De-Stress with Citrus

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Tuesday December 21, 2010
In This Issue: What You Need to Know About the Glycemic Index Control Your Blood Sugar Without Lifting a Finger! De-Stress with Citrus The Secret to Shrinking Your Insulin Resistance is in Your Fridge—and Not a Pharmacy! Featured Recipe: Turkey Piccata What You Need to Know About the Glycemic Index People with diabetes hear the word "glycemic" quite a lot. But do you really know what it is and how you can use it to keep your diabetes in check? In this issue of Reverse Diabetes, we're giving a crash course on this most crucial of food-ranking systems. The glycemic index, or GI for short, is an internationally recognized scale that ranks carbohydrates in your diet according to their effect on blood-glucose levels. Underlying the index is a key fact: Different carbohydrates behave very differently inside our bodies. Some influence our blood sugar tremendously, others not so much.   Differentiating between the two is crucial to your diabetes management and your overall health. Most of the time, for example, we want to eat foods with a low glycemic index; those are foods whose carbs release slowly and steadily into the bloodstream. But if you need a rapid jolt of blood sugar, you want a high-GI food, like candy. Foods ranked by the glycemic index are given scores. The higher the number, the quicker the carbohydrate is converted in your body to glucose, or blood sugar: A high glycemic index is 70 or above. Examples include instant white rice, brown rice, plain white bread, white potatoes, corn- and rice-based cereals, corn-based crackers and chips, pretzels, plain bagels, doughnuts, and hard candies. A medium glycemic index is between 56 and 69. Examples include bananas, raw pineapple, melon, papaya, popcorn, canned beets, rye bread, pita bread, couscous, cornmeal, whole-wheat products, and starchy soups like split pea. A low glycemic index is 55 or below. Examples include vegetables, peanuts, most raw fruits, low-fat dairy, most beans and lentils, bulgur, pumpernickel, multi-grain and sourdough bread, and surprisingly, most al dente cooked pasta! Not surprisingly, you want to keep your glycemic intake mostly in the low to medium-low range. Study after study has proven that people who follow a low-GI diet over many years are at significantly lower risk for developing both type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease than those who follow a high-GI diet. 60 is a good number to keep in mind.  Most of what you eat should score about 60 or below on the GI chart. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But in recent years, many nutritionists and doctors have begun to rebel against the Glycemic Index. Their complaint: GI only measures the impact of carbs on you, without taking into account what else is in your food. For example, fruit contains a fair amount of fructose that converts quickly to blood sugar, so its GI is high. But a piece of fruit is often filled with water, fiber, and more complex nutrients; sugar is just a small part of the overall food. To factor in the total ingredients of a food, nutritionists have come up with a second scale, called the Glycemic Load. Put simply, this scale applies the Glycemic Index to a standard serving of the food. In other words, it adjusts the GI to take into account all the non-carb components of the food. Generally, a low GL food has a ranking of 10 or below; medium is 11 to 19; and high is 20 or above. As with GI, you want to eat mostly low Glycemic Load foods. There are countless comprehensive resources in print and on the Internet to find GI and GL rankings. However, we suggest that you always reference reputable sources such as the American Diabetes Organization website, or medically accredited books and websites. Rule of thumb: If it's not written by a doctor or nutritionist, don't use it as a guide. Rankings tend to differ greatly, and it's important that you are using the most accurate rankings you can find. SPECIAL OFFER Control Your Blood Sugar Without Lifting a Finger! The one thing everyone with diabetes needs to avoid is stress. It releases a hormone that causes our blood sugar to careen out of control. And, one of the best things you can do to control your stress levels is to enjoy a quick massage three times a week. That said, HERE is the easiest way you can enjoy this ultra-relaxing, diabetes-fighting massage. You'll find it's much more affordable than fancy, high priced massage chairs and beds. Plus, once you have it, you'll be able to treat yourself to the healing benefits of a soothing massage as often as you want, wherever you want - even in front of the TV! How exactly do get this easy, affordable massage – and how can you use to it to control your blood sugar without lifting a finger? Find out here. De-stress with Citrus Need to relax? Skip the ice cream or slice of cake, and instead try one of these quirky but proven ways to turn off anxiety-causing chemicals in your body. • Invest in lemon- or orange-scented potpourri. The refreshing aroma of citrus has been found to boost moods and alleviate anxiety. You can find aromatherapy oils in health food stores, and citrus-scented candles and potpourri at most home goods stores. Keep several small bowls around the house. • Look at something green at least once a day. Nature is a proven stress reliever and mood booster—you needn't look further than your backyard to get the benefits. Pick up a pretty leaf or flower and examine it. Notice the difference between focusing on something completely different than work- and life-related tasks—and feel the stress melt away. • Slowly burn out an imaginary candle when you feel stressed. Deep breathing elicits a relaxation response in your body. Pretend that there's a candle about three feet in front of you. Take a slow deep breath in, then exhale slowly, and visualize the candle being extinguished. Repeat three to five times.    SPECIAL OFFER The Secret to Shrinking Your Insulin Resistance is in Your Fridge—and Not a Pharmacy! "Your fridge!" I hear you say, "How can that possibly be?" And yes, I also couldn't believe my eyes at first. But then I saw the facts... the scientific research that proves how a glass of milk can reduce your insulin resistance by a whopping 21%!  What's more, I also discovered that there are another 9 drug-free remedies I can use to the same, and even greater effect. Discover what they are – and how powerful they are - right here ... Turkey Piccata The enticing aroma of this elegant entrée sets the stage for a great meal. Turkey is a healthful—and less expensive—substitute for veal in this classic recipe that is high in protein, and low in both fat and carbohydrates. Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 turkey cutlets (4 ounces each) 2 tablespoons flour 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth 1 teaspoon cornstarch, blended with 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Serves 4 Preparation 1    Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dredge turkey in flour, shaking off excess. Sauté turkey until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer turkey to a plate; cover loosely with foil to keep warm. 2    Add garlic to pan and cook, stirring, until tender, about 1 minute. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and chicken broth to pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. 3    Stir in cornstarch mixture and capers, and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley. Serve turkey with sauce spooned on top.  Per serving (1/2 cup): 187 cal, 4 g fat (1 g sat), 6 g carbs, 30 g protein, 0.5 g fiber, 70 mg chol, 178 mg sodium Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes In the Next Issue: The Healing Power of Meal Planning Healing Secrets Your Doctor May Be Afraid to Mention Use Your Knuckles to Reduce Stress How Diabetes Can Affect Your Eyes Featured Recipe: Sausage and Vegetable Pizza
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Reverse Diabetes is a newsletter that offers trusted advice and information to help you maintain stable, healthy blood sugar levels. You'll also get delicious diabetes-friendly recipes, valuable tips and much more. Unsubscribe | Subscribe | Privacy Policy Please do not reply to this email. If you have questions or comments, email the editors. Reader's Digest Association Reader's Digest Road Pleasantville, NY 10570-7000 Copyright © 2010 Reader's Digest Association, Inc. All rights reserved.