Roast Chicken from The Titanium Chef

Here is another great recipe to give you energy all day!  Many people are intimidated by whole chickens but try it out, its very easy and delicious.

Roast Chicken
Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves: 6

1 3-lb chicken
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lemons
1 large spring onion, sliced thinly

Heat oven to 425.  Rub oil, salt and pepper into chicken skin.  Squeeze 2 lemons over skin and stuff rinds and onions into cavity.  Roast 60 minutes (until internal temp is 180).  Remove skin.

Per serving: 233 calories, 25g protein, 2g carbohydrates, trace fiber, 13g fat, 3g saturated fat, 77mg cholesterol, 316mg sodium

Mix It Up!

• Serve sliced chicken with onions in corn tortillas topped with salsa.
• Whisk 1 T honey into the olive oil before rubbing into chicken.
• Add black olives and capers to the cavity.

Fresh Foods For All-Day Energy

The next few recipes that will post are fresh and will keep you feeling fueled and satisfied--with delicious lean protein, whole-grain carbohydrates, vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables and guilt-free low-fat dairy.

Black-Eyed Peas & Spring Greens
Time: 30 minutes    Serves: 6

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 clove garlic
3 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cups mixed spring greens
1 cucumber, thinly sliced

In boiling water, cook black-eyed peas and garlic for about 20 minutes.  When tender, strain and set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin and pepper.  Toss black-eyed peas and garlic with mixed spring greens and top with dressing.

Per serving: 170 calories, 7g protein, 20g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 7g fat

Mix It Up!

• Toss the cooked black-eyed peas with 3 cups cooked brown rice and a splash of chile sauce to taste before serving over greens.
• Add black-eyed peas and spring greens to a pot of hot chicken stock, along with thinly sliced onions, carrots and celery.
• Cook diced smoked turkey with the black-eyed pease for a Southern-style (but bacon-free) flavor.

Health Boost!
Black-eyed peas are high in the minerals magnesium and iron and in folate.

New Excercise Combo Brings Down Blood Sugar

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be able to significantly lower your blood glucose by alternating an aerobic activity like walking with weight taining, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Researcher Timothy Church, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., recommends the following steps, though he's quick to note, "All exercise is good for you--the important thing is to just get off the couch."

Pick your excercises with advice from your doctor about the best aerobic and weight-training exercises for you and your condition.

Get aerobic--that's any activity that elevates heart rate and breathing--at least three days per week, for about 30 minutes.

Lift light weights at least two days per week, initially working with a doctor-approved trainer or physical therapist, for 30 minutes.  A weight machine may be ideal for leg exercises; free weights are effective for your upper body.

Meet Your Daily Fiber Quota

These three easy-to-prepare tasty meals offer a total of three servings of whole grains, the daily recommendation for people with diabetes.

Breakfast
1/2 cup oatmeal made with 8 ounces skim milk
5 unsalted almonds
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 hard-boiled egg

Lunch
Whole wheat bread with 3 ounces grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, 1/2 cucumber cliced, 1/4 cup chopped red cabbage
Dress sandwich with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 orange

Dinner
3 ounces broiled salmon with juice of one lemon wedge
1/2 cup brown rice pilaf
1 cup steamed green beans
1/2 cup grapes

Whole Grains: The Carb Lover's Diet

Most people think that if you have diabetes you can't eat carbs.  They are wrong.  Fiber-rich whole-grain carbs are an essential part of a health diet, and are much better than white flour and other refined carbs at keeping blood glucose at optimal levels. 

Grains like brown rice, whole wheat or barley are labeled "whole" because they contain all three naturally occuring layers--the germ, endosperm and bran--that are stipped out of the processed grains such as white rice and all-purpose flour.  that means whole grains are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber, important to proper digestion, regulation of blood glucose and controld of LDL (bad) cholesterol.  They're also good sources of trace minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium, which help maintain muscles, bones and nerves.

You can safely enjoy up to three servings of whole grains a day.  A 1/2 cup serving typically contains about 20 grams of carbs and about 80 calories.  Grains can be prepared the way you would rice or rolled oats, in a pot or rice cookier with two parts water to one part whole grain over low heat. 

Current research suggests that eating throughout the day is helpful to blood glucose control.  That means thinking beyond just the three traditional daily meals and incorporating smart snacks into your eating.  Some easy ways to get whole grains intoyour snacks include:  two crisp rye bread crackers with one ounceof string cheese; two brown rice cakes slathered with a tablespoon of peanut butter; one whole wheat wrap with two ounces of turkey breast and a slice of tomato; and 1/4 cup no-sugar-added granola with 1/2 cup skim milk.


Source: Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D., is a certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association.

Prevent Cancer

You can reduce your risk of colorectal cancer by 25 percent just by following these basic healthy lifestyle guidelines, says a recent study published in BMJ:

• Get 30 minutes of cardio exercise per day.
• Limit yourself to no more than one alcoholic beverage per day if you're a woman (two if you're a man).
• Don't smoke.
• Eat about 25 grams of fiber per day, six daily servings of fruits and vegetables and no more than one pound of meat per week--with less than 30 percent of your calories coming from fat. 
• Keep your waist size under 34 inches f you're a woman (40 if your're a man).

Shake The Salt Habit

Lower your risk of diabetic kidney disease, a leading cause of kidney failure, by limiting your daily salt intake to about one teaspoon, says a new review published in the Cochrane Library.  Researchers suggest that you keep an eye on added salt in cold cuts, packaged goods and other processed foods.  Read labels carefully and stay under 1,500mg of sodium per day.