DIABETES - CARB CONTROL – GLYCEMIC INDEX

Not JUST low glycemic index foods will control blood sugars, but they DO play a large role in it.  It is also the AMOUNT of food you consume in one meal setting and the other combination of foods you eat with it (such as fats and proteins).

For best blood sugar control:

1. Eat foods that have a low GI (less than 55) - google up "Glycemic Index" for a complete list.
2. Eat foods that are higher in fiber
3. Always eat a healthy protein with your meals/snacks (nothing fried or highly marbled)
4. LIMIT the amount of fat you consume with your meal and make it plant fats (i.e. olive oil & avocado)
5. Men: limit Total Carbohydrate intake to 60-75gms/meal (4-5 carb choices)                            Women: limit Total Carbohydrate intake to 45-60 gms/meal (3-4 carb choices)

Carbohydrate Choices & Serving Sizes

 When there is not a nutrition label available, use the food lists below to help you.

Each portion below is one carbohydrate choice (which is also 15 grams of carbohydrate)

Grains, Breads,  & Cereals	Milk  & Yogurt	Fruits	Starchy Vegetables	Sweets & Snack Foods
*1 oz bread product    (e.g. 1 slice bread,    ¼ large bagel, 6”    tortilla) • 1/3 cup cooked     pasta or rice • 1 cup soup • 3/4 oz cold cereal* • 1/2 cup cooked     cereal • 3 cups popcorn	* 1 cup milk       (preferably skim) • 3/4 to 1 cup (6 to 8    oz) plain yogurt or    greek yogurt	*1 baseball size     fresh fruit • 1/2 cup canned      fruit in own juice • 1 cup melon • 1/2 cup fruit juice • 2 Tbsp dried fruit • 1 cup raspberries • 1 1/4 cup      strawberries • 3/4 cup      blackberries,      blueberries	*1/2 cup potatoes,    peas, or corn • 1/2 cup cooked     beans/legumes     (e.g. garbanzo,     kidney or black     beans)	*3/4 oz snack food (e.g. pretzels, chips, 4 to 6 crackers) • 1 oz sweet snack     (e.g., 2 small       sandwich       cookies, 5       vanilla wafers) • 1 Tbsp sugar or       honey • 1/2 cup ice cream

*Serving sizes vary between 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cup. Check the product’s nutrition label.

Examples to figure out how many carbs you would consume if you at the following:

1)    ½ cup macaroni & cheese + ½ cup strawberries = 30 grams carbs (or 2 carb servings)

2)    1 cup macaroni & cheese = 30 grams carbs (or 2 carb servings)

3)    1 cup macaroni & cheese + ½ cup corn + baseball size apple = 60 grams carbs (or 4 carb servings)

How to read a food label

• Find the Serving Size.
• Find the Total Carbohydrate in one serving. (Sugars are included in this number, so you do not need to count them separately.)
• Compare the serving size listed to your portion.
• Calculate the amount of carbohydrate in your portion.
• You can count grams of carbohydrate or carbohydrate choices.

KEY POINTS to consider and follow:

 * Food is now “medicine” to me.  What I eat directly affects how high or how low my blood sugars go.

* It is extremely important that I eat protein with EVERY meal and EVERY snack because protein helps pull my blood sugars back down.

* I MUST eat within 2 hours of getting up in order to get my blood sugars in balance for the day.   I also need to eat every 4-6 hours throughout the day(3 meals/day), with a small bedtime snack (which helps in promoting normal range blood sugars when I wake up in the morning).

Daily Workout

I talk to numerous people who use many excuses for not making exercise a top priority in their weekly schedule.  Many say they "chase kids all day, isn't it enough?"  Others say they just don't have time or the energy.   I ran across something that pretty much sums up those who prefer to lean on excuses and not legit "reasons" for not exercising:

"The Doctor told me, I should start an exercise program.  Not wanting to harm this old body, I devised the following:
Monday
Beat around the bush
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls
Wade through the morning paper

Tuesday
Drag my heels
Push my luck
Make mountains out of mole hills
Hit the nail on the head

Wednesday
Bend over backwards
Jump on the Band Wagon
Run around in circles

Thursday
Advise the President on how to run the country
Toot my own horn
Pull out all the stops
Add fuel to the fire

Friday
Open a can of worms
Put my foot in my mouth
Start the ball rolling
Go over the edge

Saturday
Pick up all the pieces!!!

