Basic diabetic menu for one week

Basic diabetic menu

  Notes: (t = teaspoon or 5g; T = tablespoon or 15g); artificial sweetener can be used in small quantities.

                        
MONDAY (Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)
Breakfast:
     Oats porridge (120g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
     Wholewheat bread (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine and Marmite
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
 Mid-morning snack:
     Wholewheat biscuits (15g)
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
     Chicken breast, grilled (50g)
     Boiled potato (120g)
     Tomato and lettuce salad
     Orange (120g, peeled weight)
     Low-fat yoghurt (small carton or 100ml), artificially sweetened, apricot-flavoured
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
     Provita (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margarine
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
      Lean pork chop, (50g), pan-fried in non-stick pan with Spray & Cook
      Steamed broccoli with 1 T melted cheese
      Carrot salad with lemon juice and artificial sweetener
      Wholewheat bread (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine and 2 t (10g) diabetic jam
      Sliced pineapple (90g)
      Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
       Use remainder of low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) with 15g Ovaltine or Horlicks, or wholewheat bread          (1 slice, 15g) or 1 Rye crispbread (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite-margarine
       

TUESDAY
(Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)

Breakfast:      Maltabella porridge (120g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
     Boiled egg (50g)
     Wholewheat toast (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
Mid-morning snack:
     Rice cakes (15g)
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
     Club sandwich:
     Lean, sliced roast beef, all visible fat removed (50g)
     Seed loaf (3 slices/120g) with 3 t (15g) Lite margarine, or 3 t (15g) low-fat mayonnaise
     Sliced tomato, lettuce and gherkins
     Pawpaw cubes (120g)
      Low-fat yoghurt (100ml), artificially sweetened, fruit-flavoured
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
    High-fibre biscuits (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
     Snoek (50g), pan-fried in nonstick pan with Spray & Cook
     Baked potato (60g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margarine
     Steamed baby marrow with herbs
     Sliced peaches (120g)
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
     Low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) with 15g wholewheat biscuit

          

WEDNESDAY
(Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)

Breakfast:
      All-Bran cereal (3 T/20g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
      Wholewheat bread (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine and 2 t (10g) diabetic jam
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
 Mid-morning snack:
     Apple (120g)
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
     Tuna (50g), tinned in brine with 1 t (5g) low-fat salad dressing
     Rye bread (3 slices/120g) with 3 t (15g) Lite margarine
     Asparagus, tinned (½ cup)
     Cucumber, sliced (½ cup)
     Banana (60g, weight with peel)
     Low-fat yoghurt (100ml), artificially sweetened, banana-flavoured
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
     High-bran muffin (½ a muffin/15g)
     Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
     Lamb chop (50g), grilled
     Brown rice (½ cup cooked)
     Steamed green beans with lemon juice and herbs
     Lettuce and watercress salad
    Apricots, dried (75g, boiled weight), stewed with artificial sweetener
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
    Use remainder of low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) with 15g Ovaltine or Horlicks, or carob-flavoured     rice cakes (15g)



THURSDAY
(Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)

Breakfast:
    Maize meal porridge (120g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
    Grilled bacon (20g)
    Grilled tomato
    Wholewheat toast (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
 Mid-morning snack:
    Wholemeal biscuits (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
    Chicken and mushroom casserole, (50g)
    Mashed potato (120g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine
    Peas, cooked (½ cup)
    Beetroot salad (½ cup)
    Naartjie segments (120g, without peel)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
    Provita (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margarine
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
    Kabeljou (50g), grilled, with herbs and garlic
    Baked potato (60g), with plain, low-fat yoghurt flavoured with herbs & garlic (2T, 30g)
    Spinach, cooked
    Cabbage and carrot salad with lemon juice and artificial sweetener
    Strawberries (180g), with artificial sweetener
    Low-fat yoghurt (70ml), artificially sweetened, berry-flavoured
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
    Use remainder of low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) with 15g Ovaltine or Horlicks, or wholewheat bread (1 slice, 15g) or 1 Rye crispbread (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margarine

       


FRIDAY
(Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)

Breakfast:
    Cornflakes (15g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
    Cheese, grated (15g)
    Wholewheat date muffins (60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
Mid-morning snack:
    Raisins (15g) and peanuts (10g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
    Lean steak, grilled (50g)
    Corn on the cob (60g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margarine
    Tomato, cucumber and lettuce salad
    Pear (120g)
    Low-fat yoghurt (100ml), artificially sweetened, pear-flavoured
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
    Biscuit (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
    Lean tomato mince (50g)
    Pasta, cooked (½ cup/60g)
    Mixed vegetables, boiled (½ cup)
    Apple and celery salad (½ cup) with low-fat salad dressing (2 t/10g)
    Sliced plums (120g), with artificial sweetener
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
    Use remainder of low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) and Provita (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margarine and 1 t  (5g) diabetic jam



