You can keep your diabetes well under control by sticking to a well-balanced diet including carbohydrates, fibre and fats. The key here is to eat at regular intervals to enable your body to use the insulin it produces and maintain an active lifestyle.
You can include special diabetic recipes in your cooking to develop healthy eating habits. However, this doesn’t mean that you not need to prepare a separate diabetic recipe every time you sit down to eat. You just have to know what kinds of food are recommended for you and what you must avoid.
Here is a quick checklist of all items you must include in your diabetic cookbook.
Carbohydrates: Fiber-rich carbohydrates including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are good for a diabetic. You should focus on limiting your carb intake by controlling your portion size or controlling your carbohydrate intake in grams. Try diabetic recipes by mixing whole fruits like apple, banana, pear or oranges with low-fat yoghurt. You can also find diabetic recipes for baked vegetable casseroles. Dairy products including milk provide essential nutrients to our body. They have a low glycemic index and should, ideally, be a part of your diet irrespective of age. But, you should avoid saturated high-fat milk. Stick to low-fat alternatives including skimmed milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese.
Fibre: Try and include as much dietary fibre in your diet as you can. Certain plant fibres cannot be digested or absorbed by the human body. As they move through the body to be eliminated from our digestive system, they absorb toxic waste, cleaning up our system on the way. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, peas and lentils, whole-wheat flour and wheat bran are all rich in fibre content. Try diabetic recipes using beans; they are not only filling, but they also cut down your cholesterol. Diabetic recipes for cakes using whole-wheat flour can take care of the occasional sweet tooth.
Fish as an alternative to high-fat meats: Certain species of fish including salmon, sardines, tuna and herrings are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the level of triglycerides in the body. They should be included in your diet for a healthy hat. Red meat is not recommended for diabetes patients, you can try replacing it with low-fat fish like cod, tuna and mackerel.
Fats: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help in lowering your cholesterol levels. However, you should include them in your diet in limited quantities. Nuts like almonds, pecans and walnuts make for a healthy snack. But, considering their high-calorie content, limit yourself to shot-size serving. Try diabetic recipes using canola, olive and peanut oils as substitutes for butter and other cooking mediums. Avocados lower the level of cholesterol in your body and can be included in a diabetic diet. But, they have high-calorie content; so it is best to limit your weekly intake.
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.