Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

For those of you have made multiple attempts at weight loss, following the latest diet craze is hard to resist .  After all, even though other diets have failed, you may think the latest new diet might finally be “the one that works.”

Over the years I have met so people looking for the elusive diet plan that’s going to work for them.  Out of desperation they will try just about anything.  Well, here’s something you ought to know:  Diets are a setup to fail!  It’s not the person who fails at dieting, it’s the diet that’s a total failure.  Most of these plans are high on promises, but low on sensibility or long-term sustainability.

If you are checking out the latest, greatest diet plan, here’s a checklist of things to ask before you start up another plan:

• Does it promise a quick, easy solution or fast weight loss?
• Is it less than 1200 calories a day?
• Does it have too many rules about what you can and cannot eat?
• Does it eliminate entire groups of foods?
• Does it have a rigid plan that does not include your food preferences?
• Does it neglect guidelines for how to make healthy lifestyle changes?
• Does it rely on testimonials to show how effective it is?
• Does it focus on the sale of a product as the sole way to achieve success?

If you came up with an answer of yes for one or more of these questions, you have just found another fad  (or very restrictive) diet that’s going to fail you again.  Today there so many more diet books, diet plans, and diet supplements to lure people into a false hope for quick and easy weight loss.

As unappealing and unexciting this may sound, the truth of the matter is that there is no quick or easy way to lose weight.  It takes effort, it takes patience, and most of all it involves making healthy lifestyle changes that are achieved over a period of time!

Tags: diet, lose weight, weight loss

The small garden in my yard has just enough space for the vegetables I grow each year: tomatoes, squash, peppers, etc., so I’ve never been able to have an herb garden.  When a recipe calls for a fresh herb, I usually don’t have it, and buying fresh herbs at the store can be a bit costly.   I really like the idea of having growing fresh herbs, so this year, I planted some herbs in a stacking pot, and so far have had really good results.

A stacking pot is simply 3-4 plastic planters that set on top of one another, with a small space for each type of plant you wish to put in there.  Right now I am only using 2 levels of the stacking planter for all of my herbs, but there’s room to plant even more if I want to.

Here’s what I’m growing so far:  Lemon thyme, lavender, oregano, French tarragon; I’m also trying baby lettuce and baby bok choi (toy choi).

The lemon thyme has just started to flower a bit, so I decided to harvest some of it yesterday.  I used it in a lemon thyme vinaigrette dressing that is perfect for green salads or potato salads.  It’s very to make:

Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette Dressing

Whisk together:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tb. fresh minced lemon thyme

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

2 Tb. rice wine vinegar

Pinch kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup canola oil plus 2 Tb. olive oil (for extra flavor)

Herbs are very easy to grow, so you don’t have to be a seasoned gardener to have success!  It’s not too late to buy a few small plants at your local nursery.  You don’t need a lot of space to have a small “herb garden.”  Patio containers or the stacking pot like I am using are perfect.

The flavors that you can add to your cooking far surpass the dried versions of any herb or spice, plus you get the satisfaction of having grown it yourself!

Tags: fresh herbs, garden, gardening

Since I was lucky enough to get an early start planting my sugar snap peas this season, they are ready  ahead of schedule!

So now, each day when I go out to the garden, there’s a plentiful amount ready to pick!  Now is a good time to look for these in your farmer’s markets or grocery store.

The nutritional value of sugar snap peas is quite impressive: Per cup:  41 calories, 7 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams  fat, 3 grams protein and 4 grams fiber.  They are also a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Folate, Iron and Manganese.

Sugar snap peas are so easy to use for meals and snacks because they are versatile enough to have raw or cooked.  Cook snap peas by quickly steaming or stir fry for best results; 2-3 minutes is all you need.

Ways to use Sugar Snap Peas

• Raw snap peas with your favorite low fat dip
• Add raw cut up snap peas to a tossed salad
• Add to any stir fry meal
• Add cut up snap peas to potato or macaroni salad:  delicious and different!
• Add raw to soup a minute or two before serving
• Blanch for 1-2 minutes, drain and freeze for later use!

