What Fruits Can a Diabetic Eat?

What fruits can a diabetic eat - this is an excellent question and can be answered quite easily. All fruits are good for us, however, you need to be aware that there are some fruits that are high in GI and diabetics should avoid these.

Within each food group you will find that the serving sizes of foods are nutritionally similar for example, a slice of bread is equivalent to a 1/3 cup of cooked rice. Within a particular food group, foods can be swapped and exchanged for another.

The general servings for fruit are as follows:

1 medium sized piece of fruit (these include bananas, apples and oranges)
½ cup of diced canned or pieces of fruit (120 to 130g)
4 Prunes (30g)
½ cup of fruit juice (150ml)
2 small pieces of fruit (plums, kiwifruit, apricots)
20g Dried fruit (6 dates, 6 apricot halves, 1 ½ tbsp sultanas)

It is essential to know what fruits a diabetic can eat as this can cause your sugar levels to rise unexpectedly. This is why it is important to keep a list of what foods you eat so that you can monitor the exact foods that are helpful to you as a diabetic and what foods can harm you, meaning the foods and fruits that cause your blood sugar to rise and become dangerous and even life threatening.

Following is a list of what fruits a diabetic can eat and these are of course low in GI:

Apples
Dried Apples and Apricots
Avocado
Bananas
Blueberries
Dates
Figs
Fruit & Nut mix
Grapefruit
Grapes
Kiwifruit
Lemons
Limes
Mango
Mixed Nuts & Raisins
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Peaches in natural juice
Peaches Dried
Pear
Pears in natural juice
Pears dried
Plums
Prunes
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Tropical Fruit & Nut mix

It is essential that you include at least two serves of fruit into your diet each day. You must also remember to add around five serves of vegetables to your diet as well. Fruit and vegetables are a tremendous part of your low GI diet. They are nutrient rich as well as low in kilojoules, which means these are the foods that diabetics can eat and cannot overeat and do damage, and they taste sensational.

It is well know that a diet that is high in fruit and vegetables is linked to the protection of cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration, obesity, and other age related diseases. By knowing what fruits a diabetic can eat is an enormous step towards combating this terrible disease and achieving optimum health.

Sue Kennedy is the author of the physician-endorsed e-book "Defeat Diabetes Now," and operates a membership channel devoted to health & wellness. Readers of her book also receive instant access to expert interviews, articles, diet plans and other resources designed to maintain optimum health and prevent disease. to defeat diabetes now.

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20 Ways to Get Your Five Portions of Fruit and Vegetables a Day

The government and many health organisations recommend that you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables every day for optimum health. Fruit and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are essential for keeping your body fit and well.

However, the average adult in the UK consumes just 2.8 portions, half of the recommended amount, because many people find it a challenge to incorporate that much fresh produce in their diet. Here's 20 ways to help you reach your five a day.

1. Add some fruit to your breakfast cereal, muesli or porridge. Try a sliced banana or apple or a handful of berries.

2. Start the day with a smoothie - they're an easy way to get a couple of your portions in a delicious tasting drink.

3. Have a glass of fruit juice at breakfast, but remember no matter how much you drink it only counts as one portion.

4. Snack on a piece of fruit instead of chocolate. You'll still satisfy your sweet tooth plus the carbohydrates will give you an energy boost.

5. Cut up some crunchy vegetable such as carrots and celery into sticks and keep in the fridge to munch on when you feel hungry.

6. Baked beans on toast count towards one of your portions. Choose wholemeal toast instead of white for a healthier option.

7. Add vegetables to sandwiches - try sliced tomatoes, cucumber, pickled beetroot or crisp iceberg lettuce.

8. Dried fruit such as raisins, currants, apricots or prunes make a healthy, tasty snack.

9. Add fruit and vegetables to homemade casseroles and stews, chilis, tagines and pasta sauces.

10. It's easy to get two or three of your portions in a stir fry - the quick cooking means you'll keep most of the nutrients in.

11. Serve a side salad with your main meal. Use a mixture of seasonal vegetables for variety but go easy on fatty dressings.

12. Homemade soups can be made in batches and frozen, then defrosted as you need them. Tinned and cartoned vegetable soups count as well.

