this post will help you find recipes for children or adults. battlingforhealth.com/2008/02/food-food-and-more-food/
I’ve also found new blogs that are interesting. I have placed them in my blog roll, but yesterday I spoke with a blogger I hadn’t met just yet. His name is Ken and his blog is www.battlediabetes.com . Who could resist another fighter in the battle?
March is going to be an amazing month. We are going to discuss how to ‘clean’ out our lives. Since March is the month when most people in North America are beginning to feel the effects of spring, we’re going to have a month of springing into action, breathing fresh air, and planting the seeds of good health into our lives.
If you have any suggestions, questions, or would just like to talk about you diabetes, feel free to contact me via the site or through my email.
battlingforhealth.com/contact/
» Post Ad Purchase: Intext LinkFood, Food, and More Food!
February 27, 2008 by Julie E. Fletcher
Filed under DIABETESPlanning healthy meals as a diabetic is important. You do not need to settle for plain fare, much like I tell others who are interested in eating healthier; all food can be delicious. All it takes is a bit of imagination to change boring food to spectacular meals.
Here are a few links to help you plan and cook better meals. You can find recipes, the diabetic food pyramid, a food planner, and even a virtual grocery store tour.
American Diabetes Association Virtual Grocery Store
Most recipes above are geared towards adults. Kids with diabetes want to have fun, tasty food, too! Here are some links to sites where you can grab recipes for your diabetic children.
More From Kid’s Health (not just diabetes, other conditions, too)
Children’s Diabetes Foundation Recipes
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