This recipe is one of my favorite ways to make snap peas because it takes under 10 minutes:

Sesame Snap Peas – serves 4

1 1/2 tsp. Canola Oil

10 oz. Fresh Snap Peas

1/4 cup Scallions, Thinly Sliced

1 Tb. fresh Grated Ginger

2 tsp. Sesame Oil

1 Tb. Sesame Seeds

1.  Heat canola oil in large nonstick skillet or wok.

2.  Add snap peas, scallions, and ginger; stir fry until peas are crisp tender (2-3 minutes)..

3.  Stir in sesame oil and sesame seeds; toss lightly and serve.

49 Calories,  0 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 149 mg sodium

Tags: sugar snap peas

I usually try to write a short blog post every week or so, but lately I’ve been busy.  With the early spring and unusually warm weather here in the Hudson Valley, I’ve been spending my time getting my small garden going.  I must say that my efforts have been very worthwhile, because so far I have harvested a number of a number of herbs and vegetables and it’s only June 1st!  What I love about growing my own is that everything grown is truly organic (no pesticides or chemical fertilizers here) and the food is as fresh as you can possibly get!

So far here’s what we’re eating:

• Radishes
• Swiss Chard
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Lettuce
• Mint
• Cilantro
• Arugula

It’s only a matter of a 2-3 weeks before the fresh green beans will be here.  Later on, if I’m lucky we’ll have tomatoes, summer squash & cucumbers.

There are many rewards to gardening if you have a bit of time, and somewhere to plant.  Even small spaces or containers work well to get you started.  I can think of few things more gratifying than preparing and eating our own vegetables.

If vegetable gardening is not in your immediate future, buying local produce has it’s advantages. If you live near a farmer’s market or are lucky enough to spot a roadside farm stand near you, why not stop and check out what’s available right now?  You’ll be supporting local farmers, and enjoy the benefit of fresh, great tasting vegetables or fruit!  The nutritional content of  fruit and vegetables diminishes very quickly; the longer produce takes to get to you, the less nutrients are available.  So instead of buying produce that’s been shipped across the country (or across the world for that matter), buy local this time of year.  Here’s where you can find a local farm market near you.

Tags: fresh vegetables, garden, gardening

Am I allowed carbs since I have diabetes?  This is a question I am asked so often, I think the answer bears repeating…YES!   Many of my clients with recently diagnosed  with diabetes believe it is necessary remove all carbohydrates from their diet.  This is not only unnecessary, it’s very difficult to do.  Besides the fact that you will be very hungry without carbohydrates, over time, you will not have an adequate supply of energy for your body.  Carbohydrate foods are the preferred source of fuel for the body.  Despite all we know about diabetes,there is still a great deal of confusion about whether “carbohydrates” need to be cut out of one’s diet.

The quantity and  type carbohydrate food is what’s most important.  In general, the less a food has been processed the better.  That advice actually applies to everyone, not just people with diabetes.  Choose whole grains,  fruit and vegetables more often, and limit the highly processed foods as much as possible.  Fresh fruit for example, is a better choice than fruit juice, which has been processed.

Any food with carbohydrate will make blood sugar rise, but the type and amount of carbohydrate you eat makes all the difference.  Too much of a “healthy” carbohydrate can cause a significant rise in blood sugar.  Conversely, a small, controlled portion of a dessert or sweetened food may not have much of an affect on your blood sugar if you are monitoring your diabetes closely.  It all depends on the food you have chosen, the amount consumed, and the state of your blood sugar at the onset.  The bottom line…1) check your blood sugar often, so you know where you are 2) make note of how certain foods affect your blood sugar, and 3) learn what portion size is right for you!

Tags: carbs, diabetes, diabetic

If you had a chance to watch 60 minutes 2 weeks ago, you may be wondering whether that statement is true. Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of clinical  pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, who cited sugar as the culprit for the serious health issues facing many Americans.  It’s no secret that the incidence of diabetes and obesity has increased at alarming rates, and sugar is being cited as a cause.  During the interview, Dr. Lustig referred to sugar as “toxic.” Many people have been in this camp for a long time, and now hearing it from a credible source makes it seem even more convincing.  Toxic is a strong word indeed.

From my own perspective as a nutrition professional and diabetes educator, I would agree that sugar consumption has negative implications for many people.  People with diabetes, who are overweight are well advised to get excess sugar out of their lives.  But, I believe sugar is not the only dietary problem we have, and agree with Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University Prevention Research Center.  He says that focusing on one dietary problem exclusively makes it all to easy to ignore the rest.  While acknowledging that sugar is harmful, Dr. Katz says “It’s not the sugar that’s the poison, but the dose that makes the poison.”

The sad fact is that sugar is found in so many foods, most of us don’t realize the hefty dose of sugar we get on a daily basis.  From soft drinks and desserts, to sauces and ketchup, added sugars in our food is just plain adding up everywhere.  Trying to cut out all sugar from our diets could be a daunting task.  A focus on the differences between added sugar and natural sugar could help you start sorting things out.

