Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Fresh Salmon Burgers

Makes: 4
Serving Size: 1 burger
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes
Ingredients
1 b. salmon fillet, skinned, with any bones removed
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. finely minced red bell pepper
2 Tbsp. finely minced red onion
1 Tbsp. finely minced cilantro
1 Tbsp. lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil
4 small whole wheat burger buns, toasted
4 sliced tomato
4 romaine lettuce leaves
Preparation
1. Add one quarter of the salmon to the food processor. Process the salmon until it is like a paste. Add to a bowl. Chop the remaining salmon by hand into small pieces, and add them to the salmon paste.
2. Add the bread crumbs, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, soy sauce, and ginger to the salmon and mix very gently. Handling the salmon mixture gently, form it into 4 patties. Place the patties on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the salmon burger patties from the refrigerator and let them stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add the oil and heat to medium-high.
4. Add the salmon burger patties and cook them for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are cooked through.
5. Serve the burgers on the buns with the tomato and lettuce.
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: Side Leg Raise

Hold chair or table with one hand, then one fingertip, then no hands, then do exercise with eyes closed, if steady. Stand straight, directly behind chair or table, feet slightly apart. Hold chair or table for balance. Slowly lift one leg to side, 6-12 inches above the ground. Slowly lower leg and repeat with other leg. Your knee and back are straight throughout exercise.
Hold: 5-10 seconds
Repeat: 2 repetitions on each leg/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: Cool Basil, Mint, and Tomato Salad

Makes: 4
Serving Size: 1 cup
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 cup coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 Tbsp. toasted chopped hazelnuts
2 Tbsp. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Dressing
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. In a large glass serving bowl, combine the romaine lettuce and basil leaves. Layer the tomatoes, mint, hazelnuts, and cheese on top of the lettuce and basil.
2. For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over each portion of salad.
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.

Diabetes On Rise As Obesity Rises

With obesity on the rise, it is easy to see how related conditions and diseases are on the rise as well.
Researchers of a new study looked at the rates of changes in diabetes in the United States over the last 20 years. The study found that the rates have increased and the condition affects more than 20 million adults in the US.
"There has been a staggering increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past 30 years in the United States," said the authors of the study, led by Elizabeth Selvin, PhD., MPH, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland.
The goal of the new study was to determine how the rates of diabetes, often tied to obesity, has changed over the last several decades.
Dr. Selvin and her team in particular looked at how diabetes is defined by hemoglobin A1C, or HbA1C. This blood test for diabetes gives information on the patient's blood sugar levels in the past three months.
Researchers used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from the years 1988 to 1994 and 1999 to 2010 with 43,439 overall participants aged 20 years and older. The survey included data on results from blood tests, previous conditions, and demographic information.
Using the HbA1C levels, Dr. Selvin and her team looked for cases of undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes. In those who had already been diagnosed with diabetes, researchers looked at control of their condition.
Researchers found that total diabetes cases increased 6.2 percent from 1988 to 1994, 8.8 percent from 1999 to 2010, and 9.9 percent from 2005 to 2010. From this data they deduced that 21 million people in the United States in 2010 over the age of 20 had diabetes.
Even though the total number of diabetes cases increased during the study period, the number of undiagnosed cases show little change. Dr. Selvin estimated that between 1988 and 1994 16 percent of diabetes cases were undiagnosed, but dropped to 11 percent of cases between 2005 and 2010.
Prediabetes cases accounted for 5.8 percent of participants between 1988 and 1994 and increased to 11.9 percent from 1999 to 2010 and 12.4 percent from 2005 to 2010.
In general, control of the condition increased from 50.9 percent from 1988 to 1994 to 58.8 percent from 2005 to 2010. However, certain ethnic groups like non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans had declining rates of control.
And as expected researchers found that obesity levels of participants rose over the study time period. Study authors concluded that, "the increases in diabetes cases over the past 2 decades were largely explained by increases in diabetes."
Participants in Dr. Selvin's study self-reported if they had the condition and the research looked at just one test of HbA1C levels. Further research would be needed to confirm findings.
Reference: Huffington Post
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: Cannellini Bean Spread Wrap

Makes: 4
Serving Size: 1/4 cup bean spread, 1 whole wheat tortilla
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Spread:
1 (14.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 oz. nonfat cream cheese
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Each wrap:
4 thin cucumber slices
2 Tbsp. shredded peeled carrot
2 medium tomato slices
4 sliced red pepper strips
1 (8 inch) whole wheat tortilla (lowest-sodium tortillas available)
Preparation
1. For the spread, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add some water, if necessary, to make the mixture smooth.
2. Pack spread, vegetables, and tortilla in separate containers. When ready, spread about 1/4 cup of the spread onto the tortilla. Top with cucumber, carrots, tomato, and red pepper. Roll into a wrap.
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.

