Dolkar Wellness & Longevity: EAT, DRINK, AND MAKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR MERRY

Friday, January 2, 2009

EAT, DRINK, AND MAKE YOUR BLOOD SUGAR MERRY

All those holiday leftovers and New Year’s party plates can do a real number on your blood sugar. But here’s a drink that may help fix that: chamomile tea. There just might be something in chamomile that not only helps keep blood sugar stable but also guards against the damage high blood sugar can do.

A Floral PhenomenonThe flower-infused brew is already credited with a catchall of remedy powers -- easing anxiety, menstrual cramps, insomnia, and skin problems. The newest potential benefit of chamomile was that extracts of chamomile helped steady blood sugar and also guarded against enzymes involved in diabetes complications. More studies are needed but we already know that drinking tea is one of the best health habits around -- so it won’t hurt if you’re drinking chamomile ahead of the curve.

Blood Sugar BasicsWhen you’re looking for proven blood sugar control techniques, start with a balanced, portion-controlled diet that’s rich in fiber, veggies, and fruit and low in processed foods and sugars. Then rev it up with these easy tweaks:

1. Eat more spinach.
2. Keep vinegar in your kitchen as a staple. You use it for cooking, cleaning, gardening, and a hundred other household chores. But for your blood sugar? You bet. Seems vinegar -- the tart stuff in tasty vinaigrettes and marinades -- may help clamp down on blood sugar spikes from eating starchy carbs like potatoes and pasta.

Vinegar stabilizes blood sugar instantly, too -- stymieing hunger pangs, keeping your energy up, and keeping pounds off. To get the blood sugar benefit of vinegar, try pairing starchy foods with vinegar-based sauces or dressings. Or start a meal with a salad dressed in oil and vinegar.

3. Eat more peanut butter. It’s not chocolate pudding. It’s peanut butter. Adults in a recent study who ate this childhood fave at least five times a week reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by 27 percent. Go NuttyResearchers speculate that the unsaturated fats in nuts -- and nut butters -- may partly explain the big dip in diabetes risk. These healthy fats may somehow improve insulin sensitivity and keep your blood sugar stable. The fiber and magnesium in nuts may also decrease insulin demand and resistance.

In a Nutshell: An added bonus of eating peanut butter? Staying slim. The study participants did, especially when they used nut products to replace other fatty foods, like chips. Here are even more reasons to dip into nuts and nut butters.

Contact Dolkar Wellness NOW for additional Information.

ROASTED PEAR-BUTTERNUT SOUP WITH CRUMBLED STILTON

Ingredients:
2 each ripe pears , peeled, quartered and cored
2 pounds butternut squash , peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 each medium tomatoes , cored and quartered
1 large leek , pale green and white parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced and washed thoroughly
2 cloves garlic , crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt , divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable broth or shitaki mushroom
seasoning, divided
2/3 cup crumbled Stilton or other blue-veined cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives or scallion
greens

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine pears, squash, tomatoes, leek, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast,
stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 40 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Place half the vegetables and 2 cups broth in a blender; puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the remaining vegetables and 2 cups broth. Add to the pan and stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook the soup over medium-low heat, stirring, until hot, about 10 minutes. Divide among 6 bowls and garnish with cheese and chives (or scallion greens).