My April 5th blog post discussed the differences between naturally occurring sugar found in food,  and sugar that has been added to foods.  Knowing whether sugar is added or is in the food itself,  could help you make better food choices and reduce your overall consumption.  It’s the added sugar in food that usually puts the average American’s sugar intake over the top.

The natural sugar found in fruit, whole grains, milk, and certain vegetables are part of a healthy diet:  we still need to include those foods.  Let’s not forget that portion size also affects the amount of sugar we get on a daily basis.  Too much of even a healthy food could cause us to get more sugar than we need.

In light of all we know about the deleterious effects of too much sugar, cutting down seems to be good advice for everyone.  First, target the foods with added sugars:  soft drinks, fruit juice drinks, desserts, certain cereals and packaged foods.  Then while you’re at it, make sure your portion sizes are in check!

Tags: sugar

Lately, I’m loving buckwheat!  The more I work with this grain, the more possibilities I see.  Recently our local farm market had red, yellow and orange peppers on sale at a great price!  I stocked up and and the first thing I made was stuffed red peppers.  I prepared the peppers and filling earlier in the day and put them in the crock pot on the low setting.  Instead of rice, I substituted buckwheat kasha, used ground white meat chicken instead of beef.  Making this was very easy and they were a nice change from the usual stuffed peppers.

Here’s my recipe:

Kasha Stuffed Peppers- Serves 4

3/4 cup buckwheat kasha

1 whole egg

1 Tb. tomato paste

1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 Tb. olive oil

1/2 lb. ground white meat chicken

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. ancho pepper (or chili powder)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt or to taste

4 red peppers, tops and seeds removed

2- 14 oz. diced tomatoes with green chiles (buy low sodium if you can!)

1. Prepare kasha using the dry cook method.  (I explained this method in my February 23rd post so you will want to review this again).  Using the dry cook method prevents the kasha kernels from sticking together.
2. Add low sodium chicken stock and tomato paste to the dry cooked buckwheat.     Quickly bring kasha and stock to a boil, cover, then simmer 7-10 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.  Set aside.
3. In a large skillet heat the olive oil, and add the ground chicken and chopped onion.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes.  Add seasoning to the chicken mixture.
4. Combine kasha and chicken.
5. Prepare red peppers by removing tops and all seeds.
6. Add stuffing to each hollowed out pepper.  Place peppers in crock pot.  Add canned diced tomatoes to peppers, spooning some of the diced tomatoes over the top of the peppers.
7. Cover & cook for at least 4 hours or until the peppers are tender.

Per Serving: 306 Cal  27 g Protein; 8 g Tot Fat; 35 g Carb; 6 g Fiber;

Tags: pepper recipe, peppers

Every year we have a vegetable garden.  It has become a favorite pastime for me because I get to spend time outdoors, which is a departure from my usual activities.  Eventually our efforts raising a garden results in  fresh, organic, and pesticide free vegetables. From a nutritional point of view, I can think of few things better than that.

Early in January the seed catalogs arrive, and with it, the plans for next gardening season.  A few new vegetable varieties are added, and I always end up having plans for more items than I can possibly fit into my small garden…this year is no exception!

One of my favorite vegetables to grow is the sugar snap pea because it is delicious and it provides a high yield in a small amount of space.  A row or two is planted along the garden fence and when the seedlings come up, they grow right up the fence.

The snap pea is an edible podded pea, lower in calories, yet containing more vitamins and minerals than traditional peas. For people counting carbohydrates, this variety has a low carbohydrate content similar to other green vegetables, and is not a starchy vegetable like regular peas: very diabetes- friendly! Snap peas are delicious raw or cooked, and lend themselves well to steaming or stir frying.

Gardeners sometimes use holidays as a gauge for when to plant certain vegetables.  St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally considered the day to plant peas.  For years I have tried to follow this guideline but to no avail.  Here in the northeast, March 17th is usually cold, damp, and sometimes there’s still snow on the ground. But this year it’s different!  With unseasonably warm weather (70 degrees!) I actually planted snap peas yesterday.  It was t-shirt weather and this was the first time I was able to plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day.

Our peas are usually ready to pick in late June to early July.  Since I’ve had a head start on my planting, maybe the peas will be ready earlier.    Of all the vegetables I have grown in the past, the snap peas have consistently been my biggest success.  We enjoy them most of the summer, and there’s usually enough to freeze for later.   If you have a garden, or decide to try your hand at gardening, give sugar snap peas a try!

