There are quite a few common healthy foods that may be undermining your efforts to keep your diabetes under control. Below, we will discuss 3 types of foods you that can increase glucose levels, and what you can do to prevent it.

Fruit Smoothies

Just because smoothies contain fruit doesn’t mean they are a healthy choice for a sweet treat. Although you may have been told to eat more fruit in order to stay healthy, smoothies that are prepared in restaurants or a fast food drive-through can contain as much sugar as three servings of soda. In order to make their smoothies more tasty, many restaurants add in unnecessary ingredients such as sugar or corn syrup, which can cause dangerous spikes in blood sugar levels.

If you love smoothies, there is still a way to have them without causing a rise in your blood sugar: prepare them at home. When making smoothies at home, always pay close attention to the ingredients. Stay away from fruits that are high on the glycemic index (such as bananas and peaches), and use those that are still sweet, but higher in fiber (such as apples, blueberries, and strawberries).

Potatoes

You may be wondering how a food that is fat-free and full of fiber and nutrients can be harmful to the body. Potatoes contain high amounts of starch, which are digested very quickly and turned into glucose within the bloodstream. This triggers an intense insulin spike. Before you start thinking you may never be able to have potatoes again, take heart in knowing that by taking a few key steps in preparing this vegetable, you can prevent a rise in blood sugar.

To help slow down the rate at which potatoes are digested, try seasoning them with a little lemon juice. Add in leafy greens, or other fiber-rich vegetable, alongside your potato dish. When cooking, only use a heart-healthy oil (such as olive oil) for sauteeing and frying.

Portion size is also important in helping to keep your blood sugar levels stable. Try to remember that a healthy portion size of mashed potatoes is only 1/2 cup. For a baked or roasted potato, stick to one that is roughly the size of your palm or a computer mouse.

White Rice

White rice has been demonized in the diabetes world, and can cause insulin spikes in much the same manner as white flour or even sugar. Research has shown that eating white rice on a consistent basis can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 11 percent with each serving. If you love rice, you may still have it, but it needs to be in the form of brown rice.

Brown rice is a whole grain, which contains much more fiber than white rice, therefore slowing the rate at which glucose enters the bloodstream. By consuming 2 servings of brown rice per week, you can actually decrease the risk of developing diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar levels.

By following the above tips, you can still have the foods you love while keeping blood glucose levels stable. By making these small changes, you will see big results in the fight against diabetes.

Extra Tip

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Click here to learn more

The post 3 Foods That Will Make Your Type 2 Diabetes Even Worse first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 3 Foods That Will Make Your Type 2 Diabetes Even Worse appeared first on Healthy Gab.

 

Whether it’s a cosy meal for two or a family gathering casseroles have long been favourites. They’re excellent value for money and provide even the inexperienced cook with a challenge that will allow them to present friends and loved ones with a treat that is sure to have everyone at the table smiling.

The classic one-pot wonder, the casserole has something for everyone. Whether you prefer the vegetarian approach or continental sausage and noodles, hearty chicken and rice or something spicy a scrumptious bowl of healthy and tasty comfort. The best news is that these 10 casseroles which have proven to be popular with health conscious men and women from all walks of life all come in at under 350 calories per serving.

The list will provide some great food for thought and allow you to explore your inner chef while adding touches of your own to each dish.

Here’s a great link on general guidelines to making casseroles http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/964/make+a+casserole

So lets start…

The post 10 Fantastic Casseroles Clocking in at Under 350 Calories first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 10 Fantastic Casseroles Clocking in at Under 350 Calories appeared first on Healthy Gab.

Well the great thing about smoothies is that they’re so versatile. You can have them for breakfast, as a mid-morning snack at the office or even when you come home from the gym. And the best news is you don’t have to be a slave to those recipes. Follow this simple list of great ingredients and mix and match as you want. Don’t feel limited, if you use organic fresh produce the world is your smoothie oyster (don’t use oysters) what you see is what you get – if you like it give it a whirl.

However – here are 12 basics that will make your smoothie positively zing with great health benefits.

