Diabetes Direction

Most of us love smoothie type drinks. Well, I don’t really know what makes a “smoothie” a smoothie. Is it perhaps that they are made with yogurt? I don’t make ours with yogurt, so maybe they are just delicious drinks instead of smoothies!

I have been taking advantage of the fresh fruits that are available now and am freezing some for using this winter. Some of it though, has been wonderful in refreshing fruity drinks during this horrible heat.

My recipe is simple and easy to make using a blender. For this drink I tossed into the blender:

I decided to do a bit more experimenting with avocados this week, and have come up with a good pie. I will be making some minor adjustments to make the fat content lower, but it is really tasty as it is too, for those that don’t worry so much about fat.

I have had issues with cream type of no bake pies setting up for me properly, but this pie set up pretty well. It isn’t as thick as a baked or custard pie, but then cream pies aren’t.

Many of us have learned that avocados should be limited to a very small amount. I have seen reports showing a variation from not more than 1/8 to half an avocado should be eaten in a serving. In my opinion, this is hogwash. True, there are carbs and fats, but there are also tons of nutritional value, as well as a lot of fiber.  I know of some diabetics that eat a whole avocado every single day without problem, and though I don’t eat them every day, I haven’t noticed any problem with my blood sugar levels from these either.

Many of us are experiencing some hot days this summer. Those of us that have Diabetes, and some other health problems, need to be extra careful in the sun and if your house is too warm. Some medications can have a bad reaction to sunlight, so be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.

Today I am going to share with you an article written by my husband. He posted this on a blog of his own, but it is just so good that I felt the need to share it with everyone that visits my website as well. Have a thought on this? Post a comment and we can discuss it! Thanks to Steve for sharing this with us. We always are happy to share space with someone that has something good to say on Diabetes and nutrition in general.

Take it away, Steve!

Today will be a day that many American people enjoy getting together with family and friends to celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day. There will be many picnics and BBQs, and a lot of good foods. It will be difficult to resist the cravings to eat it all! Sometimes when we go to family get-togethers I feel like I could eat every desert in sight! It is a real struggle for me so I try to bring something that I love, and that loves me back. There are many things that you can do with sugar free jello gelatin or try sugar free pudding with some homemade whipped cream dobbed on top.

It has been found to be beneficial for qualified people to volunteer to help under-treated diabetics. This just makes sense, and many of us can help! There are many people that have trouble getting in to see a doctor, for a variety of reasons. Those of us that have learned how to help get those blood sugar levels in control through diet, exercise and medication can help others learn how to care for themselves as well.  While we are all slightly different in how our bodies react to different methods, this at least gives a person methods to try while they are unable to see a doctor.

Everyone knows that we need sleep, but do you know how important it is to get enough? In today’s life, most of us run at full speed ahead, running ourselves ragged, getting kids to places they need to be, working, taking care of a home and family, finding time to spend with friends…and so much more! It is difficult to get things done that we need to, let alone taking enough time to sleep!

At our house, we used to regularly order delivery pizza from a local chain restaurant. We loved it! After our Diabetes diagnosis we stopped ordering it, figuring that it was too high in carbs for us, due to the crust. One night we decided that we had been good on our nutrition for long enough to deserve a treat, so we ordered a pizza. We waited, anticipating that melted cheese and ooey gooey goodness, for the pizza to arrive. Plates, napkins and a movie were all in place, ready to go. Finally we were able to take that much missed slice from the box, took big bites…and were sorely disappointed. The pizza tasted horrible! It was very sweet tasting! Having so much sugar in our diet before Diabetes made us not even notice the sugar that is on the delivery pizza. I guess it is the crust, but we didn’t even want their pizza anymore. Not to mention that it really spiked our blood sugar levels, even with just a couple of slices.

We recently decided to do a bit of bartering, and are exchanging web services for fruits and vegetables from the clients garden. So far we have enjoyed lots of fresh leaf lettuce and lots of strawberries. There have been way too many strawberries to just eat them, so I have frozen them for using in ice cream and sugar free jello.

I couldn’t miss an opportunity to try out the ice cream base recipe with strawberries, so I made this right away! I didn’t use much sweetener, since strawberries have natural sweetness to them. If you decide to give it a try, just taste a bit of the mix and see if it needs sweetener for your own taste.