SATURDAY
(Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)

Breakfast:
    Oats porridge (120g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
    Scrambled egg (50g), prepared in microwave or nonstick pan
    Wholewheat toast (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine and Marmite
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
Mid-morning snack:
    Wheat cakes (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
    Sosaties, grilled (50g)
    Baked potato (120g), with plain, low-fat yoghurt flavoured with herbs and garlic (2T, 30g)
    French bean salad with low-fat salad dressing (2t, 10g)
    Spanspek (½ cup)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
    Bran muffin (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
    Salmon (50g), pan-fried in nonstick pan with Spray & Cook
    Brown rice (½ cup cooked)
    Aubergine cooked with tomato and onions (½ cup)
    Lettuce, tomato and gherkin salad (½ cup) with low-oil mayonnaise (1 t/5g)
    Sliced orange (120g, peeled)
    Low-fat yoghurt (70ml), artificially sweetened, granadilla-flavoured
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
    Use remainder of low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) and wholewheat crackers (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite-margarine
         


SUNDAY
(Low-fat or skim milk allowance for the day: 560ml)

Breakfast:
    Corn flakes (15g) with low-fat milk from allowance (e.g. ½ cup or 150ml)
    Poached egg
    Wholewheat bread (2 slices/60g) with 2 t (10g) Lite margarine and 2 t (10g) diabetic jam
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance (about 30ml)
Mid-morning snack:
    Rice cakes (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Lunch:
    Lean steak, grilled (50g)
    Roast potato (30g)
    Butter nut, boiled (½ cup)
    Carrot and cabbage salad with low-fat, artificially sweetened pineapple-flavoured yoghurt      (2T/30g)
    Sliced mango (90g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Mid-afternoon snack:
    Wholemeal biscuit (15g)
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Supper:
    Chicken, roast (50g)
    Three-bean salad (60g/½ cup), including 1 t salad oil
    Green pepper and avocado salad with low-fat salad dressing (2t/10g)
    Mixed berries (120g)
    Low-fat yoghurt (70ml), artificially sweetened, berry-flavoured
    Tea/coffee with low-fat milk from allowance
Bedtime snack:
    Use remainder of low-fat milk (e.g. 200ml) with 15g Ovaltine or Horlicks, or wholewheat bread (1 slice, 15g) or 1 Rye crispbread (15g) with 1 t (5g) Lite margar

                
                                                                                     


 Dr Ingrid van Heerden (DietDoc)

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Top 15 Heart-Healthy Foods

1. Yogurt

     Research shows yogurt may protect against gum disease. Left unchecked, gum disease may elevate a person’s risk for heart disease.

Researchers from Japan analyzed dietary intakes from nearly 1,000 adults and found those who consumed the highest levels of dairy—specifically yogurt and yogurt-type drinks—had the healthiest gums. Their report, published in the Journal of Periodontology, credits probiotics (a.k.a. “good bacteria”) as one possible champion of gum health. Experts believe that probiotics may help to counter growth of the “unfriendly” bacteria in the mouth. Probiotics are live active cultures used to ferment foods, such as yogurt and kefir (fermented milk), and studies suggest that they may improve digestion and boost immunity too. As for gum health, it’s not yet clear how much yogurt (or other fermented dairy foods) one needs to consume to reap the benefits, says Yoshihiro Shimazaki, D.D.S., Ph.D., of Kyushu University, the study’s lead author.

2. Raisins

           
           Research has shown that antioxidants in raisins fight the growth of a type of bacteria that can cause inflammation and gum disease. People with gum disease—which affects up to 50 percent of American adults—are twice as likely to suffer from heart problems. So, dealing with one can help people avoid the other. Last summer, a major heart journal and a major periodontal journal simultaneously published a consensus paper that outlines the link between the two diseases: inflammation. As a result, choosing certain foods, such as raisins, may help you protect both your gums and your heart.

3. Whole Grains

       People who eat plenty of whole grains tend to be leaner and have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don’t. This is probably because whole grains contain antioxidants, phytoestrogens and phytosterols that are protective against coronary disease.
The fiber in whole grains also has its benefits: various studies link a high-fiber diet with a lower risk of heart disease. In a Harvard study of female health professionals, people who ate a high-fiber diet had a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who ate a low-fiber diet.
Aim to include plenty of foods that are rich in soluble fiber, which, studies show, can help lower “bad” LDL. Soluble fiber binds bile acid, a key component in fat digestion that our bodies make from cholesterol. We can’t digest fiber, so when bile acids are bound to it, they get ushered out of the body as waste. This causes the body to convert more cholesterol into bile acids, which ultimately has the effect of lowering circulating cholesterol levels. Foods high in soluble fiber include oatmeal, barley, beans, okra and eggplant, and citrus fruit, such as oranges.

