The holidays can be one of the most exciting, yet stressful, times of the year… For someone with diabetes the stress can be intensified by the temptations of holiday fare. If you, a guest, or a family member lives with diabetes, keep these suggestions in mind…
• Eat meals at regularly scheduled times. You’ll find that you have more energy and less hunger when you eat five to six small meals daily at the same time every day instead of two or three big meals.
• Reduce the amount of dietary fat. The current American Diabetes
Association® guidelines advise that less than seven to 10 percent of calories should come from saturated fat. These are the fats that raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol should be less than 200 to 300 mg per day, and intake of trans fats should be minimized.
• Keep protein intake in the range of 15 to 20 percent of total calories. Choose proteins that are low in fat such as nonfat dairy products,legumes, skinless poultry, fish and lean meats. To keep the cholesterol content in range, approximately six ounces of protein per day is recommended.
• Increase fiber intake by choosing carbohydrate foods that come from whole grain breads or cereals, pasta, brown rice, beans, fruits and vegetables. Increasing dietary fiber is a general guideline for the entire population, not just for people with diabetes. Diabetics who eat more high-fiber fruit, vegetables, and grains can improve their blood sugar control and may reduce their need for additional diabetes medicine. Limit sources of high-calorie and low-nutritional-value foods, including those with a high content of sugars.
Know your numbers!
Blood sugar monitoring is the most important tool for self-management. It reinforces whether your food choices and patterns of behavior are working for or against you.
Diabetes and Dental Care
Brush twice a day everyday! Did you know that people with Diabetes are twice as likely than non-diabetics to suffer from gum disease? Gingivitis is caused by bacteria in plaque. People with high blood sugar levels, like diabetics, may be particularly susceptible to the gum inflammation from gingivitis caused by these bacteria.
Salmon & Escarole Packets with Lemon-Tarragon Butter
This company-worthy salmon is steamed on a bed of escarole and basted in a rich and tangy lemon-butter sauce. Fresh tarragon is delicious or try other herbs, such as thyme or rosemary. Rainbow trout or arctic char are good substitutes for the salmon.
4 servings | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chopped escarole, romaine lettuce or spinach
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
- 1-1 1/4 pounds skinned salmon fillet, preferably wild Pacific (see Note), cut into 4
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the hearts.
- Combine butter with the juice of 1 lemon in a small pan; melt over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in tarragon and garlic. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the fish. Combine the rest of the sauce in a large bowl with escarole (or lettuce or spinach), scallions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat.
- Place one-fourth of the greens mixture (about 11/4 cups) on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch boarder around the edges for folding. Place 1 piece of fish on top of each portion of greens. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Brush the reserved sauce on the fish. Slice the remaining lemon and top the fish with the lemon slices.
- Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the fish is just cooked through and the greens are wilted, about 15 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness & be cautious of the steam.) Let the packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving: 215 Calories; 10 g Fat; 5 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 68 mg Cholesterol; 7 g Carbohydrates; 24 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 512 mg Sodium; 763 mg Potassium
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat
From Eatingwell.com