Pancakes Are Back on the Menu

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Tuesday March 15, 2011
In This Issue: Your Total Diabetes Team How to Lower Your Blood Sugar up to 25% by Eating the Foods you Love! Pancakes Are Back on the Menu Healing Secrets Your Doctor May Be Afraid to Mention Featured Recipe: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Your Total Diabetes Team For small jobs around our homes, many of us hire a single "I-can-do-it-all" handyman. But when that really big project comes along—like adding a room or redoing the kitchen—we hire experts for the separate tasks: plumbers, electricians, carpenters, painters, flooring installers, and often a contractor to coordinate the work. It's the best way to make sure the job is done right, on time, and on budget. Health is much the same way. For smaller issues, like a bout of the flu, you can rely on your primary doctor to help get you better. But for an important chronic disease like diabetes, you need a team of specialists if you want to manage the condition effectively. How come? Diabetes is a many-faceted disease. To manage it, you need to not only deal with weight, diet, and exercise. You also have complex body chemistry to monitor and adjust, secondary issues to watch out for (from heart disease to foot health), and even emotional issues to overcome. Many of us can't afford having a full medical team standing by to help manage the condition. But if you are insured, you may be surprised at what is covered. Don't make assumptions: Call your provider and find out what they will pay for, and under what situations. And if you aren't insured, at minimum, you need to be aware of the different areas of focus you need to manage. You may find free counseling or checkups available in several of the categories as well. Here then are the key players available to you for diabetes management. The more you can engage, the better the chances you'll keep your condition under control for a long time to come. Your Primary Care Provider is your regular doctor, the person you see for general checkups and when you get sick. Most health insurers mandate that you have one; they are the gatekeepers of your healthcare, choosing when you need to move on to other doctors for more specialized cared. For people with diabetes, they are NOT an option; like the primary contractor on a home project, primary care providers should be the hub of all your healthcare needs and services. Look for a primary doctor (aka family practice doctor or an internist) who has cared for many people with diabetes. You should feel comfortable asking your primary doctor about his level of experience with diabetes management, as well as for referrals. A registered dietician helps determine your food needs based on your weight, lifestyle, and health goals (such as lowering blood pressure). Even if you've had diabetes for many years, seeing a dietitian is invaluable because food needs and blood-sugar patterns change as you age. A Diabetes Specialist is a nurse trained and certified to work specifically with diabetes patients, both in terms of educating them about their condition and providing care. If you want to really understand your condition and figure out the best lifestyle choices you can make to manage it, then working with a Diabetes Specialist makes huge sense. An endocrinologist is a specialist in diseases related to hormones, metabolism, and body chemistry, and is helpful for anyone having trouble getting his or her diabetes under control. An ophthalmologist monitors any changes in your eyes and vision. The American Diabetes Association suggests you see your eye doctor at least once a year, since diabetes often affects the blood vessels in the eye. See a dentist at least twice a year, as people with diabetes are at somewhat greater risk for gum disease. Be sure to tell your dentist that you have diabetes. A podiatrist is the one you should see if you have ongoing problems with your feet and lower legs, specifically sores and wounds that won't heal.  A mental health professional—be it a marriage counselor, psychiatrist, or social worker—can be very helpful in dealing with the emotional side of diabetes. Last but not least, you are the most important member of your health care team. Only you know how you feel. Your health care team is only as good as the information you give them. Talk to them honestly and tell them how you feel. SPECIAL OFFER How to Lower Your Blood Sugar up to 25% by Eating the Foods you Love! The country's leading doctors, nutritionists and weight loss authorities all agree that real, long-lasting weight loss is not accomplished by crash dieting. Or fasting. Or exercising like mad. Or popping some "miracle pill". Instead, the only way you can truly enjoy long-lasting weight loss is with a doctor-approved plan that guarantees BIG results in as little as 3 short weeks! What's more, what you need is an easy plan that offers you dozens of appetizing choices, and lets you enjoy all the foods you love. Find out what this sure-fire plan is – and how fast you can make it work for you – click here now. Pancakes Are Back on the Menu! Even for people without diabetes, the amount of refined carbohydrates and lack of protein in traditional pancakes and waffles can make blood-sugar levels go sky high and then come crashing down. But you don't have to swear off these delicious breakfast foods—here's how to make them diabetes friendly. 1.    Switch to buckwheat pancakes. 2.    Make homemade whole-wheat pancakes (or waffles) with a few teaspoons of wheat germ. 3.    Add fiber-rich foods to the batter. Great choices include raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples, or granola. 4.    Beware of butter and maple syrup. You can double the calories and send carb levels surging by smothering your pancakes with them. Want a topping? Again, use fresh berries or a small dollop of fresh whipped cream. 5.    Balance with protein. Add walnuts or almonds atop your hotcakes and waffles for blood-sugar stabilizing healthy fats and protein.    SPECIAL OFFER Healing Secrets Your Doctor May Be Afraid to Mention Hundreds of thousands of doctors across the country would love to stop writing prescriptions for expensive drugs, and instead send you home with a list of foods that can ease arthritis... lower blood pressure ... improve cholesterol... fight diabetes and more -- but they're afraid.  Why?  Because big pharmaceutical companies and insurance giants pressure your doctor to do everything "by the book."  So no matter how much they may want to tell you to fight disease with foods -- their hands are tied.  But the reality is, somewhere in the world, the health problem you're suffering from today has been solved.  Not by drugs. Not by surgery.  But with FOOD!  Read more... Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Each slice of this easy-to-make bread delivers a whole lot of goodness, including a whopping 6 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. Have a slice with a piece of fruit and a little yogurt for the perfect everyday breakfast. Ingredients 5 cups whole-wheat flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 package instant dry yeast 2/3 cup raisins 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup fat-free milk, plus 1 tablespoon to glaze 1 egg, lightly beaten Makes 1 loaf (16 slices) Preparation 1    Lightly coat a 2-pound loaf pan with cooking spray and flour. Sift the flour, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast, raisins, and sugar, and make a well in the center. 2    Gently heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan until the butter has melted and the mixture is just warm. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg. Mix together to make a soft dough. 3    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a loaf and place in the prepared pan. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap that has been coated with cooking spray and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 4    Toward the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. Uncover the loaf and brush with the milk to glaze. Bake until it sounds hollow when removed from the pan and tapped on the bottom, about 30 minutes. Cover the loaf with foil toward the end of the cooking time if the top is browning too much. 5    Turn out onto a wire rack and cool. The bread can be kept, wrapped in foil, for 2 to 3 days.  Per slice: 198 cal, 3 g fat (1 g sat), 38 g carbs, 7 g protein, 6 g fiber, 19 mg chol, 234 mg sodium Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes In the Next Issue: Skim Does a Body Good Is Your Doctor Out of Date? A Healthy Bedtime Check-in When it Comes to Your Health, Grandma Knows Best Featured Recipe: Salmon with Tarragon Mayo
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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.