4. Beans

     Eating beans regularly is good for your heart, and you don’t need to eat a lot of them to benefit. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests having just 1⁄2 cup of cooked pinto beans daily might lower cholesterol. Soluble fiber is a key reason why, says Philip Ades, M.D., author of the EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (The Countryman Press, 2008). “Like all foods that contain a lot of soluble fiber, beans help bind cholesterol and keep it from being absorbed in the gut,” he explains. And, as the fiber is fermented, it produces changes in short-chain fatty acids that can inhibit cholesterol formation. (By-products of this same fermentation process are what cause the gas so often associated with eating beans.) Other components in beans also may be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effect. Beans contain a variety of heart-protective chemicals, including flavonoids, compounds also found in wine, berries and chocolate, that inhibit the adhesion of platelets in the blood, which can help lower risk for heart attack and strokes.

5. Salmon/Fish

      Consuming two or more servings of fish per week is associated with a 30 percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease over the long term, studies show. Fish—especially “oily” kinds, such as salmon and tuna—contain omega-3 fats, which lower levels of triglycerides in the blood that may contribute to blood clotting. Omega-3s also lower blood pressure slightly and can help prevent irregular heart rhythms. No common fish delivers more of the omega-3 fatty acids than salmon. Flaxseed oil, canola oil and walnuts also contain omega-3 fats.

6. Nuts

     Nuts are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low levels of saturated fats. Research suggests that people who eat nuts—walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts (which actually are legumes)—two to four days or more per week have a lower incidence of heart disease than people who eat them less often.

7. Chocolate

   Researchers have discovered that eating moderate amounts of flavanol-rich dark chocolate has a blood-thinning effect, which can benefit cardiovascular health, and it may also boost the immune system by reducing inflammation. The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.
Some research also suggests cocoa may help lower blood pressure. It appears that a compound in cocoa, called epicatechin, boosts nitric oxide, a substance that has been shown to be crucial to healthy blood vessels. Plentiful levels of nitric oxide help keep blood pressure from climbing. Be sure to choose dark chocolate, ideally one that’s 70 percent cocoa solids; milk chocolate lacks significant levels of epicatechin.

8. Tomatoes

    An excellent source of vitamin C, plus vitamin A, potassium and fiber, tomatoes are high in lycopene, which works with other vitamins and minerals to aid in disease prevention. Research suggests that the combination of nutrients in tomatoes may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Cooking may actually increase the health benefits of this lush fruit because although cooked tomatoes have less vitamin C, their lycopene is more available and antioxidant activity is undiminished by cooking.

9. Apples

    
   Apples were associated with a lower risk of death from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease in the Iowa Women’s Health Study, which has been tracking 34,000-plus women for nearly 20 years. Finnish researchers studying dietary data collected over 28 years from 9,208 men and women found that frequent apple eaters had the lowest risk of suffering strokes compared with nonapple eaters. What explains the hearty benefits? Researchers suggest that the strong antioxidant flavonoid compounds found in apples—quercetin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, kaempferol and other polysyllabic wonders—play a key role by preventing “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and triggering a series of events that result in the buildup of plaque in arteries, as well as inhibiting inflammation. Apples are also rich in pectin, a form of soluble fiber known to help lower cholesterol, and they provide a decent amount of vitamin C, another antioxidant.

10. Berries

      Eating just under a cup of mixed berries daily for eight weeks was associated with increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and lowered blood pressure, two positives when it comes to heart health, according to a study of 72 middle-age people published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Included in the mix were strawberries, red raspberries and bilberries—similar to blueberries—as well as other berries more common in Finland (where the research was conducted): black currants, lingonberries and chokeberries. The diverse range of polyphenols—a broad class of health-promoting plant compounds that includes anthocyanins and ellagic acid—provided by the mix of berries is likely responsible for the observed benefits. Polyphenols may increase levels of nitric oxide, a molecule that produces a number of heart-healthy effects. One is helping to relax blood vessels, which subsequently results in lowered blood pressure.

11. Pomegranates

      Studies have shown that the fruit may help to reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries and lower blood pressure. Experts believe that pomegranate’s benefits come from its powerful punch of polyphenols—including anthocyanins (found in blue, purple and deep-red foods) and tannins (also found in wine and tea). In a 2008 study, researchers found that compared with other antioxidant-rich beverages including blueberry juice, cranberry juice and red wine, “pomegranate [juice] naturally has the highest antioxidant capacity,” reports David Heber, M.D. Ph.D., study collaborator and director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.

