Monthly Archives: November 2011

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Are Your Leftovers Haunting You?

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Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. However, the leftovers haven’t! If you’re fridge is like mine, it is still filled, from top to bottom, with enough leftover food to “feed the multitudes”. So, the question today is what to do with those leftover foods. Here are a few ideas that I am going to try out this year to make the most of my leftover Thanksgiving feast!

  1. Mix them in to new recipes: You know how much you love all of your traditional Thanksgiving dishes. However, you may not know exactly how great they taste when certain ones are mixed together, or turned in to new dishes altogether; like this popular Turkey Casserole. (Be sure to use leftover sides and fat-free options when possible)
  2. Have a party: I know you just finished ushering chatty Aunt Cathy out the front door after your families Thanksgiving meal. But, having a few of your closest friends over to help you eat some of your leftovers is a great way to make sure that you don’t feel the need to empty the refrigerator all by yourself!
  3. Find a needy family: If you have an entire meal leftover, you may want to find a family in your area that wasn’t able to enjoy a traditional holiday meal! If you’re not exactly sure where to find a family, start with your community center or a local church. They may be able to point you in the right direction. Knowing you could provide something so basic for a family in need is so rewarding!
  4.  Throw them away: This is our most important tip! November 29th is Throw Away Your Leftovers Day. By this point, many of your favorite foods will begin growing things you NEVER want to put in your body! Keep an eye out for our blog next week! We’ll be focusing on food safety and why it is so important to throw away your leftovers as they expire.

What do you do with your leftover Thanksgiving foods? We would love to hear your tips! Feel free to share on the blog, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Are you diabetic? If so, you’ve probably been told that carb counting is one of the single most important things you can do to help control your diabetes. Obviously, exercise is important as well. But, counting your carbs is your lifeline to successfully managing your diabetes! Right? Or… is that right? There is currently a lot of debate surrounding the effectiveness of carb counting to manage diabetes.

On one side, you have the traditional thinkers who argue that counting carbs is the only way to control your diabetes. It’s simple logic! When you consume carbohydrates, whether simple or complex, your body breaks them down in to sugar. This sugar is then absorbed in to your blood stream causing your blood sugar to rise. In response to this rise in blood sugar, your body releases the hormone insulin. Insulin is used to take the sugar from your blood and move it to your cells. Once in the cells, it can be used as energy to fuel your body. Diabetes is an insulin deficiency in your body. So, it makes sense that if your body struggles to produce insulin, it cannot appropriately manage the sugar in your blood caused by consuming carbohydrates. So, in order to control your diabetes, you must manage the amount of carbs you consume so that your body can manage the blood sugar levels.

On the other side, you have the radical thinkers who say that counting carbs is not a vital part of successfully managing diabetes. Instead, they argue that it is more a combination of the foods you eat and the amount of daily exercise you get that keeps your blood sugar in control.

But, we want to know what you think! How do you find that your diabetes is best controlled? Are you traditional or radical? Please share your thoughts with us… Facebook, Twitter, Email or even comment right here on this blog!

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Diabetes Education: What to teach?

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Happy American Diabetes Month! We’re excited that November is such a great opportunity to share information about diabetes and raise awareness about this epidemic that affects approximately 25.8 million Americans.  This disease is often preventable. The key is that we have to start with education; teaching healthy habits at an early age!

First, the specifics… what is diabetes? As defined by dictionary.com, diabetes is

“A mild, sometimes asymptomatic form of diabetes mellitus characterized by diminished tissue sensitivity to insulin and sometimes by impaired beta cell function, exacerbated by obesity and often treatable by diet and exercise.”

Please note, this definition is for Type II Diabetes, or adult on-set diabetes. Diet and exercise can aid in preventing and treating this deadly disease.

Over time, those with diabetes who have high blood sugar levels (glucose levels) will damage their tissues and blood vessels. With damaged tissue, they increase their chances for MI’s and strokes, as well as eye and kidney disease.

 

The ‘Glucose Wands’ discussed in this article are available for purchase at www.ncescatalog.com. To order, search for Item # 4532, or simply click here. To share your thoughts on this topic or product, please visit our Facebook or Twitter page, or comment directly on this blog!