13. Vegetable kebabs and corn on the cob make great additions to a barbecue. Try barbecuing mushrooms, peppers and onions too.

14. Children love small pieces of fruit such as grapes, cherries or satsuma segments. Pack some in their lunch instead of crisps or sweets.

15. Choose healthy pizza toppings like tomato, pepper, onion, pineapple, sweetcorn and mushrooms.

16. Add some vegetable dishes to your takeaway order. Try sag aloo with an Indian or steamed pak choi with a Chinese.

17. Bake some banana bread or make a delicious carrot cake for a healthy tea time treat.

18. A fruit salad is a simple and refreshing pudding. Use seasonal fruits and serve with low-fat yoghurt or creme fraiche.

19. Add fruit to packet jellies but be careful which ones you use as the enzymes in some fruits such as pineapple will prevent your jelly from setting.

20. Feel less guilty about the meringue and cream concoction by piling plenty of fresh fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, kiwi and passion fruit onto a pavlova.

Follow these tips then you'll soon be eating your five a day and be feeling the health benefits too.

To save money and have the freshest produce you might want to try growing vegetables in your garden or on an allotment.

This article was written by the owner of Digging For Dinner.

The author is a keen gardener and cook.

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How to Make a Christingle Orange

What do you know about the Christingle?

Christingle means 'Christ-Light'. The Christingle celebrates the light of Christ and puts Christ back into Christmas.
The first Christingle service was in Germany around 1747. The service encouraged children to keep a candle burning in the window of their home so that people who passed by would see the light of Christ.

The Christingle service teaches children about Jesus. Of course Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, but the Christingle celebrates the meaning of Jesus' life, with each part of the Christingle orange having it's own symbolic meaning.

The orange itself represents the world.

The red ribbon around the orange symbolises the blood of Christ that Jesus shed to save us from our sin.

The four cocktail sticks are the four seasons of the year.

The dried fruit or sweets represent the fruits of the earth and the earth's riches God has blessed the world with.

The white candle, which is place in the top of the orange, represents Jesus, the light of the world that shines over everything.

The Christingle service usually takes place on the last Sunday before Christmas or on Christmas Eve. You could contact your local church for more details about visiting the Christingle service.

Of course you don't have to go to church, you could make your own Christingle range. All you need is...
An orange, 4 cocktail sticks, red ribbon, dried fruit or small soft sweets such as jellies pins and a white candle.

Cut a hole in the top of the orange so that the candle will sit snugly in place.

Wrap a length of red ribbon around the middle of the orange. Hold the ribbon in place with pins, push the pins into the orange.

Carefully push dried fruit or soft sweets onto each cocktail stick, so that the cocktail stick is half covered Carefully push the cocktail stick into the orange above the red ribbon. Evenly space the cocktail sticks out to the Four Corners of the world.

Finally add the white candle to the top of the orange. Light the candle and leave it in a window for passers by to see the light of Christ. Do be careful not to burn the curtains, do not leave the candle unattended. Remember to enjoy the fruits of the earth.

S. Roberts is one of Santa’s Helpers and writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk a Christmas educational & activity website. For more Christmas fun stuff visit http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/christmas-fun-stuff.html In association with http://www.bigboystoyz.com Keeping Christmas Magical.

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12 Healthy Foods That Will Make You Fat

1. Salads. I love salad. I know, that's unusual. How often has it happened that you show up at a restaurant and look over the menu and all you see are high-calorie-value-options. But then you see "salad," and you think, "Ah ha! I can eat healthfully now!" The problem with salads are two-fold: Firstly, the toppings. Cheese. Almonds. Dried fruit. Croutons. Bacon Bits. All of these items add up significantly! The second problem: Dressings. Most are laden with oils, salt, and fat. In moderation, that's not a problem, but if you're like me, you want to douse your greens with some flavor. Your best option if you're going to pick a salad: Mix up some homemade dressing and carry it with you. My homemade dressing is: equal parts red wine vinegar and lemon juice. Add a little water, some salt, and some dill. (Add a dash of olive oil if you want, but I typically don't.) On its own, this dressing has ZERO calories. It's worth putting in your purse or keeping in the fridge. Just in case.

