Good Fruits for Diabetics - The Amazing ABCs for Diabetics

As most of the fruits are sweet and sugary, many diabetics avoid eating fruits. But it's baseless that they don't prefer fruits to eat with diabetes. Indeed, there are some good fruits for diabetics. It is of course good news for you when prone to diabetes. Be sure, you can choose some fruits that help controlling blood sugar. Here, I would like to drag your attention to choose fruits to consume and lower sugar intake in your body.

Apricots

It is highly reliable that one apricot is a good source of Vitamin A (in the form of carotene) and Vitamin C. Carotenoids are good antioxidants that help control blood sugar and prevent risks of heart disease including cardiovascular problems. Studies on apricots have established that dried apricots are good natural supplements containing iron. They are also consumed as dietary fiber rich food. Apricots can be consumed in any form - juice, dried, cooked, or uncooked. Cooked form is more preferred than uncooked form in health point with reference to fat content. Though dried apricots are excellent iron food, it is advised not to go for eating them in excess as they compose harmful fat.

Apples

Apples are the best preferred and healthy food for diabetics to control sugar level. This is in view of low glycemic index as 38 in the glycemic index scale. Apples are rich in Vitamin C and many antioxidants. Being a high fiber food, apples top the list of good fruits for diabetics. If you are thus to choose fruits for diabetes, apples can be the best choice to control blood sugar.

Berries

In botanical terminology, Berry is a simple fruit with edible flesh and seeds - juicy too! We have two varieties in 'berry family' identified as 'True berries' and 'False berries'. The fruits under true berries are concord grapes, red gooseberries, red currants, and persimmon. The fruits that are listed as false berries or epigynous berries are raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. They are labeled as aggregate fruits - fruits consisting of multiple small fruits. Berries are excellent powerhouses composed of nutritious ingredients. As the berries help lower blood sugar, they are consumed by diabetics for medicinal values.

Cherries

Cherries are high fiber foods that are potent to lowering blood sugar levels. They are also rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin C needed for building a healthy body. There are two varieties in cherries namely sour cherries and sweet cherries. Sour cherries are composed of lower sugar content whereas sweet cherries are not so. Sour cherries are good fruits for diabetics to control blood sugar.

Controlling diabetes is an art. It is easy too if you stick on right choice of foods as good foods for diabetes AND avoid bad foods for diabetes.

Varadharajan R is the author of this article. This article can be used for reprint on your website provided all the links in the article should be complete active.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Varadharajan_R

Apricot Cherry Bar Cookies Recipe and 3 More Delicious Cookie Recipes

Cookies are great for breakfast, quick snacks or desserts which makes it a must to know how to prepare them. Apricot cherry bars, banana cornmeal cookies, banana ginger jumbles and banana nut bars are some delicious cookie recipes.

Here are the recipes for you to prepare at home:

1. Apricot Cherry Bars

Ingredient - Preparation Method

- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine - softened
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cut-up dried apricots
- 1/2 cup drained chopped maraschino cherries
- Powdered sugar

Directions:

- Heat oven to 375º.
- Grease and flour jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 × 10 1/2 × 1 inch.
- Beat half of the cake mix (dry), the water, butter, brown sugar and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon.
- Stir in remaining cake mix, the apricots and cherries.
- Spread evenly in pan.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean.
- Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cut into 6 rows by 5 rows.

2. Banana Cornmeal Cookies

Ingredient - Preparation Method

- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine - softened
- 1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (1 medium)
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

- Heat oven to 375º.
- Grease cookie sheet. Beat brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the butter, banana and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.
- Stir in flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. (If dough is too soft to shape, cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.)
- Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.
- Place about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
- Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with fork dipped into cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown.
- Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

3. Banana Ginger Jumbles

Ingredient - Preparation Method

- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine - softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 tablespoon grated gingerroot OR 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

- Heat oven to 375º. Beat brown sugar, butter, shortening, gingerroot and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.
- Stir in bananas and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center.
- Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar while warm.

4. Banana-Nut Bars

Ingredient - Preparation Method

- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- Cream Cheese Frosting - (recipe follows)

Cream Cheese Frosting

- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese - softened
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine - softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350º.
- Grease rectangular pan, 13 × 9 × 2 inches.
- Mix sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in large bowl with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in nuts.
- Spread batter in pan.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Cut into 6 row by 4 rows.
- Store covered in refrigerator.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

- Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl.
- Gradually beat in powdered sugar with spoon until smooth and spreadable.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucille_Green

Power Up Your Breakfast With a Wheat Free Cup Cake

Wheat free cake may seem to be impossible for you to prepare at first; but if you prefer a more nutritious recipe of cake then what you can buy in the market, then you better indulge yourself to learn cooking breakfast wheat free cup cakes.

