More Tips…..

Pumpkin Seeds are a healthy treat that are high in iron and unsaturated fats, the kind that are good for your heart. As with any snack, the key is portion control. If you limit yourself to 2 tablespoons, you will be eating less than 5 grams of carbohydrates. You can mix them with our protein chips and baked okra for a real diet mix kind of like chex mix or doo dads.

Edamame Unless you frequent sushi restaurants, you may not know about edamame (ed-a-ma-me), another superfood for people with type 2 diabetes.  Edamame are green soybeans, and they are growing in popularity — so much so that they’re now sold in supermarkets frozen. Just boil them for 3-5 minutes and serve. They provide many healthy benefits for your diabetes diet: They’re an excellent source of protein, minerals (including potassium, magnesium, and calcium), and those all-important omega-3 fatty acid.

 Beets are  high in lipoic acid, one of the many antioxidants that are believed to help prevent your cells from damage caused by aging. Some studies show that lipoic acid is also helpful in healing nerve damage that causes pain and numbness in the hands and feet of people with diabetes. Other research suggests that beets may help lower your blood cholesterol. Roast beets in the oven the way you would a sweet potato and serve as a side dish or add to a healthy salad. Another idea  is to add a can of sliced beets to a can of crushed pineapple.for a side dish. “Company Beets” look festive on the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas–but it is a maintenance dish.

 Vinegar Studies have shown that having two tablespoons of vinegar before a meal can reduce the spike in blood concentrations of insulin and glucose after the meal.  Start your meal with a vinegar-based salad dressing , and also consider other ways to use vinegar in recipes, such as a zesty marinade for chicken or pork.

Cinnamon Cinnamon has been shown to be effective in improving fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Cinnamon is great on cereals or apples or hot drinks as well as in rubs for meats.  Try it in meat loaf with a little grated apple for the best meatloaf ever!