The post 12 Tips for Extra Healthy Smoothies first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 12 Tips for Extra Healthy Smoothies appeared first on Healthy Gab.

 

If we had the time or the inclination we’d be at a farmer’s market every single day – but life doesn’t work like that. We can’t all make everything that we put in our mouths from scratch in the comfort of our own kitchen.

Sometimes we have to store foods in our cupboards and when we’re pressed for time pop them in the oven or microwave. But when you have to do that there’s a good chance that you’re not eating a healthy meal. Processed foods are hugely convenient – however some can be really bad for your health.

But not all of them. Pre chopped vegies and canned natural fruit juice are just two examples. What about fresh natural salmon already smoked, or lean beef for use in a stir fry with great organic (frozen) vegetables?

However when manufacturers start adding sodium, sugars and fats processed foods can become a fast lane to incredibly bad eating habits –and some of them can impact your health to the point where they actually make you ill. In large quantities you’re looking at hospitalization and chronic disease.

So what should you be avoiding at all costs?
Here are some bad, very bad, no good processed foods that should simply not be part of your daily eating plan.

Click NEXT to check the 10 forbidden foods

The post 10 Processed Foods to Avoid Like the Plague first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 10 Processed Foods to Avoid Like the Plague appeared first on Healthy Gab.

The good news is that there is. By making a few really easy lifestyle and diet changes you can watch that weight just fall away. The even better news is that these are not radical changes – they’re easy to maintain without sacrificing your quality of life.

Here’s your free blueprint to shedding weight and enjoying the benefits of a great new you.

1. Get rid of the cheese

No, we’re not talking about cellulite (although that’s an added benefit). If you’re eating a sandwich with added cheese every day at the office you’re not doing your weight loss target any favours. The same goes for pizza or the lasagne from that delicious Italian joint around the corner.
Let’s stick with the sandwich stats. A slice of ordinary yellow (not processed) cheese runs about 100 calories. Just leave it out. A smoked Turkey or ham sandwich is just as delicious without it. Substitute a low fat (or better – fat free) mustard for the cheese. You’ll still enjoy a delicious meal, but if you leave out the cheese three times a week you’ll be saving 900 calories – but still have all the benefits of the protein. You can go one better and switch to whole-wheat bread and cut down even further on the calories. No reason to avoid sandwiches altogether – but just eat smarter. Sorry about that lasagne and the pizza, no cheese means none of that.

2. Bye bye Buns

This one might be a little more challenging but you’ll be surprised how quickly it grows on you. Ditch the bun from the burger. Substitute instead with some crisp lettuce or even spinach leaves. Rocket or Bok Choy also works.  A crisp piece of lettuce has five (5!) calories and a burger bun around 250. The burger bun doesn’t bring much to the table apart from empty carbs. And trust us – that starch, especially in sweet fast food buns isn’t that delicious – your body is addicted to the sugar – not the taste. Add some low fat chilli sauce and some pickled onions and you’ll have a taste explosion that’ll leave you wanting more of the same.

3. Ditch the fruit juice

A standard serving of fruit juice from your local squeeze joint supplies around 120 calories – and many of us are drinking a whole lot more than that with each serving. Go for naturally flavoured water (with no sugar added). You’ll save about 100 calories per glass. Do that every day of the week and you’ll save around 700 calories every seven days. And don’t be fooled by the promises of ‘big cola’ – there fruit juices are just as filled with sugar, they’re relying on your sweet tooth to keep you coming back for more.

4. All the Love for Lemon Juice

If there’s one mistake we all make it’s to enjoy our healthy green, organic salad with oodles of ‘natural’ salad dressing. Don’t do it – you’re being conned. Salad dressing is the bomb all right – a huge fat bomb. Aside from those preservatives and other chemical nonsense that are part and parcel of commercially available salad dressing it’s all just fat. You’ll be surprised at how delicious an organic salad can be if you just squeeze on the juice of half a lemon. Lemon brings out the natural flavour of fresh, raw vegetables. If you really want to make your salad pop then ask for something like a grilled vine tomatoes and spring onions, as well as fresh asparagus. Add few slivers of capsicum or a treat of fresh truffle and you’ll wake up your taste buds. That’s the real flavour bomb. Three salads like that will save you mucho calories.

