Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Turkey Pot Pie

Perfect for turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving!
Makes: 12 servings
Serving Size: 3 by 3 inch square
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Butter-flavored cooking spray
1 lb. white meat boneless turkey breast, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fat-free,  reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. olive oil
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. small red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into quarters
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
6 Tbsp. flour
8 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
8 sheets (9 by 14 inch) phyllo dough
Preparation
1. Coat a 9 by 13 inch pan with the cooking spray; set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the turkey with the garlic powder and pepper, and set aside.
2. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to boiling. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and salt. Cook for five minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms from the skillet; set aside.
3. Add the potatoes and thyme to the boiling chicken broth. Lower the heat to medium. Simmer the potatoes for about 8 minutes, just until tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes and set aside; discard the thyme sprigs. Add the carrots and onion to the stock, and simmer for 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the carrots and onions; set aside.
4. Add the turkey to the stock and simmer for 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the turkey; set aside. Cook and reduce the stock for 7 to 10 minutes, until you have about 1/2 cup.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the milk, half-and-half, and flour until very smooth. When the stock is reduced, slowly add the milk mixture to the stock, constantly stirring , and cook until the sauce is thickened. Add the sauce to the cooked vegetables and turkey, stir in the peas and parsley, and mix well. Place the mixture in the prepared pan.
6. Spread one sheet of the phyllo dough on a clean surface. Cover the remaining 7 sheets with a clean, slightly damp towel to avoid cracks. Coat the first sheet with the cooking spray. Add another sheet on top of the first and spray with cooking spray. Continue stacking and coating the sheets. Carefully lift the stack of phyllo (use a spatula if necessary) and place it over the turkey-vegetable mixture. With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slashes across the top of the crust.
7. Bake the pie, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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: Chair Squat

Using a firm chair with armrests, position your feet in a split stance with one foot at the base of the chair and the other foot placed comfortably in front and slightly out to the side. Slowly transfer your weight forward until your legs are supporting your body weight. Slowly press up with your legs standing. To lower yourself, slowly reach for the chair with your hips. Touch the chair with your hips and press back up for your next repetition. It is important that you do not plop in the chair or rest between repetitions.
Repeat: 10-15 times, 2 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: Turkey Stroganoff

4 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
8 oz. wide egg noodles

2 tsp. poppy seeds
Olive oil cooking spray
12 oz. fresh turkey breasts, cut into thin strips
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley
Preparation
1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot. Add the poppy seeds and toss gently.
2. Coat a large skillet with olive oil cooking spray. Add the turkey and onion, toss with the salt and pepper, and saute for five minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the mushrooms and saute for three to four minutes, until the mushroom are soft and the turkey is cooked through. Transfer the turkey-vegetable mixture to a bowl; set aside.
3. Heat the canola oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for one minute. Gradually add the broth and cook for about four minutes, stirring with a wood spoon, until the sauce thickens.
4. Reduce the heat to low. Blend in the sour cream and mustard. Return the turkey-vegetable mixture and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cook just until heated through, do not boil.
5. Divide the noodles among individual plates and top with the Stroganoff. Garnish with fresh parsley.
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.

Early Menstruation May Lead To Diabetes Risk

A new study conducted in eight European countries suggests that there is an association between the time girls begin menstruation and an increased risk for developing diabetes in adulthood.
The study, published in the November issue of Diabetes Care does not outright say that girls who begin menstruating early will definitely have diabetes in adulthood, but it does make a connection.
"The body is undergoing many changes during puberty," says Cathy Elks, a research fellow at the MRC epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge in England. "Our research, as well as previous related studies, suggests that the biological factors implicated in the timing of development may have a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, despite the fact that these processes occur many years before the manifestation of disturbed [blood sugar] control."
Elks and colleagues looked at the medical records of more than 15,000 women and found that those who began menstruating between the ages of 8 and 11 were 70 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those began menstruation at age 13, the average age.
Other studies have shown that girls who start puberty early are more likely to develop obesity, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. Obesity, which is common among girls who get their first period, may certainly be a factor, but it's not the reason. Even when statistics were adjusted to remove the effects of obesity, researchers found that when puberty was started early, girls still had a higher risk of developing diabetes.
"These findings suggest that early puberty has an effect on metabolic disease risk, which is partially mediated by an increased BMI (a measurement of body fat based on height and weight), but also has some direct effect through other biological pathways which act independently of adioposity (body fat)," the study authors wrote in a news release to the American Diabetes Association.
The authors did note that have a period after the age of 15 did not offer greater protection from type 2 diabetes in adulthood.
Reference: Philly.com
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: Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Pineapple and Spices

8 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 65 minutes
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 5 oz. each)

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained of juice except for 1/4 cup
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the surface of the sweet potatoes with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes directly on the oven rack with a foil-lined baking sheet placed on the rack directly below it. Roast the sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop the flesh from the sweet potatoes, discarding the skin. Add the flesh to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mash well.
3. Place the sweet potato mixture into a four-cup casserole dish, and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.
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.