A Sunday morning harvest – July 2011

Tags: green peas, peas

In an age of information, despite all we know about diabetes today, it is astonishing to find that there are still so many myths surrounding diabetes.  I happen to know misinformation is out there because I encounter it routinely in my practice.  The popularity of low carb diets has fueled a some of the myths, but sometimes I think really it comes down to how one interprets what they have heard or read.   People with diabetes often receive (unsolicited) advice from well-meaning friends, co-workers or family members.  Here are three examples of commonly held beliefs that simply are not true.

Myth #1: People with diabetes need to cut out all carbohydrates from their diet.

Fact: Foods with carbohydrate will raise your blood sugar, but people with diabetes can safely incorporate carbohydrates into their meal plan. The trick is to make sure your blood glucose is in range, and your portions are appropriate. What should you do about carbohydrates?  Get most of your carbohydrate from vegetables, fresh fruit and whole grain foods.  Save the sweets or desserts for special occasions.

*While we are on the subject of sweets or desserts, it’s important to know that eating foods with sugar does not cause diabetes.  Just because you might have consumed a lot of sugar before you were diagnosed, understand that this was not the reason you developed diabetes.

Myth #2: Carrots are bad for diabetes because they have too much sugar.

Fact: There is sugar in carrots, which is digested quickly compared with other foods. That’s why carrots have what is called a “high glycemic index”. Yet carrots actually have a very small amount of sugar; a whole pound of boiled carrots contains only about 3 teaspoons of sugar.  Rather than using glycemic index as a way to choose what foods to eat, consider the “glycemic load” of a food.  Glycemic load takes into account the actual quantity of sugar in a food, well as the speed in which it is digested.  Guess what? Carrots happen to have a low glycemic load.  The bottom line: carrots provide a rich source of fiber, beta-carotene and are low in calories.  Enjoy them raw or cooked!

Myth #3:  Type 2 diabetes is not as serious as type 1 diabetes.

Fact: Type 2 diabetes is often treated initially with healthy diet and exercise, while Type 1 diabetes is always treated with insulin. Some people interpret this to mean that type 2 is a less serious form of diabetes so they can let things ride. A complacent attitude towards type 2 diabetes may result in progression of the disease.  Not taking care of type 2 diabetes is serious and has the potential for development of complications. So, even if the diabetes can be successfully treated with diet and exercise right now, it’s important to maintain a careful watch on your condition.

Need help with sorting out diabetes information?  Find a Certified Diabetes Educator to help answer your questions and work with you.

Tags: diabetes, diabetic

Last week I wrote about the nutritional benefits of  buckwheat as a whole grain alternative.  Because many people are not that familiar with how to prepare buckwheat, I thought I would give you a quick and easy recipe for a dinner side dish using buckwheat kasha.   This kasha recipe takes about 15 minutes to make and you can vary it in any way, using whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Kasha Pilaf with Vegetables – Serves 6

For this recipe you will need:

1 cup Kasha
1 egg or 2 egg whites
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 cups chopped fresh or frozen vegetables

Add  dry kasha to 1 beaten egg (or egg whites).

Heat a nonstick skillet or saucepan  (no oil needed) and “dry cook”  the egg-coated buckwheat mixture.    Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes until egg has dried and kasha kernels are separate.  This step is necessary to assure that the kernels do not stick together and you get a nice, fluffy product.

Add  2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock .   Quickly bring kasha and stock to a boil, cover, then simmer 7-10 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. You can also use water if you don’t have stock.

**A tip when buying ready made stocks:   I recommend that you look carefully at the labels.  Regular stock is very high in sodium.  The low sodium versions have a great deal of variability. I found that the store brand low sodium chicken broth had almost 500 mg. sodium per serving, where the organic version I used in this recipe had just 140 mg. per serving  That’s quite a difference!

While the kasha is cooking, prepare vegetables that will be added to the kasha.  Today I used :  1/2 medium onion chopped, 1 red pepper,  chopped and about 2 cups of frozen broccoli florets sauteéd in 1/2 Tb. olive oil for 2- 3 minutes.  You don’t have to sauté the vegetables; a mixture of  lightly steamed frozen or fresh vegetables will work just as well.  The vegetables should be tender crisp.  Add the vegetables, toss lightly with the kasha and serve.

Per Serving: 155 Cal ; 8 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 25 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; 286 mg Sodium; 35 mg Cholesterol

Tags: Buckwheat Kasha Pilaf, gluten-free recipe, recipes, vegetables