5. Softly and Gently with the Oil

Recipes really don’t need that much oil. If you want to save an enormous amount of calories then by a diffusion. You can usually get the job done with just a thin layer of oil. A larger amount of oil can add up to 300 calories per cooking session (more if you’ve got a heavy hand). Make sure to use organic and first press oils such as rapeseed (canola) or olive oil. Some recipes may also allow you to use Grapeseed oil which is a great choice.  You’ll save around 250 calories per meal. That’s 500 every couple of days and those savings add up.

6. Your Quality Condiment

We like to think of Greek Yogurt as the King of Condiments. You can use it on sandwiches (instead of mayo or cheese – see hint number one). It’s also the best base for a dip that money can buy. Greek Yogurt clocks in at around 100 calories per spoonful – and the low fat version is just as delicious and score about a third of that amount – and it’s just as yummy. Ditch five tablespoons of mayo a week, substitute for the same amount of Greek deliciousness and save yourself around 335 calories.

As we said – make some simple changes without sacrificing taste or your decadent lifestyle and save hugely on the amount of calories that you consume every week. Watch the weight melt away. Oh – and stick with thin base pizza with extra toppings and cheese).

The post How To Lose 1 Pound A Week first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post How To Lose 1 Pound A Week appeared first on Healthy Gab.

Wanting to boost your libido, sex drive and passion? There are a number of aphrodisiac snacks that you can add into your diet to really spice things up. Not only will they help in the passion department, but they have a wide range of health benefits so it’s a win-win situation.

Click NEXT to Check These Awesome Natural Aphrodisiacs

 

The post The Top 5 Healthy Natural Aphrodisiacs first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post The Top 5 Healthy Natural Aphrodisiacs appeared first on Healthy Gab.

 

Diet soda – that feel good factor when you need to drink something tasty. However you know it’s bad for you, you just do.

No nutritional product that is the result of intense marketing from a global conglomerate is ever going to be natural, wholesome and just what your body needs (maybe peas – but they have to be organic – and that’s not going to happen with that global conglomerate)  – we dare you to prove us wrong.

But being the naturally curious and intelligent person that you are (and good looking with great taste – we can see that from here) you want to know just how diet soda is going to ruin your life. Because we like you we did the research. You’ll never touch a can of the stuff again – we guarantee you (and we’re not a global conglomerate – yet).

Your tongue will betray you.
If you keep drinking stuff with artificial sweeteners

So without further ado here’s why you shouldn’t be drinking diet sodas:

1. It confuses your body

Artificial sweeteners have more intense flavor than real sugar, so over time products like diet soda dull our senses to naturally sweet foods like fruit, says Brooke Alpert, RD, author of The Sugar Detox. Even more troubling, these sugar substitutes have been shown to have the same effect on your body as sugar. “Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain,” Alpert says. According to a University of Texas Health Science Centre study downing just two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500 percent.

2. It messes with your skin

Studies have shown that a regular soda habit has been linked to accelerated aging. If the long-term effects aren’t enough to scare you, diet soda lowers your pH levels, which can cause acne and leave your skin looking terrible.

Diet or regular, all colas contain phosphates, or phosphoric acid, a weak acid that gives colas their tangy flavour and improves their shelf life. Too much phosphoric acid can lead to heart and kidney issues, muscle loss, and osteoporosis, and one study suggests it could trigger accelerated aging. The study, published in a 2010 issue of the FASEB Journal, found that the excessive phosphate levels found in sodas caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels and soda manufacturers have been increasing the levels of phosphoric acid in their products over the past few decades – not good news.

3. It alters your mood.

The aspartame found in diet soda has been linked to headaches, dizzy spells, and even mood swings. It’s especially potent in people with a predisposition for anxiety or depression. That’s the last thing you need in today’s fast track, stress filled world.

4. It increases your risk of heart attack and other health issues

One University of Miami study found that folks who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who cut the soda out of their diet.