2. Sushi. I have several issues with sushi. For starters, they are filled predominantly with white rice. White rice (CARB) doesn't do a thing for you other than raise your glucose levels and then make you crash about an hour after eating it. It's bland, meaningless filler, devoid of nutrition and vitamins that you can find in other foods. Secondly, let's talk about the sodium. In a typical serving of Sushi (9.5 oz) there is about 1182 mg of sodium! That's a whole heck of a lot! You can typically find the salt in the seaweed wrap, in the rice, and in any sauces. And let's talk about the salt. In Wegman's Hoisin Peanut sauce for sushi, there's a ton of sodium (620 mg) and a ton of sugar (12g). There's nothing healthy in it. So, sushi, I say shame on you! You are not a health food! If you are stuck with Sushi or Sashimi at a party, pick that bad boy apart and just eat the fish or veggie in the middle. THAT part is good. The rest is naughty!

3. Dried Fruit. While I admit that dried fruit is healthy (it's fruit, after all), they pack more calories than if you got them served fresh. For instance, 10 rings of dried apple is 156 calories; a regular apple is less than 100 calories. Half a cup of raisins is 219 calories; half a cup of regular grapes is 52 calories. If you LOVE your dried fruit and must indulge, do so in moderation!

4. Granola. Holy calorie nightmare, batman! One cup of granola has about 597 calories! Plus, many types of granola are high in saturated fats. I don't know why granola is associated with a skinny, hippie lifestyle, but if you eat this stuff regularly, you're going to be anything but skinny.

5. Wraps. Many people opt for wraps instead of regular bread when enjoying a sandwich. The problem with wraps is that there's more surface area to them than regular bread, so you can pile more food in the middle. Case in point: A Honey Baked Ham Turkey Bacon Ranch Wrap has 705 calories. Red Robin's Caesar Chicken Wrap has 1244 calories. A Ruby Tuesday Turkey Burger Wrap has 658 calories. None of those are diet-friendly choices. If you really feel like indulging in a sandwich, why not wrap the outside with a big hunk of lettuce?

6. Veggie burgers. These bad boys are becoming pretty much standard in most restaurants and offer a "healthy" alternative, especially for vegetarians. One good reason to choose a veggie burger is because it cuts out saturated fats. Also, the portion sizes of a veggie burger is typically much less (2.5 ounces, as compared to 5.0 ounces for a burger). They are also higher in protein. These all seem like great choices, right? The problem is when you start slapping on the extras. Have you ever seen just a plain veggie burger, on a bun? Nope. They're loaded with cheeses, sauces, veggie-chili, ketchup, etc. A quick perusal of calorie counts shows an average veggie burger cashes in at 650 calories! At that nutritional price tag, you're better off choosing something else.

7. Diet, microwaved meals. While many of these frozen meals offer yummy variety, quick cooking, and low-calories, the amount of salt they put in the dishes in order to preserve them on your grocery store shelf is deadly. Most meals clock in around 600 mg (or more) of salt in each meal! Holy smokes! You'll be so bloated it'll be a shock if you can squeeze your butt out of the cafeteria chair after that. Steer clear, my friends.

8. Bran Muffins. I checked out a few bran muffin recipes, and most of them are extraordinarily high in cholesterol and carbs. That being said, they are an okay (not good, but okay) source of fiber and protein, and don't always have high amounts of calories and fat. Not all bran muffins are created equal, so if you must have one of these, read the labels carefully. Personally, I wouldn't touch these with a ten foot pole.

9. Rice cakes. Remember back in the 1980s when everyone was chowing down on rice cakes as the latest diet craze? I don't know about you, but rice cakes are inexorably linked in my mind to weight loss and waifish figures delicately grazing on them. But are they really that healthy? Well, they are low in calories (about 35 calories per cake) and can be filling. The downside is that they offer pretty much zilch in terms of nutrition. They have very few vitamins, devoid of fiber, high in carbs, and a high glycemic index. For the same caloric price tag you can wolf down a big cucumber, and I guarantee it'll keep you feeling fuller for longer.

10. Half and Half. Most people enjoy their coffee in the morning, and there's a lot of people out there that put enough sugar and cream in the coffee to kill a small village. But not you, health-conscious person! You use half and half! But is it really as good as you think? For a little container of half and half, it's 20 calories. "What's wrong with that?" you ask. But think about it...8 oz of half and half is 160 calories, whereas 8 oz of skim milk is only 80 calories. If you're watching calories, this is a significant difference. My advice? Replace that half and half with a dash of skim milk.

