Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Jalapeno Corn Chowder

Serves 4
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups
Ingredients
2 tsp. unsalted butter

1 cup diced white onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper with some seeds, halved vertically and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups natural fat-free chicken broth
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 lb. frozen white yellow corn, thawed
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the onion and pepper are tender.
2. Add the flour and stir one minute. Vigorously stir in the broth and evaporated milk. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil while stirring. Add the corn and cook for two minutes. Top with cilantro to serve.
This recipe is from Diabetes Forecast.
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Exercises For Peripheral Neuropathy: Seated Dorsiflexion

While seated on the front half of a chair, place both feet flat on the floor. Gradually pull the toes and ankle up as high as you can. Slowly let them down. To make this exercise more challenging, position your feet closer to your body.
Repeat: 10-15 times, 3 repetitions/2 times a day.
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Gingery Pumpkin Mousse

6 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 (1 oz.) package sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding mix (try also French vanilla or banana)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups cold 1% milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup fat-free whipped topping
3 gingersnap cookies, crushed into crumbs
2 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry vanilla pudding mix with the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking for two minutes. Add in the pumpkin, and continue to whisk until the mixture begins to set. Fold in the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
2. For each serving, put 1/4 cup of the pumpkin mousse in a dessert cup or dish. Add a layer of gingersnap crumbs. Add another 1/4 cup of the mousse on top of the crumbs. Sprinkle the top of each with 1 tsp. chopped crystallized ginger.
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Timing Of First Solid Food Linked To Diabetes

Moms: now you have even more to worry about.
In children already at a higher risk for developing type 1 diabetes, missing the right time for introducing solid foods into your baby's diet may increase their risk.
According to Jill Norris, Ph.D., MPH, of the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora and her colleagues, compared to exposing children to solid food between the ages of four and five months, both exposing them too early and too late increases their risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
It is not all solid food however, that is associated with this risk. Specifically, the food group associated with a higher risk was rice or oats when exposed after the age of six months, says the study, published online in JAMA Pediatrics.
"These results suggest the safest age to introduce solid foods in children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes is between 4 and 5 months," they wrote, noting that these findings are consistent with what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for solid food introduction.
Previous studies looking at the connection between the timing of solid foods and risk of type 1 diabetes have had conflicting results. Norris and her colleagues looked at data from the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY), a longitudinal investigation of risk factors for the disease.
The new study looked at 1,835 children who either had testing for diabetes susceptibility alleles or had a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. Only those followed from birth with complete information about solid food exposure were included.
When solid food was introduced too late or too early, there was a greater risk of developing type 1 diabetes after adjustment for human leukocyte antigen genotype, having a first-degree relative with the disease, maternal education, and type of delivery.
As well, early exposure to fruit, but not fruit juice, also increased the risk for the disease, but the association became nonsignificant after accounting for other food exposures.
"The risk predicted by early exposure to solid foods might suggest a mechanism involving an abnormal response to solid food antigens in an immature gut system in susceptible individuals," the authors wrote. "As the increased risk is not limited to a specific food, it is possible many solids, including cereals and fruits, contain a common component that triggers an immature response."
However, the relationship between late exposure to solid foods and the risk for type 1 diabetes "may be related to the larger amounts given at initial exposure to older children. Also, if solid foods are introduced too late, when breast milk alone no longer meets the infant's energy and nutrient needs, nutrient deficiencies may occur, which may play a role in increasing... risk," said researchers.
"Additionally, the increased risk predicted by late exposure to solid foods may be related to the cessation of breastfeeding before solid foods are introduced, resulting in a loss of the protective effects of breast milk at the time of foreign food antigens," they wrote.
Reference: MedPage Today
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Onion and Herb Frittata

6 servings
Serving Size: 1/6 of frittata
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 27 minutes
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped onion
3 whole eggs
5 egg whites
1/2 cup fresh minced basil
2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1/2 Tbsp. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft. Remove the onion from the skillet; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine and beat the whole eggs, egg whites, basil, chives, salt, pepper, and and hot sauce. Fold in the sauteed onion.
3. Add the remaining oil to the skillet; turn the heat to medium low. Pour in the egg mixture and let it cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes, until the bottom is set.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake the frittata 10 to 12 minutes, until the top is set. Turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top of the frittata. Broil just until the cheese melts and the top is golden brown.
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Diabetics Spend $85,000 To Treat the Disease