Diabetes Linked To Pancreatic Cancer Risk

According to a new analysis of 88 studies, those with diabetes have double the risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who do not have the condition.
Researchers have suggested that diabetes is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, but it is not clear whether diabetes comes first or pancreatic cancer. This new analysis says that for some, pancreatic cancer may be responsible for the development of diabetes.
However, experts say that the total overall risk for pancreatic cancer among diabetics is low.
"Our study demonstrated that there is an overall two-fold increase risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with diabetes mellitus," said Dr. Mehrdad Nikfarjam, senior lecturer and transplant surgeon at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
"The study also demonstrates that diabetes mellitus may be an early indicator of the development of pancreatic cancer in certain cases," said Nikfarjam. "Patients with diabetes mellitus that were analyzed had a seven-fold increased risk of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within the first year of being diagnosed with diabetes.
"Studies have demonstrated that pancreatic cancer can produce certain substances that influence the way the body  handles insulin and blood sugar, resulting in diabetes," he said. "In some patients with pancreatic cancer and diabetes, the diabetes actually improves once the cancer is removed."
There could be a biological connection for diabetes to increase pancreatic cancer risk.
"It is thought that the chemical changes that occur in the body with type 2 diabetes can promote the growth of pancreatic cells and also result in damage that leads to the development of pancreatic cancer," Nikfarjam said. "Type 1 diabetes is similarly thought to be a risk factor, but to a lesser extent."
While the review found an association between diabetes and risk of pancreatic cancer, it did not prove that either disease causes the other.
One US expert says that these results are not unexpected.
"The conclusions from this meta-analysis are very consistent with those drawn at a [U. S. National Institutes of Health] workshop on the subject," said Dr. Robert Ratner, chief scientific and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association.
"Clearly there is a relationship between diabetes and pancreatic carcinoma, and it could go in either direction," he said. "Pancreatic cancer might cause diabetes or diabetes might cause pancreatic cancer."
Ratner said that with the risk of pancreatic cancer being so low, most people with diabetes should not worry.
Nikfarjam added, "The risk of developing pancreatic cancer overall remains very low, even in long-standing diabetic patients. These patients should not be alarmed. It is even possible that good blood sugar may lessen the risks."
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at a very late stage and five year survival rates are less than 1 percent. Most patients with this type of cancer typically do not survive longer than four to six months after the initial prognosis.
Within the first year of diagnosis as a diabetic, the risk for pancreatic cancer was seven times higher than for someone without diabetes. The overall risk stays at a high level for a long time, but eventually after 10 years the risk decreases to 36 percent.
Reference: US 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.

Diabetic Recipe of the Week: Fiesta Nachos

Makes: 4
Serving Size: 7 chips with topping
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 16 minutes
Ingredients
6 scallions (white part only), thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp. salt-free Southwestern seasoning blend (optional)
4 cups (about 28 chips) baked tortilla chips (such as Guiltless Gourmet)
3/4 cup shredded, reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cabot's 75% reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese)
1/2 large tomato, seeded and diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup sliced, pitted black olives (sliced into thin rounds)
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, coat a small skillet with cooking spray. Add the scallions and saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno pepper, and if desired, Southwestern seasoning blend. Saute for 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
2. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the tortilla chips close together on the baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the chips with the cheese and scallion-garlic mixture. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese melts. Add the nachos to a serving platter, and top with tomato, black olives, and cilantro.
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.

Is Diabetes and Obesity A Gen X Problem?

Compared to their baby boomer parents at the same age, GenXers are fatter and more likely to develop diabetes in the prime of their lives, highlighting the deterioration of health in one short generation. However, GenXers are better educated, less likely to smoke, and if they are female, more likely to be employed.
A new study from the University of Adelaide in Australia collected data from 1989-90 and 2007-08 national health surveys to compare the two generations between the ages of 25 and 44.
Nearly one in five of Gen X males are obese, compared to 9 percent of male baby boomers at the same age. Roughly 13 percent of female Gen Xers are obese, compared to 10 percent of female baby boomers.
When it comes to diabetes, 3 percent of males and 8 percent of females of Gen Xers have the condition, compared to 1 percent of males and 3 percent of females in the baby boomer generation.
"We're getting sicker, younger," said researcher Rhiannon Pilkington. "The increased prevalence of obesity isn't because we have an ageing population, it's much more relevant to our environment."
Pilkington credits the decrease in the quality of health in a more sedentary lifestyle, rising consumption of processed foods, and the decline of physical exercise and sleep.
"We're enjoying increased life expectancy but our health life expectancy hasn't increased at the same rate," she said. "If the trend continues, there will be a decrease in life expectancy."
It has been suggested by researchers that Gen Y, the generation following Gen X, will be the first generation to not outlive their parents.
Pilkington also believes that since many Gen Xers did not grow up in an age of prosperity like their parents did that may effect their health.
In general, Gen X is better educated than their baby boomer parents. One in three has a university education compared to 15 percent of male baby boomers and 11 percent of female baby boomers. Three-quarters of female Gen Xers have a job, compared to two-thirds of female baby boomers.
Edwina Gleeson, 43, has been better about taking care of her health in the past ten years. She stopped smoking at age 34, and after suffering gestational diabetes, she went on the paleo diet 18 months ago. The mother of two went from a "tight size 16" to a size 10.
"My health has improved," said Gleeson, who now does yoga and walks regularly. "I feel amazing, I don't get tired. Hopefully I've escaped diabetes and obesity."
Reference: The Age
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: Penne with Fresh Tomato Herb Sauce

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 leek, white part only, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 can (35 oz.) Roma tomatoes, smashed in their own juice
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
1/2 cup chopped parsley
10 basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped black olives
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, leeks, and celery and saute for 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta until cooked al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Add the parsley, basil, and oregano. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the olives.
4. Drain the pasta, add the sauce, and toss gently. Top with Parmesan cheese.
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.