Diabetic Friendly Recipes

Diabetes is affecting more and more people each day. It is one of the most significantly increasing diseases in the developed world.
Diabetes occurs when a person's body does not make enough insulin or does not use insulin the right way. Insulin helps your cells convert blood sugar (also called glucose) into energy. Diabetes causes the sugar to build up in your blood.

Over time, high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage your eyes, blood vessels, nerves and kidneys.
Damage to your nerves can lead to foot sores, problems with digestion and impotence.
Damage to your blood vessels increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Many of these problems can be delayed or prevented with treatment.

The goal of diabetes treatment is to keep your blood sugar level as close to normal as possible--not too high (called hyperglycemia) or too low (called hypoglycemia).

The first step is to have a healthy diet and to exercise. This may mean you'll need to change your diet and exercise habits. You'll also have to watch your weight, or even lose weight, to keep your blood sugar level as normal as possible. Your doctor will talk to you about the kinds of food you should eat and how much exercise you'll need every week.

Regularly checking your blood sugar is a key to helping you control it. Blood sugar checks can help you see how food, exercise and insulin or medicine affects your level. Checking your blood sugar also allows you and your doctor to change your treatment plan if needed.

Sometimes diet and exercise alone can't keep your blood sugar at a normal level. Then your doctor will talk to you about other treatments, such as medicine or insulin.

Sticking to a healthy diet is not an easy thing to do. You want interesting meals but where do you start?
What foods should you be eating?
Where do you buy them from?
How do you cook them?

Finding Diabetes Friendly Recipes is not easy to do.

Start with these simple recipes and work your way from there. It does not have to be as hard as you might be making it.

Ingredients

* 100g unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup firmly packed (100g) brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 4-5 bananas (450g total), mashed
* 3 tbs (1/4 cup) natural yoghurt
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
* 1 tbs baking powder
* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C (not fan-forced) and grease a 900ml loaf pan.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl using electric beaters until thick and fluffy.
3. Add egg and beat until well combined.
4. Add banana, yoghurt and vanilla extract and stir. Sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon and fold through batter. Stir in walnuts if using. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a rack to cool completely. Serve buttered, if desired.

Ingredients

* 500g penne pasta
* 4 chicken breast fillets, trimmed
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* 1 large red capsicum, quartered, deseeded
* 6 marinated artichokes, drained, quartered
* 1/2 cup semi-dried tomatoes, drained
* 1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced
* 1/3 cup firmly packed small basil leaves
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup water

Method

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain.
2. Place chicken onto a plate. Combine 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic in a jug. Brush over both sides of chicken.
3. Preheat barbecue plate on high heat. Cook capsicum, skin-side down, for 10 minutes. Place into a plastic bag. Stand for 5 minutes. Reduce barbecue heat to medium. Cook chicken for 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover. Stand for 5 minutes.
4. Discard capsicum skin. Slice capsicum and chicken. Place into a bowl with pasta, artichokes, tomatoes, onion and basil.
5. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, vinegar, water, and salt and pepper in a screw-top jar. Shake well to combine. Pour over pasta mixture. Toss to combine. Serve.

Ingredients
* 2 oranges
* 1 punnet strawberries
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 6 sheets filo pastry
* 200g reduced fat ricotta
* 1/2 cup vanilla yoghurt
* pinch cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut ends from oranges, then stand on one end and cut away the rind and pith.
2. Hold an orange in your hand over a bowl and cut the segments of fruit from between the membranes. Drop segments into bowl, then squeeze juice from remaining membrane over them. Repeat with remaining orange.
3. Wash, hull and halve strawberries. Add to oranges. Sprinkle with sugar, and gently stir to combine. Leave to stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Spray a 6 x 3/4-cup capacity Texas muffin pan with oil. Fold a sheet of filo into quarters. Trim with scissors to square. Use to line one pan. Repeat with remaining filo. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the tin, and cool on a wire rack.
5. Whisk ricotta, yoghurt and cinnamon together. Drain juice from fruit into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat.
6. Spoon ricotta mixture into filo cases. Top with fruit. Drizzle with juice and serve.

Just a little taste of how living with diabetes can still be interesting and delicious.

There are many Diabetes Friendly Recipes and shopping out there waiting for you to access them and explore :)