What would you do with $85,000? Pay off your mortgage? Buy a new car? Go on vacation? Invest?
For diabetics, that is how much they will spend during their lifetime treating their disease. It is an astronomical amount to think of spending on any one thing, let alone a disease.
A new study, aimed at understanding the financial cost and return on delaying and preventing diabetes came up with that numerical figure. The study, conducted by researchers at the CDC and Research Triangle International, NC, found that the earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the greater the lifetime costs. As well, researchers found that women spend more in treating the disease than men, but the lifetime costs for women are higher than they are for men.
"Anything that can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes could lead to a sizeable reduction in healthcare costs in the future," researchers said.
The goal of the study was to understand the financial return of preventing and delaying diabetes and to find out about the long term financial impact of new diabetes cases.
Xiaohui Zhuo, Ph.D. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and lead author of the study, said, "This has become increasingly important given the rapid increase of the number of the incident cases in the US and worldwide."
Researchers designed a simulation model that was used to determine the costs of treating type 2 diabetes and its complications over a lifetime in those who were recently diagnosed.
Based on the model, researchers found that a man diagnosed with diabetes between the ages of 25 and 44 will spend about $124,700 treating the disease over his lifetime. A woman who is diagnosed with diabetes in the same age range will spend $130,800 over her life. When diabetes is diagnosed later in life, the costs decrease.
Of those costs, roughly 53 percent is spent on treating complications that occur because of diabetes and 47 percent is spent on complications that occur because of damage to large blood vessels that can lead to fatal heart disease and strokes.
"This is a different approach to a calculation of the costs of diabetes," said Robert E. Ratner, M.D., chief scientific and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association. "A better way of doing it is to note that in 2012, in the US, we actually had $176 billion in direct medical costs treating people with diabetes," he said. "This is up 40 percent in 5 years."
Medications, visits to doctors, and testing supplies fall under direct medical costs, and also includes treating complications like stroke, amputation, and eye damage.
Reference: Science World Report
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Apple Cinnamon Couscous Breakfast

8 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 18 minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 12/ tsp. cinnamon
1 cup couscous
1 small apple with peel, grated
1/4 cup roughly chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 Tbsp. toasted chopped walnuts
Preparation
1. In a saucepan, bring the milk, agave nectar, and cinnamon to a boil. Add the couscous, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the couscous rest and absorb the milk.
2. When the couscous has absorbed the milk, add the grated apple, dried cherries, apple juice, and walnuts.
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Will A Mediterranean Diet Lower Your Diabetes Risk?

A new study published in Diabetologia reports that a Mediterranean-style diet and low-carbohydrate diets

may help reduce the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
A Mediterranean diet consists of fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fiber breads, whole grains, and olive oil and is based on the eating habits in Greece, southern Italy and Spain. The diet reduces your consumption of red meat, cheese, and sweets.
In the new study, published August 15th, researchers followed 22,000 people in Greece for more than 11 years, 2,300 of whom developed diabetes.
The researchers looked at the participants' eating habits and developed a 10-point Mediterranean diet score. Those with scores above six were 12 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who had Mediterranean diet scores of three or lower.
People who ate the highest amount of carbohydrates were 21 percent more likely to develop diabetes than those with the lowest carbohydrate intake. Those with a high Mediterranean diet score and low carbohydrate intake were 20 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those with a low Mediterranean diet score and a high carbohydrate intake.
"The role of the Mediterranean diet in weight control is controversial, and in most studies from the Mediterranean countries the adherence to the Mediterranean diet was unrelated to weight," said Dr. Carlo La Vecchia and colleagues from the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy.
"This suggests that the protection of the Mediterranean diet against diabetes is not through weight control, but through several dietary characteristics of the Mediterranean diet," they said in a journal news release. "However, this issue is difficult to address in cohort studies because of the lack of information on weight changes during follow-up that are rarely recorded."
While the study showed an association between a Mediterranean diet and a lowered risk for developing diabetes, it did not show a cause-and-effect.
Reference: WebMD
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.

Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Chicken Noodle Soup

14 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup
Preparation Time: 25 minutes (not including time for stock to cool)
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Ingredients
Stock
1 rinsed whole chicken (4 lbs.), skinned (except for the wings) and cut into parts

2 large unpeeled onions, quartered
4 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into chunks
4 large celery stalks, coarsely chopped
6 sprigs fresh parsley
6 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Soup
2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion (10 oz.), chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large celery stalk, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
8 oz. wide egg noodles or linguine (whole wheat, if desired)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
Preparation
1. To prepare the stock, place the chicken parts in a heavy stockpot. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Add in three quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Skim the surface to remove any gray residue.
2. Add the parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt. Partially cover the pan, and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, 20 minutes. Remove the chicken parts, and set aside to cool.
3. Line a large colander with cheesecloth, and strain the broth, pressing on the solids to extract all the juices. Discard the vegetables, and reserve the stock, about 10 cups. Add the stock to a large container, and refrigerate for several hours. When it has cooled, spoon off and discard any solidified fat. The stock should be clear.
4. To prepare the soup, remove and discard all the bones from the chicken parts. Cut about 1 lb. of the chicken meat into small pieces for the soup. Save any remaining chicken for another use. Wrap the leftover chicken in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.
5. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, and saute for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, and saute for 5 minutes. Add in the reserved stock, and bring to a boil. Add the egg noodles or linguine, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cooked chicken. Season the soup lightly with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle in fresh minced parsley and thyme.
This recipe is from Diabetes Forecast.
If you are a diabetic and do not currently see a podiatrist, call our Glastonbury or Middletown office to make an appointment.
Ayman M. Latif, DPM
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Diabetic Foot Doctor in CT
Podiatrist in Glastonbury and Middletown, CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow my tweets on Twitter.