Fast Food Increases Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease

Fast food substantially increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to a University of Minnesota School of Public Health report. Researchers have found that people who eat fast food such as burgers and French fries almost every day are 80 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes or heart disease. The discovery was made as part of a 16-year study into the eating habits of more than 52,000 Chinese residents in Singapore. "We wanted to examine the association of Western-style fast food with cardio-metabolic risk in a Chinese population in Southeast Asia that has become a hotbed for diabetes and heart disease. What we found was a dramatic public health impact by fast food, a product that is primarily a Western import into a completely new market," said Andrew Odegaard, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota, in a statement.  
Scientists say that over the past few decades Chinese residents in Singapore have changed their diets from traditional, fresh foods to Western-style fast food; this sudden change has had a major impact on their health. Of the 52,000 participants, nearly 1,400 died of cardiac arrest and nearly 2,300 developed type 2 diabetes, researchers say. The finding is published in the journal Circulation.
"What's interesting about the results is that study participants who reported eating fast food most frequently were younger, better educated, smoked less and were more likely to be physically active," said Odegaard. "This profile is normally associated with lower cardio-metabolic risk."
The study also found that people eating fast food two or three times every week are 50 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes or heart disease.Even eating fast food once a week was found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 27 percent. The new study provides an important perspective on global health and nutrition transfer when cultures developing in different parts of the world start moving away from their traditional diet and mode of exercise. "The big picture is that this [fast food] aspect of globalisation and exportation of US and Western culture might not be the best thing to spread around the world," said Mark Pereira, an associate professor at the University Of Minnesota School Of Public Health and one of the report's authors, in a statement. "Global public health efforts should focus on maintaining the positive aspects of traditional cultures, while preventing the spread of outside influences thought to be harmful based on the scientific evidence."

source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/365577/20120722/fast-food-causes-type-2-diabetes-heart.htm

Couldn't Have Said It Better!

Sweet Substitute: Sugar Free, Grain Free Pumpkin Bread!

tis the season!!!

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup Splenda for Baking (or 2 tablespoons honey or stevia to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (or 1/2 cup cooked and pureed winter squash of your choice)

1 1/2 ounce walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil the inside of two mini loaf pans.
Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and Splenda in a large bowl. I like to use a whisk to break up any lumps.
Add the pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and stir until combined. Gently fold in walnuts and scrape batter into prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until they feel springy on the top when touched.
Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

 

  source: http://askgeorgie.com/pumpkin-bread-low-carb-grain-free/

Can Diabetics Drink Diet Soda?

The typical American drinks about 50 gallons of soda or other sweetened beverages per year, according to PublicAdvocacy.org. This is equivalent to about 1.5 cans per person per day. Those with diabetes might have the same cravings for the bubbly fizz of soda, but worry that they shouldn't drink regular soda because of the high level of sugar--the average can of soda contains the equivalent of eight teaspoons of sugar. Diet soda, sweetened with NutraSweet or some other artificial sweetener, might provide a safe alternative for diabetics.

Diabetes

When you consume food or drink, your digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates and releases them into your bloodstream. Your pancreas detects the elevated blood sugar and releases the hormone insulin, which transports the sugar into cells for energy or into fatty tissues for later use. Diabetes disrupts this process. With type 2 diabetes, the cells no longer respond to insulin, or not enough is made, so blood sugar levels build up in the bloodstream, eventually causing damage. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas can't produce any insulin. In either case, blood sugar remains high in the bloodstream, and over time, various organs suffer, including blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, heart and brain. Diabetics must alter their diet to reduce the amount of carbs and sugar they ingest. Consumption of regular sweetened soda must be limited

Diet Soda OK for Diabetics

Diet soda contains no carbs. While regular soda is sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup, diet sodas are sweetened with artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, or NutraSweet; sodium cyclamate; saccharin, or Sweet N Low; neotame; and sucralose, or Splenda. These sweeteners do not affect blood sugar levels and do not affect insulin levels. Diet soda is a "free" food in diabetic diets. They do not count toward carb calories because they have no carbs and no calories.

Diet Soda Nutrition

Nutritionally, diet soda has no vitamins, minerals or any other nutrients. On the plus side, it has no calories, fat or cholesterol. It has a nearly negligible amount of sodium. The most if offers is hydration, and even that can be at least partly offset if it contains the diuretic stimulant caffeine.

Health Problems with Diet Soda

Many experts say diet soda can have adverse effects on health. For example, the February 5, 2005, "New York Times" notes that drinking diet soda might be linked to metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by abdominal obesity and elevated cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas have been implicated in numerous medical conditions, including brain tumor rates, seizures, headaches, weight gain, mood disorders and heightened appetite, according to Dorway.com. Carbonation and phosphoric acid in diet sodas may increase the risk for osteoporosis, bone loss and dental problems by leaching calcium from bones, reports Duke Health.

Limits of Studies

Medical studies about the adverse effect of diet soda raise questions, but they do not provide definitive answers. For example, studies linking consumption of diet soda to metabolic syndrome and weight gain fail to separate causes and effects. People who drink diet soda may not be driven to eat poorly because of the diet soda, but rather, drink diet soda to try to compensate for their bad dietary habits. They figure, "I chowed down on all those doughnuts, so I'd better stick to diet soda." The problem might be with their diet, not with their consumption of diet soda. Similarly, people who drink lots of diet soda may not drink milk, so their bone and calcium problems might result from poor nutrition more than to drinking diet soda.

 

source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/286133-can-diabetics-drink-diet-soda/#ixzz2iMuZgEgk

A Diabetic Gluten Free Food Pyramid

FINALLY! A food pyramid that WORKS.
Melissa

Dinner Fix: Grillin'!

 
Grilled Chipotle Steak Kabobs with Chimichurri Sauce

• 2 boneless new york strip steaks, cut into cubes 
• 2 chipotle peppers, minced
• 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed  
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 lemon, zested, juiced
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 zucchini, sliced into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow squash, sliced into 1 inch chunks
• bamboo skewers, soaked in cold water at least an hour
• chimichurri sauce (recipe below)

For the Chimichurri Sauce

• 1 cup chopped Italian Parsley 
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

To prepare chimichurri sauce, rinse parsley, dry and chop well. 
Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.  
Refrigerate leftovers.

Rinse steaks and pat dry. 
Mix seasoning blend and set aside. 
Cut steak into 1 inch chunks. 
Place the steak in a bowl and the sliced vegetables add all remaining ingredients and mix well. Meat can be marinated overnight if desired, make sure you bring to room temperature before grilling.

Thread meat onto bamboo skewers alternating with vegetables. 
Grill about 4-5 minutes on each side. 
Baste with Chimichurri sauce last two minutes of cooking. 
Serve with extra sauce on the side. 

source: http://creolecontessa.blogspot.com/2013/05/grilled-chipotle-steak-kabobs-with.html

Stuffed Baby Artichokes

While working with the other artichokes, but freshly pared into lemon water to keep from browning.

Drain.
Stuff with your favorite cheeses, minced vegetables, chopped nuts, & herbs,
Place stuffed side up in a cast iron skillet or heavy glass baking dish.
375 degree oven,
Drizzle with Olive Oil,
Bake for 12 minutes or until tender.


adapted from: http://snailsview.com/2011/05/15/baby-artichokes-stuffed-with-bread-crumbs-anchovy-lemon-and-garlic-chives/