Wheat intolerance is a good reason why you have to stay away from foods containing wheat. Maintaining a wheat free diet is the only remedy to stop possible symptoms of wheat discomforts.

Having a healthy wheat free diet is sure to offer you benefits to improve your quality of life.

Benefits of Wheat Free Diet

If you go for wheat free diet, you have a great opportunity to increase whole food variety in your meal. Eating nutritious is often inexpensive especially if you consider consuming seasonal fruits. And not only has that, eating all-natural foods had more nutrients than processed ones.

Your body will be grateful for your endeavor top stay away from wheat, since the symptoms of wheat intolerance disappear in no time.

Wheat free diets are also proven to contribute in your weight loss.

Preparing a day's meal can be already be difficult for you, plus the fact that you have to consider that your food must be wheat free; having one may take you longer than usual. You may start by planning your breakfast then the rest follows.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a person who has wheat intolerance or not. Here's a simple recipe I want to share to power up your breakfast.

Breakfast muffins - wheat free recipe

These breakfast muffins are perfect for your breakfast. It contains very little amount of sugar, more quantity on oats, raisins and apricots. This combination will ensure you having a muffin that won't elevate the level of your blood sugar.

A muffin containing this wheat free recipe is sufficient to keep your extreme hunger pangs, and it is also great for snacks.

This recipe is recommending that you utilize natural apricots to stay away from preservatives in dried apricots. Naturally grown apricots may not look attractive as the bright oranges, but they are much better for you, juicier and far tastier and nutritious.

Ingredients:

25 g light brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

125 g dried organic chopped apricots

50 g raisins

250 ml semi-skimmed milk

2 large eggs, beaten

50 g oats

3 tbsp low fat natural yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 or 2 tbsp of maple syrup (as toppings)

9 large paper muffin cases

Procedure:

Preheat oven: 190°C, fan 170°C, 375°F, gas 5

• Line a large muffin tin with 9 large muffin paper cases.

• Put the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl with your selected raisins and chopped apricots, and mix together.

• In another bowl, you can mix the oats, milk, beaten eggs, olive oil and yogurt.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and combine well until you have formed an even batter. Spoon the mixture in each paper muffin case.

• Bake for 17-20 minutes until golden brown on top. Check that they are cooked completely through by inserting a clean skewer into the centre of one to test. If the skewer comes out clean the muffins are cooked.

• Remove the muffins from the oven and allow cooling for a few minutes in the baking.

Now it's time for you to power up your breakfast; bake your wheat free muffin recipe.

Cathy M. is a yeast free diet expert. For more great information on yeast free diet, visit http://www.YeastFreeDietOnline.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cathy_M.

Healthy Persian Chicken Pilaf Recipe

This easy-to-cook, healthy Persian chicken rice recipe is not just for taste alone, it packs a punch of health benefits with addition of varied health foods encapsulating cumin, pomegranate juice and dried fruits such as dried apricot, prunes and raisins.

Being a very good source of iron and manganese, cumin is recognized of its culinary herbs and therapeutic properties. Cumin add a nutty and penetrating peppery flavor with slight citrus overtones to this Persian chicken rice dish. Its unique flavor has made it an integral spice in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants that reduce blood pressure (particularly systolic pressure) and slowed down LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) oxidation.

This healthy diet also includes dried apricots as a good source of fiber intake. Besides being heart health foods, apricots also protect against cancer and promote good vision. The high beta-carotene content of apricots help to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil

700g / 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken pieces (breast and thighs), cut into 2.5cm / 1 inch pieces

2 medium onions, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

200g / 7 oz long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 teaspoon saffron strands

salt and freshly ground black pepper

100ml / 3 1/2 fl oz pomegranate juice

900ml / 1 1/2 pints chicken stock

125g / 4 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots or prunes, halved

2 tablespoon raisins

2 tablespoon freshly chopped mint or parsley

pomegranate seeds, to garnish (optional)

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. Cook the chicken pieces, in batches, until lightly browned. Return all the browned chicken to the saucepan.
2. Add the onions to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften. Add the cumin and rice and stir to coat the rice. Cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is golden and translucent. Stir in the tomato puree and the saffron strands, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Add the pomegranate juice and stock and bring to the boil, stirring once or twice. Add the apricots or prunes and raisins and stir gently. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes until the chicken and rice are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
4. Turn into a shallow serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped mint or parsley. Serve immediately, garnished with pomegranate seeds, if using.