Tom Hanks Diagnosed With Diabetes

Tom Hanks is one of the biggest stars in the movie industry. With such noted films as Forrest Gump, The Green Mile, and classics like Big, he may appear he has the perfect life.
But as we all know, appearances are not always what they seem. Hanks was recently on the Late Night With David Letterman and announced that he has Type 2 diabetes.
The two-time Oscar winner was on the show to promote his new movie Captain Phillips and told Letterman that he had suffered from symptoms of Type 2 diabetes for more than two decades, but only recently received his diagnosis.

The topic came up by chance, as Letterman commented how much slimmer the actor looked. Hanks said he had a bit to go before he meets his doctor's goals.
"I went to the doctors and they said, 'You know those high blood sugar numbers you've been living with since you were 36? Well, you've graduated. You've got type 2 diabetes, young man'," Hanks said.
"My doctor said, 'If you can weight what you weighed in high school, you'll essentially be healthy and not have Type 2 diabetes," Hanks said. "Well, I'm gonna have Type 2 diabetes because there is no way I can weigh as much as I did in high school."
Letterman asked Hanks how much he weighed in high school, and Hanks promptly responded, "96 pounds. I was a very skinny boy."
Hanks spoke to Yahoo Movies about his diagnosis and had this to say, "Hey, I don't have Type 1 diabetes! Type 1 diabetes is a really, really serious thing. I don't have that. I have high blood sugars and Type 2 diabetes is not going to kill me. But I just have to eat right, and exercise, and lose weight, and watch what I eat, and I will be fine for the rest of my life.
"Part of it's hereditary, without a doubt. I guess I just got it in me. But it's really about a lifestyle, man... I'm 57 years old and for the last 20 years I've been carrying around probably 15 or 20 extra pounds in my regular life. When I work, a lot of times I have to lose weight and I do that, but in my regular life I was not eating right, and I was not getting enough exercise. But by the nature of my diet and that lifestyle- boom!
"The end result was high blood sugars that reach levels where it becomes Type 2 diabetes. I share that with a gajillion other people. The best thing you can do that for that and the thing that will completely negate its effects is eat right and lose weight. So that's what I'm doing."
Hanks urged people to get checked out and not be afraid of the disease.
"It's not a huge tragedy, but you know there are people out there that are saying, 'Geez, what's wrong with me? I don't understand. I feel like this, I get sluggish, I get down, I'm beginning to lose feeling in my feet.' When it's essentially from high blood sugars and they might be flirting with Type 2 diabetes themselves."
Reference: Yahoo
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: Fruited Whole-Wheat Bread Stuffing

14 servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Ingredients
1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup raisins, dark or golden
1/2 cup pitted sliced prunes (also called dried plums)
1/2 cup dried apricots
3 cups boiling water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp. dried ground sage
1 lb. day-old whole-wheat bread, crusts removed and cubed
3 cups boiling low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, raisins, prunes, and apricots. Add the boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute for eight to nine minutes until onions are translucent and celery is soft. Add in the sage and saute for one minute. Add the onions and celery to a large bowl.
3. Add the bread to the bowl and mix. Pour over the broth, and add the eggs and mix well. Add in the walnuts and season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the stuffing into a large 9-by-13 inch casserole dish and bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more until top is browned.
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.

Hospital Readmissions Tied To Patient Education

Patients who visit the hospital and are diagnosed with diabetes and given inpatient diabetic education (IDE)

have a much lower frequency of hospital readmission within 30 days, says a new study published in the October issue of Diabetes Care.
Sara J. Healy, M.D., from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus and colleagues conducted an analysis using information from inpatients who had a discharge diagnosis of diabetes and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) >9 percent who were hospitalized between 2008 and 2010. Inpatient diabetic education was given by certified diabetic educators or trainees. The 30 day analysis involved 2,265 patients and the 180 day analysis included 2,069 patients.
Healy and her colleagues found that the frequency of readmission to the hospital within 30 days was significantly lower for those who received IDE than for those who did not (11 percent versus 16 percent). Even when sociodemographic and illness-related factors were adjusted, the relationship still existed. In the model the researchers used, Medicaid and longer stays were independent predictors of readmission. Inpatient diabetic education was also linked to decreased readmissions within 180 days, but it was a thin correlation. In the final IDE readmission model used by researchers, independent factors were seen for no IDE, African American race, Medicaid or Medicare insurance, longer stay, and lower Hba1c with increased hospital readmission.
The authors concluded that, "Formal IDE was independently associated with a lower frequency of all-cause hospital readmission within 30 days; this relationship was attenuated by 180 days."
Reference: Renal and Urology News
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.