COOKIES (DIABETIC)

Ingredients:

3 med. bananas, mashed
1/3 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. old - fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. raisins


Directions:

Combine bananas, oil and vanilla. Stir in oats, walnuts and raisins. Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Press down lightly with fork. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

CHRISTMAS DIABETIC COCOA LOGS

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter
6 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
1 slightly beaten egg
1/4 c. finely chopped nuts

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix 4 tablespoons sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt. Mix until fluffy. Gradually add flour. Divide dough into quarters. Roll each into 18 inch rope; flour hands. Cut rolls into 2 inches pieces; press into egg whites, then nuts and sugar. Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 36 logs.

CHOCOLATE MILLIONAIRES (DIABETIC)

Ingredients:

1/3 c. non fat dry milk
4 pkgs. equal (not as good with Sweet and Low)
2 tsp. cocoa
1/3 c. uncooked oatmeal
1 tbsp. peanut butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. raisins

Directions:

Mix dry milk, Equal, cocoa. Stir in oatmeal. Add peanut butter, vanilla and water. Stir until well blended. Add raisins last. Roll into small balls and flatten with fingers. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BAR COOKIE (DIABETIC)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 c. butter
4 tsp. liquid sweetener or 6 pkgs. powdered sweetener
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. soda
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Directions:

In small mixer bowl, combine sweetener, butter, egg and vanilla. Beat 1 1/2 minutes at high speed. Measure flour by lightly spooning into cup and leveling off. Add remaining ingredients except chocolate pieces and nuts. Blend well; beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping sides of bowl. Stir in chocolate pieces and nuts.

Pour batter into an ungreased 8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars.

Diabetes: main cause of blindness among adults

Diabetes mellitus and obesity common in developed countries. However, with lifestyle deterioration, these problems are on the rise even in developing countries!

A study reveals that India has an estimated 35 million diabetics. The incidence of diabetes in urban India has increased 20 times in the past 20 years. Another startling revelation is that over 50 percent cases of diabetes in rural India and 30 percent in urban areas go undiagnosed.

Diabetes leads to multiple program like diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy. One of the most feared complications of diabetes is damage of the eye. This fear is justified, since nearly half of all people with diabetes will develop some degree of diabetic retinopathy during their lifetime.

A diabetic person is at the risk of getting the following eye problems: cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy during their lifetime.

A cataract is a clouding of that eye’s lens. Studies shows that a person with diabetes is twice as likely to get a cataract as someone who does not have the disease. Cataracts also develop at an early age in people with diabetes. Usually cataract surgery restores the vision of the patient.

Glaucoma may also become a problem for those with diabetes. Glaucoma starts with an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye that can lead to the optic nerve damage and loss of vision. A diabetic is nearly twice at the risk of getting glaucoma than other adults. The visual damage because of glaucoma is irreversible. Therefore, its detection in early stages is important. Glaucoma may be treated with medications, laser or other forms of surgery.

Diabetic retinopathy develops when the tiny blood vessels which provide oxygen to the retina become damaged. Retina damage happens slowly. The longer the person has diabetes, the more likely he or she will get diabetic retinopathy.

Often there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Even in more advanced cases, the disease may progress a long way without symptoms. Without an eye check-up, most people are unaware that they have eye damage.

When sigh occur they may include blurred or double vision, dark or floating spots, pain in one or both eyes, trouble seeing things out of the corner of the eyes, rings, flashing lights or blank spots. These usually happen with the advance stage of the disease. Detecting retinopathy in early stage is best way to prevent vision loss. Do not wait for symptoms.

LASER treatment is advised in various stages of diabetic retinopathy. It reduces the risk of severe vision loss by 60 percent. Laser, however, typically cannot restore vision that has already been lost.

Awareness about the diabetic eye problems and the need for daily routine examination to detect them at an early stage are important. Keeping one’s blood glucose and blood pressure readings as close to normal as possible and getting regular eye check-ups done are the best defenses against the diabetic eye diseases.

If you have diabetes, get a detailed eye examination at least one year and more often, as per your eye specialist’s opinion, if you have diabetic retinopathy.

Dark meat is as good as white meat

Health authorities have long advocated white meat, saying it contains less fat and fewer calories. But the nutritional differences between the two are not so great. In general, what makes one cut of turkey – or any other type of poultry – darker than another is the type of muscle it contains. Meat is darker if it contains higher levels of myoglobin, a compound that enables to transport oxygen, which is needed to fuel activity. Since turkeys and chickens are flightless and walk a lot, their leg meat is dark while their wing and breast meat are white. Many people choose white meat over dark meat because of its lower caloric content. But according to the US’s department of agriculture, an ounce of boneless, skinless turkey breast contains about 46 calories and 1 gram of fat, compared with roughly 50 calories and 2 grams of fat for an ounce of boneless, skinless thigh. But dark meats has its benefits. Compared with white meat, it contains more iron, zinc, riboflavin, thiamine and vitamins B6 and B12. Both have less fat than most cuts of red meat, so you can’t go wrong wither way.

HealFast Bandage: A boon for diabetics

A breakthorough concept in bandages has surfaced on the horizon which is boon for diabetics. HealFast is a bandage designed by Donn Koh that uses electric fields to accelerate the healing process and prevent further infection in the surrounding tissues.

Healfast is a simple solution to counter the wounds inflicted by pressure sores and chronic ulcers in diabetics. Applying this bandage is a simple task. Just place this bandage on the wound and peel off the protective covering, and the bandage is ready for action. When a person applies this bandage by pressing it down on his wounds, an electric charge is activated and results in a weak electric field which accelerates the healing process and prevents the surrounding tissues from getting infected.

I find this concept very helpful because even a small cut or scratch can spell disaster for a diabetic. HealFast’s amazing power can arm the diabetics with an increased sense of security.