This week, I read a really great article written by another diabetic. She was testing out fasting. She did an excellent job. She didn’t just try one type of fast. She tried two different ones. She wasn’t afraid to make changes. She has a fantastic understanding of the fact that each diabetic is unique and has to find their personal solution that is timed perfectly.
It’s quite interesting. There are as many fast as there are people on the planet. A fast usually means you’re just not eating. You are allowed to stay hydrated by drinking clear liquids. The interesting consideration is timing.
When it comes to fasting, there are so many different aspects of timing. There is the timing because of age. The timing to be considered due to how long you've been diabetic. The amount of time we have or haven't been fasting...
As we age, our bodies change. Our health changes with the passage of time. We need to pay attention to our bodies and make lifestyle, or fasting, changes as needed. What works today may not work tomorrow or in 10 or 20 years.
The amount of time that you've been a diabetic may also play a role in the type of fast you choose. In the beginning when you’re first diagnosed, your blood sugar is probably extremely high and out of control. Fasting for short periods of time, for 10 to 12 hours each day, may help you get your blood sugar under control.
Once your A1C is reduced, things may change. Later, your body may get used to short 12-hour periods of fasting. You may need a longer fast. You may choose to do a full day's fast as a reset. This may allow your body to use up more fat stores leading to the body utilizing more fats stored in the pancreas and liver. You may also lose weight. Just make sure to discuss fasting with your doctor before making these changes because it will definitely affect your insulin needs.
To help control blood glucose, especially when coming out of a fast, this recipe has butternut squash. It is full of polysaccharides, a dietary fiber, that slows the body's sugar absorption. This will prevent your body from an initial spike coming out of a longer fast. Its glycemic index also helps. It is low and has only half the calories of a sweet potato but is still filling. As a bonus, the flavonoids found in this winter squash may slow or prevent cancer growth.
Source: "Winter Squash" The Nutrition Source
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Candied butternut squash will make a great addition to your upcoming Easter Sunday lunch. The roasted red peppers will add to the festive colors. They increase the sweet flavor as well as aid in boosting your immunity. The protein in the butternut squash slows the body's processing of the food
into glucose. This helps to offset the coconut palm sugar. Celyon cinnamon boosts the sweet flavor but doesn't cause a sugar spike. The healthy fat from the olive oil butter decreases the speed with which the food is processed into sugar.
Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash
4 tablespoons avocado oil
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
1/8 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon olive oil butter, melted
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 350°.
2.) Slice both ends of the butternut squash. Next cut it in half.
3.) Take a spoon and scrape out the seeds and loose strands of butternut squash.
4.) Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place the aluminum shiny side down. Coat it and the butternut squash insides with avocado oil.
5.) Bake for 50 minutes.
6.) Pull out the butternut squash and use a fork to scrape out the butternut squash fruit from the skin. Toss the skin into the compost.
7.) Add the butternut squash, diced red peppers, cinnamon, palm sugar, and olive oil butter into a bowl and mix.
8.) Put the next her back into a baking dish and cook for 15 more minutes.
**Note: You only need to coat the aluminum foil where the butternut squash touches it. **
As I walked through the woods and saw the wild mushrooms, I remembered the time is right to follow up on last week's mushroom growing project for more ingredients for future recipes. I picked up a growing kit for these pearl oyster mushrooms 2 weeks ago. They are easy to use. Just open the box. Cut off the front flap. Place in a cool, moist, shaded place, near the kitchen sink works well. Spray it at least twice daily. I had my first harvest and sautéed mushrooms. They were fantastic!
I hope you get a chance to try this week's fantastic recipe. If you have a favorite dish, you would like to be diabetic friendly, just let me know by leaving a note below. Please comment, like, share, and come back next week for more recipes, ideas, and tips. Subscribe to the website, if you would like weekly email reminders to add more recipes to your recipe book.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, but a compilation of research from medical sites. Make sure to see your doctor and have up-to-date lab work.
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