Voice of the Diabetic

Voice of the Diabetic

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BOOK REVIEWS

by Marilyn Helton

Step Into Spring With Healthier

Habits

I just returned from a

morning appointment and I'm full of fresh "Spring is in the air" enthusiasm.

We're having one of those rare, end-of-winter days on the West Coast, the kind

that plays tag with your senses and teases you into believing you can do anything,

even exercise!

We diabetics know how

important good nutrition is for good glucose control. According to an ADA spokesperson,

however, most consumers think of nutrition as a matter of "rules and denial,"

and that good healthy eating takes "too much time to prepare." With more than

55% of our nation classified as obese, and childhood obesity leading to ever-

higher numbers of type 2 diabetes in children, the experts are alarmed. This

means that the complications of diabetes, such as heart attack and stroke, can

and will show up earlier in adulthood (early 30s)!

Lifestyle changes, such

as better eating, come in stages, and you'll be a lot more successful if you

start small. Small stage examples would be planning and shopping ahead for meals,

eating smaller portions, making your changes enjoyable, and adding new foods

to your menu.

We're going to be facing

lots of celebrations this Spring: Easter and Passover, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's

Day, Father's Day and various and assorted graduations and weddings. All are

food-focused, and for the diabetic, will always present a challenge. If you

need a little more motivation to get you started in the direction of a healthier

lifestyle, visit your local library and check out some of the cookbooks we've

described below. Your body will thank you!

I love Robyn Webb's cookbooks,

and one of the best is the FLAVORFUL SEASONS COOKBOOK : Great Tasting Recipes

For Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Published by the American Diabetes Association,

Flavorful Seasons is filled with over 400 recipes and a wealth of cooking tips

and inspirational quotes. Chef/author Robyn Webb has also included great ideas

for holiday decorating and seasonally-appropriate menus for holiday entertaining.

(This reviewer wrapped the "Day In Bermuda" menu around a Mother's Day theme

for the Cinnamon Hearts website this past Spring. The menu included Pina Coladas,

Tropical Chicken Salad, Citrus Rice and Coconut Pudding Squares. All recipes

were simple enough for Dad and the kids to prepare while Mom was out of the

kitchen for the afternoon).

Full page ingredient information

on topics such as Serving Squash, Saucy Stir-Frys, Better Salad-Making, Grilling

Techniques, Marinades and Dry Rubs, Grab Some Grains, A Hill of Beans and The

Sweet Smell of Spices punctuate each section of the book.

THE FLAVORFUL SEASONS

COOKBOOK not only fills a cookbook collector's requisites, but is deliciously

healthy and practical. Recipes are easy to prepare, and use readily available

seasonal ingredients. I like the "one-liner" anecdotes just under the title

of each recipe, which offer serving suggestions for accompaniment or taste descriptions

to help the cook in planning the rest of the menu. This is a great gift suggestion

not only for diabetics and their caretakers, but for those of all levels of

cooking experience who wish to prepare healthy meals, suitable for every occasion.

Highly recommended.

THE FLAVORFUL SEASONS

COOKBOOK, by Robyn Webb, (c)1996, published by the American Diabetes Association,

$16.95.

Brand new on the cookbook

scene is COOKING WITH THE DIABETIC CHEF, by Chris Smith. Who better to write

a diabetic cookbook than a chef who has personal experience with diabetes? Chris

Smith was midway through his culinary training at the Culinary Institute of

America and apprenticing at New York's prestigious restaurant Le Cirque, when

he gradually becoming unable to keep up with the demands of a fast-paced restaurant

kitchen, coupled with the long daily commute to work. He frequently felt drained

and fatigued. Constantly thirsty and needing to urinate more than normal, his

work was beginning to suffer. After his third week at Le Cirque, he resigned

to finish his apprenticeship in a restaurant closer to home.

By the time Chris began

his fourth semester at the Culinary Institute of American, he started to develop

stomach pains and cramps along with deepened fatigue, and more frequent thirst

and urination. After he dropped 30 pounds, Chris' doctor tested him for diabetes

and the rest is history. Chris was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Armed with determination

after educating himself about his diabetes, Chris learned that he could control

his disease with proper care and insulin management, without having to make

radical life changes. With enthusiasm and dedication, Chris Smith dedicated

his focus, training and experience as a chef, to teaching diabetics how they

can still eat healthy and delicious foods while maintaining balance and control

of their disease.