11. Bottled Tea. Tea isn't necessarily that bad for you. Lipton's Unsweatened Tea has 0 calories, after all. But if you grab a SoBe Green Tea found in so many convenience stores, you're chugging down 240 calories and a whopping 61 grams of sugar. At that calorie price-tag, you might as well chug a Red Bull.

12. Juice. Most of us are aware that juice is pretty high in sugar. Many companies add a ton of extra sugar as well. For instance, a regular 8 oz cup of Tropicana Orange Juice has 108 calories and 21g sugar, whereas 8oz of SunnyD has 128 calories and 30 g sugar. But let's take a look at the carbs in these drinks, too: 25g and 31g, respectively! Between the sugar and carbs, you're better off just saying no. If you're going to drink some juice, get a fresh piece of fruit and juice it yourself. You'll cut out a lot of added sugar by going the natural route.

Christine lives in upstate New York and works as a Communication Specialist/Technical Writer for a technical university. Christine has a Masters of Science degree in Technical Communication. In her free time, she writes and maintains her website, Phoenix Revolution. More than just a blog, Phoenix Revolution provides a safe haven for women and men all over the world to come together to discuss real-life weight loss strategies. For ten years Christine has volunteered as a member, moderator, or administrator of several eating disorder forums. Visit her website at: http://www.phoenixrevolution.net and receive updates on Facebook at: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/phoenix_revolution/

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Chaste Tree - Medicinal Uses, Interactions, Side Effects, Dosage

The dried fruit or berry of the chaste tree is often referred to as Monk's pepper or chasteberry; it was historically thought to reduce libido or promote chastity. Chaste tree is also commonly referred to as vitex.

Uses and Benefits:

Standardized extracts of the chaste tree berry are popular in Europe, and now in North America, for a variety of women's problems primarily related to the menstrual cycle. These disorders include menstrual cycle irregularities, the premenstrual syndrome (PMS), cyclic breast pain, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and infertility. Historically, vitex has also been used for inflammatory conditions, diarrhea, flatulence, insufficient lactation, and menstruation induction.

Adverse Effects: Vitex appears to be very well tolerated. Reported side effects in the clinical studies are rare and transient (often similar in frequency to placebo), and primarily include mild gastrointestinal complaints, allergic reactions, or headaches. A single case of unexplained nocturnal seizures in a patient taking chaste tree berry, black cohosh, and evening primrose oil has been reported ; a cause-and-effect relationship with vitex is doubtful.

Side Effects and Interactions:

There are no reported interactions with vitex. Due to its potential effects on dopamine and prolactin, it is relatively contraindicated with other drugs that are dopamine antagonists (e.g., bromocriptine, metoclopramide, antiparkinson's drugs).

Cautions:

Use during pregnancy and lactation should generally be avoided, although vitex has been employed to enhance fertility and stimulate lactation. In a case report of a woman undergoing unstimulated in vitro fertilization treatment, a combination herbal preparation containing vitex was associated with folliculogenesis and increased FSH, LH, and progesterone levels. In addition, the patient complained of symptoms suggestive of mild ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Preparations & Doses:

Vitex preparations and doses vary considerably; only the standardized European products have been demonstrated to be effective. In the German clinical trials, small doses of standardized extract preparations are equivalent to about 30-40 mg of dried or crude herb, and are usually administered each morning. Agnolyte is marketed in the U.S. as Femaprin (Nature's Way), and is usually given as one 4-mg tablet or 40 drops of extract per day. Herbalists in Britain and other English-speaking countries tend to use much larger doses of noncommercial preparations, equivalent to about 500-2000 mg/day of dried herb, often in liquid extracts and tinctures. A more recent European product is equivalent to about 120-240 mg of crude herb.

Steve Mathew is a writer, who writes many great articles on http://www.health-care-tips.org/herbal-medicines/index.htm and ayurvedic medicines for common ailments and diseases. Visit us for more information on http://www.home-remedies.info/herbal-remedies/index.htm and http://www.ayurvedic-medicines.org

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Get the Goji Berries

Goji berries have been used for thousands of years. They also go by the name of wolfberries. They're essentially the same thing. Only recently have they become popular in Western civilization. They are abundant in antioxidants. In fact, some people believe that they are more potent than blueberries in this regard.

