The Ultimate Diabetes-Fighting Fruit

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011
In This Issue: The Ultimate Diabetes-Fighting Fruit "Why Are You Rubbing CHOCOLATE on Your Face?" Move for Your Mood Food that Makes Women 30% Less Likely to Get Diabetes Featured Recipe: Chickpea and Pita Salad The Ultimate Diabetes-Fighting Fruit It doesn't matter if you say "tom-ay-to" or "tom-ah-to," so long as you say, "yes" to eating them. These juicy fruits (yes, tomatoes are fruits) are incredibly low in calories (just 22 per tomato!) and carbs (less than 5 grams each). What's more, they're rich in vitamin C, which helps protect the body from blood-sugar damage. They're also rich in lycopene, a nutrient that's a member of the beta-carotene family that has proven blood-sugar stabilizing effects. Lycopene is also a powerful antioxidant. Men who eat tomatoes and tomato products such as tomato paste and tomato sauce at least twice a week lower their risk of prostate cancer by 24 to 36 percent! There are also studies that have linked tomatoes to reduced risk of osteoporosis, asthma, and inflammation. Tomatoes are so versatile, the opportunities to eat them are endless. Of all the veggies and fruits to incorporate into your diet, they are some of the easiest to use. Because lycopene is fat-soluble, it needs a little healthy fat to be absorbed into the body. That's an easy fix—tomatoes and olive oil go together famously. You can also serve them with nuts or avocados (other healthy fats). Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste all count, too! Ketchup and tomato juice are rich in lycopene, but they're high in sugar and sodium, so try to limit your intake. Want more ways to get tomatoes into your diet? • Eat a tomato whole. Like an apple, a whole tomato makes a great snack. Just keep extra napkins on hand. Or opt for cherry or grape tomatoes, which are every bit as healthy but minus the mess. • Add sliced tomatoes not only to your salads and sandwiches, but on fish, chicken breasts, or pork entrées as well. • Whip up a fresh salsa, and use as a sauce on everything—meats, vegetables or carbs! • Serve sliced tomatoes with low-fat mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil as a snack or appetizer. • Sneak a can of diced tomatoes in soups and stews. • Make homemade pizza on whole-wheat dough with low-fat cheese—and extra tomato sauce. SPECIAL OFFER "Why Are You Rubbing CHOCOLATE on Your Face?" As you can imagine my sister was shocked to see me rubbing chocolate on my face recently – and you can't blame her really! You see, my poor sister was still under the impression that you need a lot of expensive, store-bought products to keep your home, your yard and your life in tip-top shape. She didn't yet know that chocolate just happens to be one of the best skin softeners around... that you can restore scratched furniture with coffee... catch garden pests with beer... and save yourself hundreds of dollars with all these extraordinary uses for everyday things... Move for Your Mood When you're in a bad or sad mood, sometimes just getting out of bed can be a major achievement. But that's precisely when you should do the opposite—move! Exercise boosts your mood by triggering the release of mood-enhancing brain chemicals. It also provides a chance to think through your issues—or forget them! And of course, exercise forces your cells to take up more blood sugar, a wonderful thing for people with diabetes. Here are some tips to stop you from thinking up excuses for not exercising when you're feeling low. 1. Plan to exercise in the morning. You'll have less of a chance to find reasons to skip it during the day. 2. Invest in a good MP3 player. Load it up with your favorite music and use it to get energized and motivated. 3. Just do anything. If the thought of exercising for an hour seems daunting, exercise for 10 minutes, then see how you feel. Usually getting up off the couch—or getting to the gym—is the hardest part. 4. Find an exercise buddy. They'll motivate you—and you'll motivate them. Plus, it makes the experience more fun! 5. Walk it off. Few workouts are as simple as throwing on sweats and sneakers and going outdoors for a neighborhood stroll. A morning and/or evening stroll are good for body, mind, and soul.   SPECIAL OFFER Food that Makes Women 30% Less Likely to Get Diabetes According to a recent study women who eat this one food just five times a week can block their risk of diabetes by 30%.  And that's not all.  Studies also showed that one-tablespoon of lemon juice dropped the blood-sugar impact of a meal by 30%.  And if you use vinegar this way you can actually lower your blood sugar up to 55%. And avocado lowers your blood sugar and your cholesterol even though it's loaded with fat.  Read more ways to fight blood sugar problems... Chickpea and Pita Salad It's important to grill the pita bread until it's really crisp and golden or it will quickly become soggy when mixed with the other ingredients. The dressing adds the distinctive flavors of olives, anchovy, and garlic.  Ingredients Salad 4 whole-wheat pita breads 2 cans (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cucumber, diced 4 large beefsteak tomatoes 6 scallions, chopped 1/2 cup pitted black olives, preferably kalamata Sprigs of fresh mint for garnish Dressing 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons olive tapenade 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint Freshly-ground pepper Serves 8 Preparation 1    Preheat the oven broiler. Split the pita breads in half by carefully cutting them open with a sharp knife. Place them on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler until golden brown and crisp, turning once, then allow to cool. Tear into bite-size pieces. 2    Put the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, and olives in a serving bowl. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, tapenade, mint, and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the vegetables and toss together. 3    Just before serving, add the pieces of pita bread and mix well. Serve garnished with sprigs of fresh mint. Per serving: 269 cal, 6 g fat (1 g sat), 44 g carbs, 11 g protein, 8 g fiber, 0 mg chol, 365 mg sodium Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes In the Next 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
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Reverse Diabetes is a newsletter, sent three times a week, 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.