MEASURING MEDICINE

 When taking medicine and especially when giving it to your children, it is important to use the correct measurements.  When spoons in the average kitchen drawer were checked they measured anywhere from 1.5 to 9 milliliters of liquid.  That is quite a difference.  To be sure you are giving the right dosage it is important to always use a labeled measuring spoon or the little plastic cup that comes with the medicine. Spoons from your kitchen silverware drawer are probably not going to give you the right dosage!

CUT BACK ON THE SUGAR IN YOUR DIET

 Yes, I am a diabetic but that is not what this post is about.  We Americans just eat too much sugar.  I am not someone who lives by what Dr. Oz says as I think a lot of what he says just scares people and is a minor problem for the average person.  I did however notice something he said about sugar and I believe it is worth passing along.  Dr. Oz stated that sugar hurts us in two ways.  "First", he says, the sugar molecule itself is like a jagged piece of glass that scrapes up the arteries as it travels through your bloodstream.  That scarring catches plaque, allowing it to build up and narrow the arteries.  Second, because sugar is stored as fat, it leads to weight gain, particularly around the belly."  He has a rule he suggests we all live by.  His rule is, "If high fructose corn syrup is one of the first five ingredients in a product or there's more than 4 grams of sugar per serving (that is 1 teaspoon), skip it."

Most Americans eat about 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, much of it from sodas and fruit drinks.  The American Heart Association recommends that women (good idea for men, too) limit their consumption of added sugars to about 6 teaspoons a day!  Would you believe that is less than half a 12-ounce can of regular soda a day!

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TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT? NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETIC? TRY A DIET DIARY!

According to studies, people who keep a food diary are more likely to lose weight and to keep it off.  Not only is it important to see what you have eaten, it may be just as helpful to see what you didn't eat! According to Kent Sasse, M.D., a weight-loss expert at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, knowing how many calories you almost consumed but avoided can provide much-needed motivation.  So if you are struggling with weight-loss, try keeping a food diary at least for a few weeks.  You will soon learn what causes you to gain and what helps you control your weight.  I also recommend a food diary for anyone who has just been diagnosed with diabetes.  I did that and very quickly learned what would cause a blood sugar spike and what I could eat without raising my blood sugar levels.

Your food diary can be as simple or as complicated as you like.  Personally, I kept mine in a spiral notebook one page per day.

ONIONS FOR THE KIDNEYS

If you follow this blog, you know I am a diabetic.  As a diabetic, even though my diabetes is under very good control, I strive to eat only foods that will heal and not hinder my body.  As all diabetics know, we have to take good care of our kidneys.  Diabetes can be hard on the kidneys and that is a problem we don't need.  I do a lot of research on health and one thing I have found repeatedly is that onions are very good for the kidneys.  Thankfully I like onions and use them in some way almost every day. If you are a diabetic and onions are not currently a part of your diet, perhaps it is time to add them.  From raw onion slices on burgers to creamed pearl onions, to chopped or diced onions in soups, stews, casseroles, etc, they are easy to work onto the diet.

Onions are abundant with flavanoids, including a powerful antioxidant that helps fight the free radicals associated with kidney disease.  Better to add onions to your diet today than to be battling kidney disease later!

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GREEK YOGURT VS GREEK STYLE YOGURT

Once again I am warning you to read labels on your foods.  Today it is about Greek yogurt.  Most of us know Greek yogurt is very popular right now and is considered a healthy food.  But those nasty marketers are always out to make a buck from unsuspecting consumers.  In order to cash in on the popularity of "Greek Yogurt" many companies now market some yogurt as "Greek Style".  Be aware that Greek Style is not Greek Yogurt!  Greek Style yogurt is nothing more than regular yogurt that contains additives such as gelatin and milk solids to make it thicker and thus able to make consumers think they are eating Greek Yogurt.  To be sure you are getting Greek Yogurt read the ingredients list. There should be only two - milk and cultures, in the plain Greek yogurt.

Please note there is nothing illegal about marketing yogurt as Greek Style.  Once again it is up to the consumer to read labels and be aware of what they are purchasing.
 Please note: These pictures are not endorsements or non-endorsements of these brands of products.  These pictures are used only to show you the different in the wording on the product, Greek Yogurt vs Greek Style Yogurt.

EGGS

In spite of the bad rap eggs got a few years ago, eggs are good for you.  You can be perfectly healthy eating an egg a day.  And consider this, eggs are one of the best sources of protein.  They are packed of other nutrients as well including vitamin A, choline, and folate.  So go ahead and enjoy some eggs.  As with any other food, do not overindulge.  No matter how good for you a food is, you can overindulge with any food.

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TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY

 

OATS, INSTANT, QUICK-COOKING, STEEL-CUT, OR OLD-FASHION?

Should you use instant, quick-cooking, steel cut, or old-fashion oats? Some have asked which type of oats are the healthiest.  The answer is simple; they are all whole grain so take your choice as to what is easiest for you or which you like best.  Oats are also gluten-free for those of you who have asked. This is about basic oats, not the little packets of flavored instant which are usually loaded with sugar.

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DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST

One of the biggest mistakes we busy Americans often make is skipping breakfast!  No matter how busy your day, take the time for a healthy breakfast.  Notice the word healthy!  A cup of coffee and a doughnut do not a healthy breakfast make.  In fact that type of breakfast will just get your day started off wrong.

It is a scientific fact that breakfast is important.  It resets your metabolism after the night's fast.  When you skip breakfast you are setting yourself up for bad food choices throughout the day.

Wondering what a healthy breakfast consists of?  Here are some guidelines:

• Include whole-grains (brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain toast, etc)
• Fresh fruits and/or vegetables (ie berries, peaches apples, mushrooms, even beans)
• Lean protein
• Low-fat dairy

If you can't fit all that into your morning, be sure to include at least one or two every morning!

PARENTS: It is very important you make sure your children have a healthy breakfast before heading off to school. It is important to their entire day.

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CANTALOUPE FOR VITAMIN A AND EYE HEALTH

Perhaps you should purchase a nice cantaloupe the next time you go to the market or grocery store, especially if you have concerns about your eyes.  According to the National Institutes of Health, this melon contains a wealth of vitamin-A.  One of the many benefits of vitamin-A is that it promotes eye health and your eyes are organs you especially want to protect.  Vitamin A is critical for vision as an essential component of rhodopsin, a protein that absorbs light in the retinal receptors, and because it supports the normal differentiation and functioning of the conjunctival membranes and cornea.