Gladys is passionate about health. She believes in natural healing and is an advocate in healthy diet, exercise and positive thinking.

If you think that watching your weight, keeping a tab on your cholesterol level, maintaining your waistline and looking after your health equal dull and bland food, then Healthy Easy Recipes website will change your mind. Gladys shares her home-cooked health diets in her Healthy Food Blog. She reckons home-cooked dish is akin to culinary art which you can add a personal touch, a healthy note and a sprinkling of love to whom you concerned.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gladys_K.

Cheese Pairing

Let's pair some cheeses. And in the tradition of the match being greater than the sum of its parts, I think you will enjoy these combinations.

* Fresh goat and sheep cheeses (Prairie Fruits Farm, Feta, Capriole): figs (fresh,dried or stewed), honey, fresh peaches, plums. Although fresh goat cheese has a slight citrus zest flavor profile, we do not recommend eating citrus fruit with it. Great with peppery or tart greens like arugula or dandelion.

* Soft-ripened/ash goat cheese (Bucheron, Sofia, Humbolt Fog) do well with honey, figs and nuts like toasted walnuts or toasted almonds. Some light fruit jam like strawberry or blueberry can add to the cheese plate.

* Double and triple creme (Brie, Nancy's Camembert, Picolo): Try some dried fruit like apricots, cherries or cranberries. Most nuts try to overpower the cheeses, so I would stick with fruit; dried, fresh or preserved.

* Washed rind cheeses (Mont St. Francis, Ardrahan, Tallegio): these can be a bit trickier. Ardrahan has a bit of a peanut, smoked bacon, caramel flavor to it. You could try a few shavings of chocolate, some juicy pears, or We might suggest a big fruit jam or compote like spiced cherry.

* Blue cheeses (Stichelton, Rogue River Blue, Gorgonzola Naturale): Most blue cheeses have a natural sweetness to them and go very well with honey and fruit jams such as membrillo, apple, or cherries. If using fresh fruit I would stick with stone fruit, grapes, apples or figs. When using dried fruit your options are almost limitless. In particular we like dried apricots, cranberries and figs. They also pair well with caramelized walnuts or hazelnuts and toasted almonds.

* Cheddars (Cabot Clothbound, 6 yr Cheddar, Montgomery's): are a great category for cheese pairing. For fruit, apples (honey crisp are glorious this time of year), pears, apricots. Nuts are also nice (toasted or caramelized). Jams/compotes such as quince, apricot, fig, blueberry can be a great addition.

* Young Unsmoked Gouda and other semi-firms (Marieke, Chaubier, Lancaster Duet): These cheeses often have a buttery, creamy flavor and texture and can get overpowered by accompaniments. Stick with apples, quince, pears (fresh, dried or spiced and preserved).

* Smoked cheeses (Fiore Sardo, Smoked Mozzarella) Toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts are nice. Tomato jams and vegetable tapanades also do well.

* Firm cheeses (Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, Manchego): These can go with a multitude of things. Membrillo is a great pairing for a firm Spanish cheese like Manchego or Idiazabal. High quality Parmigiano-Reggiano has a tropical fruit flavor profile to it that we love with pineapple pepper confit, or anything with some sweetness and a little bite.

* Aged Goudas (5 yr, Golden Goat, Coolea): These cheeses already have some nice caramel flavor profiles. They do very nicely with apricots, apples, pears, cherries.

Whenever Using nuts on a cheese plate remember that nuts have a slight bitterness to them that is enhanced when served raw. The best way to use them is either when they've been toasted or candied/caramelized. Pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds or pine nuts are usually best for cheese plates.

As far as salad greens go, arugula is one of the nicest greens for cheese. It has a nice peppery flavor that lends itself very well to cheeses like fresh goat or sheep cheese, earthy Camemberts, Cheddars, or blue cheeses. Taste your greens first. If they are very bitter, you need a cheese to help balance that out.

When in doubt, a bag of mixed greens does very well in any situation.