COOKING WITH THE DIABETIC

CHEF is the culmination of Chris's approach to food: Using natural ingredients

which are as fresh as possible and cooking with traditional techniques to bring

out the best flavors of the ingredients. Herbs and spices are used throughout

the book for complementing the best natural ingredients available. Divided into

the four seasons for ingredient availability, recipes such as Tomato and Mozzarella

Salad, Cornish Game Hen in Herb Butter, Sauteed Lemon Shrimp with Zucchini and

Yellow Squash Julienne, Rosemary Pork Roast, Baked Stuffed Apples, Blackberry

Cobbler and Chocolate Cake Celebration are just a few which have piqued my taste

buds.

Overall, I applaud Chris

Smith for showing us how he was able to turn a potentially devastating diagnosis

into a pathway to achieve his goals and dreams. COOKING WITH THE DIABETIC CHEF

teaches us all how to create healthy culinary masterpieces by using use the

best and freshest possible ingredients. Most of all, Chris Smith teaches us

that a diagnosis of diabetes is not a culinary death sentence!

(One admonition only from

this reviewer, however: If you are a type 2 diabetic on a weight reduction program,

or have high cholesterol levels or heart disease, be aware that some of the

recipes contain higher amounts of fat than usual. Just remember to practice

balance in your meal planning, i.e., if you want to sample some of Chris's delicious

wares which have a bit more fat or carbohydrate in the analysis, plan ahead

and work the recipes into your total daily meal plan. If you have any questions

or doubts, discuss them with your doctor, dietitian or nutritionist.)

COOKING WITH THE DIABETIC

CHEF, by Chris Smith, (c)2000, published by the American Diabetes Association,

$19.95.

He's back! Alan L. Rubin,

M.D., who authored DIABETES FOR DUMMIES, has now teamed up with Fran Stach,

R.D., C.D.E., and Chef Denise Sharf to produce THE DIABETES COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES.

This new cookbook sets out to dispel one of the most common myths about diabetes,

which is that people who have diabetes can't eat "regular" food.

In addition to more than

100 delicious recipes and great advice you can use at every meal, Dr. Rubin

has included sections on Building a Healthy Lifestyle, Eating Out, and a section

titled The Part of Tens: Ten Simple Steps to Improve Your Diet; Ten Easy Substitutions

in Your Eating Plan; Ten Strategies to normalize Your Blood Glucose and Ten

Tactics for Teaching Children with Diabetes Healthy Eating Habits.

For me, one of the most

useful sections of the book was information on how to take a recipe nutritional

analysis and manually calculate the dietary exchanges (Starches, Proteins, Fats,

Milk, Fruit and Vegetables). This is found at the end of Part 1: Building a

Healthy lifestyle. In my experience, I've run across many great healthy recipes,

complete with nutritional analysis, but omitting the dietary exchanges so necessary

for those diabetics who need to know the exchanges per serving. I plan to reprint

this formula as standing information on our Cinnamon Hearts website.

As usual, Dr. Rubin and

his team have done an outstanding job in the recipe department, too. Lots of

good information on ingredients, creating balanced meals and adding desserts

to the diabetic meal plan, as well as the benefits of breakfast, eating out

and fast food tips. This book is also a fine teaching tool if your talents in

the kitchen are lacking finesse. Recommended. THE DIABETES COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES,

by Alan L. Rubin, M.D., (c)2000, published by IDG Books, $19.99.

Marilyn Helton, type 2

diabetic since 1993, is the publisher of Cinnamon Hearts~The Art of Living A

Winning Diabetic Lifestyle, a positive-power online e-zine for diabetics and

their families. You can find more of Marilyn's book reviews, articles and recipes

online at: http://diabeticgourmet.com, www.fabulousfoods.com, www.practicalkitchen.com,

or Cinnamon Hearts website: http://members.xoom.con/cinnhearts/

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