You can't buy goji berries in fresh form, unless you live near where they are actually grown. You can get it in the form of dried fruit, juice or tea. They are similar in taste to dried cranberries and cherries. If you buy the ones from Tibet, they are apparently sweeter. Many people recommended daily servings of goji berries or some other berry.

One thing to note is that goji berries are a natural blood thinner. If you are already taking blood thinners, it might be a good idea to check with your doctor beforehand to make sure this is a healthy option.

What gives the goji berries the antioxidant effect are phytochemicals and vitamin C. Other nutrients include iron and fiber. Obviously the goji juice does not have any fiber, but you can get fiber from many other sources so that's not an issue. Plants sterols found in goji berries also help to lower your cholesterol and might provide anti-aging effects to your nerve cells. Here are some of the potential benefits of eating this fruit:

Heart Health

One of the phytochemicals found in, beta sitosterol, prevents cholesterol from being absorbed in the digestive system. Betaine, another phytochemical, helps lower homocysteine levels, which can lead to heart disease if too high. Also, the antioxidants found in the goji berry help prevent free radical damage.

Weight Loss

In order to synthesize certain amino acids that are used to transfer fat from the liver, our body needs betaine. This is found in goji berries.

Cancer Treatment

Some of the phytochemicals found in goji berries might help treat cancer, when combined with other methods.

Eye Health

Carotenoids, which are critical for proper vision, can be found in goji berries. They may help protect the retina and lower the risk of macular degeneration.

Unlike most fruits, goji berries are typically not sold at your local grocery store. You can purchase them online or in specialty health stores. Keep in mind that buying dried fruit is less expensive than juice.

You can eat dried goji fruit as it is or combine it into some kind of trail mix or cereal, the same way that you would with dried cranberry. You can also use them as a substitute in recipes for raisins.

The good thing about dried fruit is it can last for a long time. You don't even need to refrigerate it. Just keep it at room temperature away from heat or moisture. If you decide to soak them in water, make sure to eat them the same day.

Goji juice might last a month, so you'll want to use it up faster. For those who just want no hassle, you can get goji fruit in supplement form.

Mark is an Internet Marketer and Electrical Engineer. His interests include meeting new people, making music, listening to music, travel and psychology. Come visit his latest website which helps people find the best information on Sennheiser wireless headphones and wireless earbud headphones.

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Dried Plum's Health Benefits - A Great Fruit To Dry In A Food Dehydrator

Dried plums are a nutrient packed powerhouse. Dried plums contain a host of health benefits including fiber, potassium, phytonutrients, which act as antioxidants, and vitamin A and iron. Best of all, plums are very easy to make in a food dehydrator. Below are some of the impressive health benefits of this dried fruit:

Dried plums are great for digestion - They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber and also have sorbitol, which is an unfermentable sugar. Sorbitol has been shown to help produce desirable intestinal microorganisms which aid digestion. Insoluble fiber - fiber that's not dissolvable - helps draw water into the intestines which helps food pass more quickly and easily through the digestive process. Meanwhile, soluble fiber makes water in the stomach more thick. This results in a fuller feeling, helping reduce overeating, and increasing nutrient absorption as food passes through the intestines.

Dried plums contain phytonutrients which are antioxidants - Human cells, genes and proteins deteriorate over time. This deterioration can be speeded up by free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable electrons and cells that are naturally produced by the body's interaction with oxygen and other external pollutants like cigarette smoke. Free radicals have been associated with many diseases including cancer and alzheimers.

The body has its own processes to eliminate free radicals, but eating certain fruits and vegetables can provide additional phytonutrients or phytochemicals that can boost antioxidant levels. The most well known phytonutrients are carotenoids which are the colorful pigments, like purple, red, orange, green and yellow, that are found in certain fruits and vegetables. Dried plums are high in antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, like carotenoids, have been shown to protect the human body against certain cancers and heart disease.

Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and fruit leather. Use our content, calculators and food dehydrator recipes to discover the benefits of food dehydrators and dried fruit and food.

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