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.

Spicy Sweet and Sour Pork from The Titanium Chef

This is a quick and easy dinner and tastes delicious!  Its a nice one-dish dinner that is loaded with veggies, tender pork and ad a bold Asian inspired flavor.  A bed of coconut rice would be a perfect accompaniment!

Spicy Sweet and Sour Pork

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 pound pork tenderloin cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 T cornstarch, divided
3 T low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 T ketchup
3 tsp Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 T canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup slivered green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place almonds on a baking sheet; bake for 4 minutes or until toasted and set aside.  While almonds cook, combine pork, 1 T cornstartch and 1 T soy sauce; toss well to coat.  Drain pineapple in a sieve over a bowl, reserving juice.  Combine Juice, remaining 1 T cornstarch, remaining 2 T soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and Sriracha, stirring with a whisk.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add pork to pan, saute 3 minutes.  Add 1 cup onion, ginger and garlic; saute 1 minute.  Stir in pineapple and bell pepper, saute 3 minutes stirring frequently.  Stir in vinegar mixture; bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute; stirring constantly.  Sprinkle with almonds and green onions.

Coconut Rice:  Combine 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, 1 1/4 cups water, 1/2 cup light coconut milk and 1/4 tsp salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 16 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.