Agela Abdullah is a cheese monger and author of Cheese Is Alive, an informative and wildly popular cheese blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Agela_Abdullah

Honey Apricot Goat Cheese Spread

This is one of those food items that will always impress. It's actually very easy to make (as long as you have a food processor) but your friends will never know. It has a very gourmet feeling about it with a good deal of complexity in the taste. The tanginess of the goat cheese is well tamed by the sweetness of the honey and apricots. The garlic and pistachios round out the flavor quite well.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of pistachios
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 pound of natural cream cheese
3/4 pound of soft goat cheese
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of dried apricots, chopped

Directions

Place the pistachios into the work bowl of your favorite food processor. Pulse until very well chopped. Add the garlic clove and pulse until minced. Add the cream cheese, goat cheese, heavy cream, honey, salt and pepper to the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine, then let the food processor run until everything is well combined and creamy (about one and a half minutes.) Use a spatula to gently fold in the chopped apricots.

Tips And Suggestions

This gently sweetened spread pairs incredibly well with salty items. Try using it in a prosciutto sandwich on toasted whole grain bread.

Make a healthy dessert by spreading it on fresh sliced apples or pears.

You can also use this spread as a dip. You can add a little more cream if you want a more dippable consistency. Use it for pita chips or fresh veggies.

If you desire a more tangy spread, use 1 1/4 pounds of goat cheese and omit the natural cream cheese.

The Best Food Processor For Making Goat Cheese Spread

This is the kind of kitchen task where a good food processor and a not so good one will really stand apart. A quality machine will handle this job with ease, effortlessly giving you the creamy spread you desire. A cheaper model with a poorly powered motor is not likely to fare as well. It will hop around the counter while it struggles to combine the thick ingredients. At best, this leads to the motor producing excess heat and in turn melting some of the cheese. At worst, it leads to motor failure. Neither situation is ideal.

To find the best food processor for making spreads and so much more, read honest customer reviews and a useful buying guide at FOOD PROCESSOR REVIEWS.

Heather Krasovec, creator of http://food-processor-reviews.net/, uses her extensive experience in food based industries to help consumers make the best choices when stocking their kitchens.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Krasovec

Discover Relief From Painful Arthritis by Eating Delicious and Nutritious Foods

It's true that what you eat affects your entire body. Way back, a lot of doctors dismissed diet as having any part in the progression of arthritis. Today, however, massive research has proven this theory wrong. If you are looking for the best approach to painful arthritis, then consider natural, holistic means. Ayurveda, practiced for more than 5 centuries, focuses on attaining and maintaining a healthy balance in body, mind, and spirit. Ayurvedic therapy suggests that there are chemicals and substances in certain foods that can either increase or reduce inflammation.

Although the list of foods to avoid for those suffering from arthritis pain seems endless, take heart. The list of healthy, natural, delicious and life-giving foods is even longer! Just think, making a few, simple and right choices everyday can improve the quality of your life drastically.

Below are some of the most highly recommended foods that help manage painful arthritis by fighting inflammation:

1. Apricots - are loaded with beta-carotene and fiber, and fresh apricots have an abundant supply of vitamins and A and C. Like most fruits, these delicious treats not only help reduce inflammation but also help prevent muscular degeneration, which leads to impaired vision. Be careful about eating dried fruit, especially apricots, as they have much more sugar than the fresh variety. You may soak dried fruit in boiling water to dissolve residual sugar and then letting it reconstitute overnight.

2. Strawberries - are especially rich in anti-inflammatory properties, with phenols that decrease the activity of the COX enzyme, a job usually left for aspirin or ibrupofen, which can also cause intestinal bleeding. The small seeds on the outside that give the fruit its characteristic look also add to its high fiber content. Raspberries have several antioxidant flavanoids that can counteract bacteria and fungi, including candida, which can lead to vaginal infections and irritable bowel syndrome.

3. Carrots - are not only high in vitamin A but are also loaded with beta-carotene, which helps fight inflammation. A fat-soluble antioxidant, beta-carotene, along with other cartenoids such as lutein and lycopene (found in tomatoes and watermelon) may also lower levels of deleterious C-reactive protein. Consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in cartenoids and other nutrients does fight inflammation.

Eating a balanced and nutritious diet rich in whole foods will do wonders to support the body so it can heal itself naturally. You can manage painful arthritis by simply following some simple dietary advice.

Puneet Aggarwal is a health blogger at DiscussDosha.com and regularly writes about natural remedies for Arthritis and Joint Pains. He recommends Joint-Mender, a natural solution for arthritis, which helps you to enhance joint flexibility, strengthen your tendons and cartilage, and alleviate pain and discomfort.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Puneet_Aggarwal