Sunday
Kneel in prayer
Bow my head in thanksgiving
Uplift my hands in praise
Hug someone and encourage them.

Whew!  What a workout!
It's enough to tire one out for a long time!"

Exercise: motivates success, releases a natural "anti-depressant" produced in the brain, increases energy, decreases risks of numerous diseases, and builds up immunity amongst many many other benefits!  
If you're the type that says, "I'll start tomorrow."    When IS tomorrow?  Why not NOW??  VERY few people have a legit reason for not exercising...  more than likely, it's not you.  Now get moving!

Beauty- Part 3 – Biblical Beauty Secrets

Well, as most of you know by now how much of a “frady cat” I am of “synthetic” or “un-natural” things going into or onto my body.    “Health” is my motivator – not physical appearance.    So in my reading, something caught my attention… in Esther 2:8-12, Esther began her beauty treatments and special food.  What?  Beauty treatments?  Actually, there are several references as to beauty treatments & food in the bible!   And there was no “synthetics” back then – so I my attention was hooked!!

Here’s a few beauty treatment foods that are mentioned in the bible – along with information we have found on them today:

Almonds-(Jerimiah 1:10-11) helps in weight control & metabolic syndromes.  Use raw, with brown skins still on them.  The skins contain more than 20 antioxidants & contains a natural source of Vitamin E – which is a wonderful food for fighting aging and wrinkles!   

Flax – (Exodus 9:31, Joshua 2:6) – the omega-3 fatty acids helps the body regulate leptin, which helps you to lose weight and burn fat more efficiently.  It’s a huge source of Lignan which helps the liver metabolize and excrete inflammation-triggering fat and toxins.  It has 6 times amount of fiber of oats. (Dose: 1-2 TB/day)

Fish – wild caught only – contain omega-3 fatty acids that do same as listed under “flax” above but also it helps in fighting depression and contributes to soft healthy skin.   Flax oil is known to combat dandruff.  American Heart Association recommends at least 2 servings /week.

Cinnamon – was used as the Holy Annointing Oil for the tabernacle.  It regulates blood sugar, improves cholesterol, and helps the body return to a natural weight. Saliva can decrease potency of cinnamon so supplements are good. (Dose: ¼ to ½ tsp/day)

Cloves -(2 Kings 20:13) – play a role in regulating blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, reduce weight, and promote lean body mass.

Figs – (Micah 4:4) – promotes normal weight, protects bone density and cardiovascular system.

Vinegar – taking 2 TBS before a meal prevents blood sugar spikes, weight loss if done twice/day.  The main ingredient is acetic acid – which is the “mother” factor in raw vinegars.  It also kills the  fungus that promotes dandruff.

Bread – breads in biblical times were not processed or enriched…which means NO white bread!  A bread that’s as close to biblical bread is the Ezekial brand bread. 

Tea – is NOT mentioned in the bible; however, they traded a lot in the East and they had trade routes as far away as Africa & India, so it is very possible they consumed tea. Green tea is very well known for it’s ability of boosting metabolism, burning fat, and its high antioxidant –wrinkle fighting properties. 

Honey – (Gen 43:11, Exodus 3:17, Proverbs 16:24) this was valuable in biblical days.  Women applied it to their skin, along with oils, as part of their bathing ritual.  The darker the honey, the richer it’s mineral content.  (Go for locally made raw honey for the maximum benefits!)

Olive Oil – (Exodus 30) – was a staple in biblical times of a woman’s beauty regimen.  It was used to keep the skin soft & supple – and it doesn’t clog pores like most expensive creams do today!  When a pore is clogged, it promotes wrinkles! The Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains more antioxidant & phytonutrients than the other varieties.  It was also used to tame frizzy fly-away hair. 

Dead Sea Mineral Mud Masks – it has the highest concentration of  minerals such as calcium, potassium, bromide, and magnesium.  The Dead Sea was mentioned 3 times in the bible.

Frankincense & Myrrh – (Ester 2:12) – “Before a girl’s turn came to go into King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments proscribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh…”  These oils are known to soften the skin and prevent wrinkles. 

Aloe Vera (Psalm 45:8, Numbers 24:5-7) – renowned for helping skin to heal and increases collagen production (fights wrinkles). It’s also known to hold moisture in.