12. Bananas

   One banana has 422 mg—about 12 percent of your recommended daily dose—of potassium. The potassium in bananas helps maintain normal heart function and the balance of sodium and water in the body. Potassium helps the kidneys excrete excess sodium, thereby contributing to healthy blood pressure. This mineral is especially important for people taking diuretics for heart disease, which combat sodium and water retention but also strip potassium from the body in the process. Other good sources include sweet potatoes (694 mg for one medium), nonfat yogurt (579 mg for 1 cup) and spinach (419 mg for 1/2 cup, cooked).

13. Popcorn

       Popcorn delivers polyphenols—antioxidants linked to improving heart health. Gram for gram, popcorn boasts three times more polyphenols than kidney beans (the highest vegetable polyphenol source) and four times more than cranberries (the best fruit source), according to recent research out of the University of Scranton.
What’s more, popcorn is a whole grain—and people who eat plenty of whole grains tend to be leaner and have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don’t.

14. Green Tea

     Some of the strongest evidence of tea’s health benefits comes from studies of heart disease. Scientists have found that those who drink 12 ounces or more of tea a day are about half as likely to have a heart attack as nontea drinkers.
Scientists also reported in 2009 that Japanese men who drank a daily cup of green tea significantly lowered their risk of developing gum disease—the more tea, the lower the risk. The researchers believe antioxidants called catechins in green tea are the key. Catechins hamper the body’s inflammatory response to the bacteria that cause gum disease. People with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer from heart problems.

15. Wine/Alcohol

  Scientific literature indicates that people who drink moderately are less likely to have heart disease than those who abstain. Drinking in moderation may protect the heart by raising “good” HDL cholesterol, decreasing inflammation and “thinning the blood” (preventing clots that can cause heart attack and stroke). Moderate drinking also increases estrogen, which protects the heart—a benefit particularly helpful to postmenopausal women whose reduced estrogen levels increase their risk of heart disease. Remember, 1 drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

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8 Foods for Gorgeous Skin

Broccoli

   This cruciferous veggie is high in antioxidants, including vitamins C and E. The vitamin C in broccoli aids in collagen production and keeps your skin healthy and supple, while vitamin E protects your skin cell membranes and guards against UV radiation damage.

Tropical Fruit

    Eating guava, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and other tropical fruits that contain vitamin C will help defend your skin against damaging free radicals. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is naturally found in the skin, so eating tropical fruits and other vitamin C–rich foods can replenish your skin's stores. Vitamin C also helps your body produce collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin firm and elastic.


Almonds


  These nuts are one of the best food sources of vitamin E. Eat whole almonds as a snack or add sliced almonds to salads, cereal, yogurt, stir–fry or baked goods. You can also toast almond slivers and serve them on top of fish, chicken, or even rice or pasta dishes. The vitamin E in almonds can help nourish your skin and protect it from the sun's damaging UV rays. Just be sure to eat them in moderation, since almonds and other nuts are calorie–dense. 


Whole Wheat Pastas and Breads


   Another skin–friendly antioxidant is the mineral selenium, which is found in whole wheat pastas and breads. Selenium helps protect your skin against environmental damage and promotes elasticity and general skin health. High–dose selenium supplements have been linked to health problems, so it's always best to get your selenium from delicious food sources


Carrots


   Crunch on carrots to keep your skin healthy and vibrant. Carrots are high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that is converted to vitamin A inside the body. It helps repair skin tissue and protects against the sun's harsh rays. Enjoy carrots raw in salads or with a low–calorie dip, or try roasting them to develop a rich, sweet flavor. (Bonus! Cooked carrots deliver even more skin–friendly beta carotene than raw ones.)


Pumpkin Seeds


      Pumpkin seeds are a skin superfood because they're so high in zinc. Zinc protects your cell membranes, helps maintain collagen, and promotes skin renewal. Enjoy pumpkin seeds on their own as a snack, add them into a homemade trail mix, or sprinkle them on yogurt or oatmeal. 


Fish


        Salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and rainbow trout all contain omega–3 fats, which help fortify skin cell membranes, protect against sun damage, and may also reduce the risk of certain forms of skin cancer. These healthy fats allow water and nutrients into the skin while keeping toxins out, and may also fight inflammation in the skin. Just don't cancel out the benefits of eating fish by preparing it in unhealthy ways. Avoid deep–fried fish, and go for baked, grilled, roasted or poached instead! 



Water


      It's not a "food," per se, but water is crucial when it comes to skin health because it flushes toxins out of your body, delivers nutrients to your cells, and keeps your organs functioning. It also helps keep your cells plump and full, which makes your skin look firmer and clearer. To get more water in your daily diet, fill up a large reusable container with ice–cold water each morning, and keep drinking from it throughout the day. And drinking water isn't the only way to keep your skin cells hydrated. Many fruits and veggies are more than 75 percent water (by weight), so they're a terrific source of H2O, too. 

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