Don't Skip Vital Blood Sugar Test Times

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In This Issue: 5 Ways to Get Your Fill of Fiber Is Your Doctor Out of Date? Don't Skip Vital Blood Sugar Test Times Control Your Blood Sugar – Without Lifting a Finger! Featured Recipe: Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chiles	Tuesday November 8, 2011
5 Ways to Get Your Fill of Fiber We all love underdogs, right? Perhaps the biggest dietary underdog is the unassuming nutrient fiber. Fiber's effect on the body is so powerful that it can lower overall blood-sugar levels. When you increase your fiber intake during meals you'll have a slow, steady blood-sugar rise rather than a spike afterward. Because it slows digestion, fiber also keeps you feeling full longer. Fiber adds bulk to food, so it makes you feel full without adding calories. This characteristic of fiber helps you shed pounds, too. In fact, one study found that over the course of 10 years, people who at a lot of high-fiber foods weighed an average of 10 pounds less than people who ate little fiber. The news about fiber only gets better: Soluble fiber, found in foods such as beans, barley and oatmeal, can cut your cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease. And a high-fiber diet keeps you regular, making problems such as constipation, spastic colon, and hemorrhoids less like likely. Some research has also shown that a high-fiber diet may help reduce your risk of colon cancer. So, how do you go about adding more fiber? First, you don't necessarily need to worry about "counting fiber" to get the recommended 25 to 30 grams per day. Simply work as many grains, beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet as you can. Here are five smart strategies: Bump up beans. Whether dried, fresh or canned, beans and other legumes are among the best fiber sources on the planet. For example, half a cup of black beans provides about one-quarter of your recommended daily fiber intake. Hail the whole. Whole-grain foods contain far more fiber than processed foods. For example, whole-grain bread contains about twice the fiber as bread made with refined flour. Often during processing, the fiber-rich grain parts such as bran are removed. Preserve the peel. Routinely thrown away, the peel is often the most fiber-filled part of a fruit or vegetable. You're better off eating apples, carrots, and potatoes with the peel still on—just be sure to wash them first if you eat them raw. Savor stems. We also often toss out the stalky stems of vegetable like broccoli, but that's where the plant's fiber is most densely concentrated. To make them less tough, chop the stalks into small pieces and cook them a bit longer, adding the florets later. Use fibrous fixings. Products such as bran cereal, oat bran, and wheat germ make good condiments when sprinkled over oatmeal (which is high in fiber itself), applesauce, cottage cheese, or salads. In recipes that call for breadcrumbs, try substituting oats.  Is Your Doctor Out of Date? The biggest complaint about skim milk is that it's bland in flavor. But as with anything, your taste buds can and will adjust to the taste—and afford you better health and better blood sugar in the process! When it comes to the latest breakthroughs, there's a good chance your doctor may not be telling you everything there is to know about diabetes – especially when dramatic new evidence proves you can easily REVERSE your symptoms without using drugs! Fortunately, you don't need to turn to your doctor to benefit from any of these new diabetes-busting breakthroughs. That's because you'll find all the information you need to reverse your diabetes for good right here... Black Bean Soup with Chipotle Chiles The rich taste of black beans comes through in this fragrant soup. But don't worry…the heat of the chiles is mellowed by a dollup of nonfat sour cream in each bowl. High in protein and fiber that slows digestion, this soup will fill you up without causing blood-sugar spikes. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 cup nonfat sour cream Preparation: 1    Heat the oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. 2    Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add the beans, broth, and chiles and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Cool slightly. 3    Transfer about half of the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree. Stir back into the remaining soup in the pot.  4    In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of the sour cream to each serving and top with the tomato mixture. Per serving: 249 cal, 5 g fat (1 g sat), 37 g carbs, 13 g protein, 9 g fiber, 3 mg chol, 540 mg sodium SPECIAL OFFER Control Your Blood Sugar – Without Lifting a Finger! While it's no secret that both tension and depression can wreak havoc on your blood sugar control, here's a 'reverse diabetes' fact you may not have seen before... One of the easiest – and most rewarding – ways you can control your blood sugar is by enjoying a soothing massage at least 3 times a week. What's more, you can enjoy the very best massage available in the comfort of your very own home... even in front of your TV.... without lifting a finger. How? It's easy and affordable! Find out more... Don't Skip Vital Blood Sugar Test Times In addition to your regular testing regimen, it may pay to do some extra self-monitoring at certain times to protect yourself from dangerous blood-sugar highs, and especially, lows. Consider taking additional self-samples at these times: • Before getting behind the wheel for a long drive • When you make a change in your diet, such as eating more or less food than usual at certain times of the day • When you make a significant change in your insulin treatment • When you take a medication to treat something other than diabetes • Before you go into a meeting, make a presentation, or have a conference with your boss, clients, or colleagues. Until next issue, here's to good health! Neil Wertheimer Editor in Chief, Reverse Diabetes	Advertisement Massage Mat Relieve tension, fight depression & relax your way to better blood sugar. 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