Researchers from Denmark discovered that drinking non-diet soda leads to dramatic increases in fat build up around your liver and your skeletal muscles, both of which can contribute to insulin resistance and diabetes.

The study showed that people who drank a regular soda every day for six months saw a 132 to 142 percent increase in liver fat, a 117 to 221 percent jump in skeletal fat, and about a 30 percent increase in both triglyceride blood fats and other organ fat. Their consumption also led to an 11 percent increase in cholesterol, compared with the people who drank other beverages such as water or even milk.

5. You’re not getting any thinner

It’s not surprising that drinking all the sugar in sodas would cause weight gain, but what is surprising is that even diet soda will pack on the pounds. A study by the University of Texas Health Science Centre monitored 475 adults for 10 years, and found that those who drank diet soda had a 70 percent increase in waist circumference over the ten-year study when compared with those who didn’t drink any soda at all.

Those who drank more than two diet sodas per day saw a 500 percent waist expansion. A separate study the same researchers conducted on mice suggested that it was the aspartame, which raised blood glucose levels that caused the weight gain; when your liver encounters too much glucose, the excess is converted to body fat. The rule here is don’t drink (or eat) anything with aspartame in it.

6. Cancer

In 2011, the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest asked the Food and Drug Administration to ban the artificial caramel colouring used to make Coke, Pepsi, and other colas brown. Why? Two contaminants in the colouring, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, have been found to cause cancer in animals, a threat the group says is unnecessary, considering that the colouring is purely cosmetic.

According to California’s ultra-strict Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, just 16 micrograms per person per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most brown colas, both diet and regular versions contain 200 micrograms per 20-ounce (in places outside the U.S. that’s a little over the standard 500ml bottle) bottle.

7. Hormone Unhappiness

If you’re drinking anything out of a can it’s bad news. Nearly all aluminium soda cans are lined with an epoxy resin called bisphenol A (BPA), used to keep the acids in soda from reacting with the metal. This epoxy has been linked to everything from infertility to obesity and diabetes and some forms of reproductive cancers. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have fingered soda cans, along with restaurant, school, and fast-food meals, as a major source of exposure to the chemical.

The big two – Pepsi and Coke are currently fighting it out to see which company can be the first to develop a 100 percent plant-based-plastic bottle–which they’re marketing as “BPA free” however neither company is willing to switch to BPA-free aluminium cans.

The upshot of this is that you really are better off drinking water (out of a tap) or unsweetened fruit juices. They’re better for you and they’re better for the environment.

The post Diet Soda – You’re Not Doing Yourself Any Favors first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post Diet Soda – You’re Not Doing Yourself Any Favors appeared first on Healthy Gab.

 

Award winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been in the news lately espousing the ‘clean eating’ movement. Looking into the matter we think that she might just be right. Clean eating is healthy eating.

Gwyneth Paltrow want you to ‘eat clean’? That’s fabulous – but what exactly does that mean? Ms. Paltrow might be talking to a camera about her latest idea that’ll tighten her skin and land her another contract, but the fact of the matter is that there’s no such thing as ‘clean eating’. Eating is a dirty business – if you’ve ever had a plate of ribs or even picked up an oil drenched olive you’ll know that consuming food is a messy business.

So what does Glwyneth want us to do? After reading about her thoughts we think that we might have some idea – and it’s not as crazy as the usual Hollywood diets that you see in the media.
Eating clean is just about as close to the Locovore movement as its possible to get – but with a healthy dose of paranoia about refining, processing and handling.

The approach is great – eat ‘real’ foods. Make your daily menu as close the natural world as possible.  But it’s not always as easy as a film star would have you believe.
For many people who work 9 – 5 jobs living the ‘clean eating’ ideal may be difficult, but it simply requires a change in mind set. Give up on frozen and fast – choose fresh and fabulous.

So here are some rules to enjoy a great clean eating lifestyle.

Click NEXT To Get Started

The post 7 Rules for Clean Eating first appeared on Healthy Gab.

The post 7 Rules for Clean Eating appeared first on Healthy Gab.