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	Thursday July 14, 2011
Your Instant Kitchen Makeover We all love makeover shows on television. The ugly duckling gets turned into a beautiful princess. Or the too-small house is renovated so the down-on-its-luck family can have a chance at a better life. What's not to love? Makeovers have all the elements of a great story—and, of course, the big, happy reveal at the end. Why not have your own diabetes-busting makeover? The special guest star in this makeover: your kitchen. A well-stocked, kitchen is your greatest ally to eat better and live healthier. Keeping the right foods at your fingertips lets you put together fast, blood-sugar friendly meals and grab healthy treats when you want a snack. You'll be able to enjoy food without being sidetracked by temptations that makes blood sugar spike and packs on pounds.  The first step is to clear your kitchen of foods with too many calories, refined carbohydrates, fat, or sugar. Pick up every item; if it's unhealthy, give it away; if it's been there for over six months, throw it out. Put items that other family members eat in a  designated (and hard to reach) area. Stock up on the right edibles; you can add a few to your shopping list each week. Let's turn on the makeover magic! Pantry Toss, give away, or move: Breakfast cereals high in sugar Cornflakes Butter-flavored microwave popcorn Candy Canned fruit in heavy syrup Cereal bars Cookies, chips, crackers Corn and sunflower oil Cream soups Non-diet soda and juice drinks Packaged foods with hydrogenated oils or trans fats Sugar-sweetened iced tea or lemonade Shortening White bread and rice Restock with: Applesauce Barley Broth, low-sodium Cereal, 3 grams of fiber per serving Cooking spray Fruit, canned in juice Garlic, onions, fresh Legumes, canned or dried Mushrooms Oatmeal, rolled oats Oils, olive or canola Pasta, whole-grain Peanut butter Popcorn kernels Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams Raisins Rice, brown Salmon, canned Sugar substitute Soups, low-sodium broth-based Tomatoes, tomato sauce, no salt added Tuna, canned in water Vegetables, canned Vinegars Whole-grain breads Whole-grain crackers Whole-wheat flour Refrigerator Toss, give away, or move: Full-fat cheeses, mayonnaise Full-fat milk products, sour cream, yogurt Sodas, sweetened teas, juice "drinks" Butter, margarine with trans fats Restock with: Margarine, 0 trans/saturated fats Hard cheeses such as Parmesan Eggs and/or egg substitute Milk, yogurt low or nonfat Lean beef, chicken, turkey, or pork Fruit and vegetables, assorted fresh Freezer Toss, give away, or move: Breaded fish sticks, fish fillets, and chicken French fries and potato nuggets Full-fat ice cream Vegetables in butter or cream sauces Frozen dinners and snack foods Bacon and full-fat breakfast sausage Restock with: Breads, whole-grain Fruit, no sugar Sugar-free frozen fruit pops Chicken breasts Edamame Fish fillets, shelled shrimp, scallops, unbreaded Ground turkey or lean ground beef Meatless burgers Vegetables, no sauce Potato & Zucchini Tortilla The tortilla, Spain's most famous tapas, or snack, is made from the simplest of ingredients—eggs, onions, and potatoes—cooked like a flat omelet and served warm or cold, cut into wedges. Like an artist on a blank canvas the tortilla begs creativity, and all kinds of extra, healthy ingredients can be added, such as asparagus, peas and mushrooms. Serves 8 Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 zucchini, diced 2 slices reduced-fat bacon, chopped 6 eggs 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley Freshly ground black pepper to taste Preparation: 1    Place the potato cubes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes. Drain thoroughly. 2    Heat the oil in a heavy 10-inch nonstick skillet. Add the potatoes, onion, zucchini, and bacon, and cook over a moderate heat until the potatoes are tender and lightly golden, about 10 minutes, turning and stirring from time to time. 3    Preheat the broiler to high. In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon cold water. Add the parsley and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet and cook until the egg has set, about 3 to 4 minutes, lifting the edges to allow the uncooked egg mixture to run onto the pan. 4    When there is just a little uncooked egg on the top, place the pan under the hot broiler and cook for 2 minutes to set the top. Slide the tortilla out onto a plate or board and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into small wedges and serve warm, or leave to cool completely before cutting and serving.  Per serving: 161 cal, 8 g fat (2 g sat), 16 g carbs, 7 g protein, 2 g fiber, 162 mg chol, 95 mg sodium Rx for Better Sleep It may seem a hard to connect the dots between sleep and diabetes. But the quality of your sleep is directly tied to your overall health and blood-sugar levels. We might joke about someone snoring so loud it makes the windows rattle, but that could be a sign of a potentially dangerous sleep disorder called sleep apnea. When you have sleep apnea, your breathing stops or becomes very shallow hundreds of times a night, depriving your body of oxygen, increasing your heart rate, and preventing you from entering the important stage of deep sleep that restores your body and mind. Here are some ways to sleep more soundly. Check for symptoms. When the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes, it blocks the passage of air until your airway opens, often with a loud choking or gasping sound. You are more likely to have sleep apnea if you snore loudly or have a large neck—women with a neck size of more than 16 inches; men, 17 inches. Other signs include waking up three or more times a night to go to the bathroom and feeling sleepy despite getting eight or more hours of sleep. Mention any of these symptoms to your doctor. Breathe easy. A few habits before and at bedtime can lead to a better slumber. First, stop smoking; it contributes to snoring. Have a light meal or dinner and skip the alcohol at least six hours before bed. Use a Breathe Right strip, which pulls the nostrils open wider, significantly reduce snoring. They're available in team colors, so you can pretend to be your favorite athlete. Test in the wee-hours. If you're counting sheep by the herds, time to check your blood-sugar levels. This week, check your blood sugar more often to see if you're hitting the target goals set with your doctor. High and low blood sugar can affect sleep quality. And take one more step: Set your alarm for 3 a.m. for another check. If your levels are normal, that's great. If they're low, it might explain why you're waking up in the night. If sugar levels are below 75 mg/dL, have a small snack. Discuss any ongoing pattern of low blood sugar with your doc. Drop pounds. As if bathing suit weather wasn't enough incentive to shed a few pounds, losing even a little weight can improve your sleep. For instance, lose 10 percent of your body weight and sleep apnea can improve 26 percent, according to one University of Wisconsin Medical School study. And extremely overweight folks who dropped 25 to 50 percent of their body weight saw a 70 to 98 percent decrease in sleep apnea.   Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes	Advertisement Change One Lose weight simply, safely & forever with this 12-week eating plan. Reverse Diabetes Eliminate the root cause of your disease with this simple step-by-step plan. Real food and snacks too, no deprivation at all. -- Diane B., Brookfield CT
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